宋朝宗室是個特殊的複雜的社會群體，美國學者賈志揚(John W. Chaffee)教授以客觀的豐富史料撰成《天潢貴冑：宋代宗室史》(Branches of Heaven: A History of the Imperial Clan of Sung China)鉅著。本論文則以主觀的宗室詩作為研究資料，探討宋朝宗室的內心世界。其主要內容在於探討下列四個問題：一、北宋至南宋宗室詩歌內涵的演變。二、太祖、太宗、魏王廷美三系宗室詩心情的異同。三、宗室詩人與文人學者的交往詩。四、宗室詩歌的評價。關於第一個課題，本論文將南北宋三百二十年(960-1279)劃分為北宋、南渡時期、南宋、宋亡前後四個階段，探討各階段中宗室詩內涵的特點及其形成的原因。關於第二個課題，則就太祖、太宗、魏王廷美三系，各依其輩份，依次論述。關於第三個課題，是選擇若干有代表性的宗室詩人，考察他們與文人學者互動的情形。關於第四個課題，是選擇宋代詩評家曾經加以批評的宗室詩人，將其作品與詩評家的評論加以印證，並給予適切的評價。

Sung Imperial clan is a specifically complicated social mechanism. The American Scholar, Professor John. W. Chaffee, collects a wealth of objective historical documents and compile them into the great book Branches of Heaven: A History of the Imperial Clan of Sung China. The research objective of this thesis is to employ the Sung Imperial Clan Poetry objectively as the research materials for the investigation of their mentality. The research content shall be confined to the following four topics:a. The evolution of content in Imperial Clan Poetry from Northern to Southern Sung.b. The similarities and differences in emotional expression among three different clans: Tai Tsu, Tai Tsung, and Wei Wang Ting-mei.c. Social intercourse poetry between Imperial Clan poets and their contemporary scholars and intellectuals.d. The literary reception of Imperial Clan Poetry.About the first topic, this thesis divides the historical period of 320 years in Sung Dynasty (960-1279) into four different stages: Northern Sung, Southern Migration Period, Southern Sung, and the period immediately preceding and succeeding the overthrow of Sung regime. We shall investigate respectively the characteristics of the content as well as the causes of formation of Imperial Clan Poetry in each stage.Concerning the second topic, we shall give elaborate on the three clans of Tai Tsu, Tai Tsung, and Wei Wang Ting-mei, according to their respective position in the clan hierarchy.As for the third topic, we intend to choose several representative Imperial Clan poets, and explore their interactions with their contemporary scholars and intellectuals.With regard to the forth topic, we shall be selecting a few Imperial Clan poets on whom Sung Poetry Critics had commented, making comparison between the literary works and the literary criticism for further affirmation, and providing adequate evaluations