完成於西周初年至春秋中葉的《詩經》，其原始作者出自統治階層、士大夫與平民百姓，三百篇的內涵因此顯得豐富多變，其時詩與樂關係密切，而春秋中期之後，文化上逐漸出現了「禮崩樂壞」的局面，「詩教」與「樂教」開始分道，三百篇的樂歌逐漸不再是重心，詩句之指義才是賦詩、引詩者關注的目標。本文關切先秦《詩經》聲義的轉換過程，全文重在析論孔子整編《詩經》的文化意義，並分析孟子、荀子對《詩經》書面旨意的持續探索，藉以解釋其在《詩經》學史上的貢獻與意義。依本文之見，《詩經》由原初的樂歌轉向詩文的理解，作為重大元素的音樂已然遺失，即使真有所謂《樂經》這樣的文本，漢初甚或更早，此一文本也已不復見，也由此而宣告《詩經》音樂性的消失。同時，這也標誌著《詩經》研究只能往書面意義探索的道路前進，原始的歌舞儀節就僅能停留在早期的書面記錄中。

Shijing (The Book of Songs) was compiled between the early years of Western Zhou Dynasty and the middle Spring and Autumn Period. Its collection of 300 diverse poems and songs were written anonymously by various authors including the governing classes, literati officialdom, and general populace. At that time, poems and songs were closely connected, but the breakdown of civility after the middle Spring and Autumn Period forced “the education through poetry” to be separated from “the education through songs”. Songs were no more the focus of the education, and poetry instead attracted people’s attention when they were recited or quoted.
This study focuses on the development of sounds and meanings in Shijing by analyzing the cultural significance in Confucius’ sorting and editing of Shijing, along with Mencius’ and Xunzi’s contribution and significance toward the academic system of Shijing.