內外交困的近代環境，西學東漸的學術思潮，將楚辭學推向了學術轉型的關口。一方面，貫通中西的楚辭學者如王國維、魯迅等從西方理論中汲取能量，借鏡西方文藝理論審視楚辭，將楚辭批評從詩教的桎梏中解脫出來，使其面貌一新。另一方面，傳統楚辭學者如王闓運、馬其昶等受到社會環境與學術思潮的雙重影響，箋註楚辭時致力於發揚其微言大義，遂在對屈原形象的解讀上、對楚辭中「怨君」、「求賢」等問題的處理上生發出異於前代的奇詭之論。近代楚辭學亦因此呈現出新與異的雙重色彩。

The internal and external difficulties in modern environment and the academic trend of Western learning spreading eastward had pushed Chuci Studies to the critical point of academic transformation. On the one hand, Chucis cholars who were versed in both Chinese and Western learning, such as Wang Guowei and Lu Xun, drew energy from western literary theories to examine Chuci, freeing Chuci criticism from the shackles of poetic education and made it new. On the other hand, traditional Chuci scholars who were dually influenced by social environment and academic trend, including Wang Kaiyun and Ma Qizhang, devoted themselves to carrying forward the sublime words with deep meanings in Chuci when noting it, thus giving birth to unusual commentaries on the interpretation of Qu Yuan’s image and the treatment of “monarch resenting” and “talents seeking” in Chuci. Therefore, modern Chuci studies had been presenting the dual colors of innovation and variation.