Abstract: An idea of the artists and calligraphers first borrowed by the Tang poetic theorists, the theory “plot before the pen”was advocated in the Song Dynasties and began to thrive in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. However, a new theory–theme along with the pen–aiming at improving it was proposed by poetic theorist Xie Zhen in the Ming Dynasty that introduced notions such as “pre-word meaning” and “post-word meaning”. In fact, developing the plot and/or the theme either before or along with the pen is just the same literary creation process from two approaches that can coexist and even complement each other because both agree in revealing the relationship and expression between the word and the meaning. Therefore, to a certain extent, Shi Jia Zhi Shuo can be regarded as an in-depth explanation of Xie Zhen's own experience in writing poems to manifest the theory that “theme comes along writing”, so as to provide guidance and reference for other poets

Key words: plot before the pen, theme along with the pen, pre-word meaning, post-word meaning, Shi Jia Zhe Shuo