His outstanding role in sports is:
(1) intends to combine the innovation of poetry with the political reform led by Fan Zhongyan, so that the criticism of ancient prose, poetry and literary theory can serve the real political struggle, thus making the movement more conscious and in-depth.
(2) Explain the theory and guide innovation. He put forward that "it is not difficult to get the word"; He also believes that Tao can enrich the text, but it cannot replace it. He advocates that the composition should be simple, legal, fluent and natural, and opposes simulation and ancient Olympics. In poetry, he paid attention to the exhortation of beauty and touching things, put forward the famous argument that poetry is poor and backward, and emphasized the important role of the poet's life experience in creation. He worships Du Fu and Li Bai. He created a new style of poetry criticism, "Poetry Talk", and his "Poetry Talk on June 1" published many incisive literary and poetic opinions. His poetry theory guides the writer's creative practice and innovation movement.
(3) Reform the imperial examination and depose the four or six products. In the second year of Jiajing (1057), Ouyang Xiu paid tribute to the Ministry of Rites, strictly stipulated that the articles to be tested must be plain and simple prose, and resolutely denounced the strange, strange, empty and Chinese style.
(4) Develop creative style and strive to promote backwardness. Ouyang Xiu has actively created many excellent prose works, which are rich in content, novel in form, simple and natural, fluent, narrative, reasoning and lyrical, opening up a thoroughfare for prose creation. His poems absorbed the characteristics of Han Yu's prose culture in art, but avoided the danger and rarity of Han Yu's poems. His creation played an exemplary role in the poetry innovation movement. Ouyang Xiu cherishes talents and unites a large number of new and old writers around him. He paid special attention to Wang Anshi, Su and his son, regarded them as the backbone of poetry innovation, encouraged them to create actively, and ensured that the poetry innovation movement continued to flourish. The above measures taken by Ouyang Xiu had a great effect and far-reaching influence, which made the innovation movement reach a climax and win.