The themes of Tao Yuanming's poems can be mainly divided into five categories.

The first is drinking poems, such as his Twenty Drinking Poems. In the voice of "intoxicating" or accusing right and wrong, discredit the same upper class; Or expose the decadent darkness of the world; Or reflect the sinister occupation; Or express the joy of the poet after he quit the officialdom; Or express the poet's grievances in difficulties. He was also the first poet in history to write a large number of drinking poems, which was of course related to his "sexual drinking". Later, Li Bai admired him very much, and he also borrowed a lot from Tao Yuanming in his poems.

The second is poetry. Represented by Miscellaneous Poems 12 and Reading Shan Hai Jing 13. More than twelve miscellaneous poems show their political depression after retirement and express their noble personality. It can be seen that the poet's heart is infinitely deep and broad. Thirteen poems in Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas express the same content by reciting the strange things in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. For example, in the tenth poem, by praising Jing Wei and Xing Tian for their "fierce ambition", they express and show that their ambition to help the world will never die.

The third is pastoral poetry. This is also his most important achievement, and the number of poems is also the largest. It can be said that he pioneered the pastoral school in the history of literature. This kind of poetry fully shows the poet's lofty interest in disdaining fame and fortune and his noble integrity in keeping his ambition; It fully shows the poet's extreme hatred and complete break with the dark officialdom; It fully shows the poet's love for simple pastoral life, his understanding of labor and his friendly feelings for working people. It fully shows the poet's pursuit and yearning for the ideal world. Among them, the most famous ones are Gui Yuan, Gui Xi Ci and Peach Blossom Garden.