Wang Anshi on Allusion

"Poetry suffers from overplus of allusions. The problem is when poets choose only those allusions corresponding to the subject of their poem, arranging them according to category, as if they were collating references by subject matter. Even if they do a good job, what's the point? If however one can imbue an allusion with one's own meaning, borrowing from an ancient event to express fresh intent, then any amount of allusions may be used without detracting from the poem."

詩家病使事太多，蓋皆取其與題合者類之，如此乃是編事，雖工何益？若能自出己意，借事以相發明，情態畢出，則用事雖多，亦何所妨

-Wáng Ānshí, quoted in Cài Jūhòu's "Remarks on Poetry", tr. Yours Truly