It had been already considered a classic in the late Heian period, and in "Six Hundreds Set of Poetry Match," "The Tale of Genji" led FUJIWARA no Toshinari to say, 'I'm very sorry for poets who do not read The Tale of Genji,' so that it was considered an accomplishment necessary for a poet or court noble.
平安末期には既に古典化しており、『六百番歌合』で藤原俊成をして「源氏見ざる歌詠みは遺恨の事なり」と言わしめた源語は歌人や貴族のたしなみとなっていた。