Her witty reply poem using plays on words such as 'ikuno' (literally a field to go, and Ikuno, the place-name) and 'fumi' (literally a letter, and to step) was set at a high value, and since then she had gained in her reputation as a poet.
「行く野・生野」「文・踏み」の巧みな掛詞を使用したその当意即妙の受け答えが高く評価され、以後小式部内侍の歌人としての名声は高まったという。