Yuan Liang has published seven books of poetry in the past seven years, all of which were written in Chinese. Softening is his first collection of poetry in English, which is aimed to reach a broader audience and invite readers to be involved in a conversation between visible world and spiritual world, and common phenomena in daily life and meaningful insight beyond. Softening is divided into three sections: the Passage of Word, Ferry, and Tracking Habit. In this collection, he continues to explore his inner domain, endeavoring to capture the aesthetic moment in life and the intensive experience between musical tone and philosophical probing. His poetry starts the journey of pursuing for poetic inhabitability, the land of eternal soul, and the colorful day dreaming. These poems provide audience with a unique perspective of human existence through the eyes of an American Chinese. His works are full of imagination with metaphors, symbolism, poetic intuition, and an exotic atmosphere, which poetically lead audience to a transcendental realm. He is praised by other poets as "He is talented at catching overtones, realms beyond phenomenon, and spiritual moment of epiphany.", and "Yuan Liang is good at using dense imagery to 'sermon' his logic, beauty and grace, giving his reader space to think deeply.", and "Whether it is sound of lyre, hoofs, wind, or singing, have all turned into his spiritual code and romantic verse."