On the Allegorical Theme of Song of Everlasting Regret

Based mainly on a textual analysis of Song of Everlasting Regret and a probe into BAI Ju-yi’s ideology, the paper argues that Song of Everlasting Regret is thematically allegorical in that, it, by describing the tragic romance between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and YANG Yu-huan, his favorite consort, reveals negligence of state administration on the part of feudal emperors and corrupt politics giving rise to such severe results as the decline of the state, tragic death of the beloved consort, and endless reminiscence of the past romance, with a view to indirectly criticizing Emperor Xuanzong’s negligence of state affairs due to his excessive indulgence in love, and offering a lesson to subsequent emperors. It is emphasized that Song of Everlasting Regret successfully brings out the love between Li and Yang in bold relief, conductive to its allegorical theme. The more genuine and profound the love is, the more precious it is, the more it loses, the more it destroys, and the more a lesson should be drawn. Instead of taking a pedagogical, incisive and outspoken way common to allegorical poems, Song of Everlasting Regret exhorts emperors by appealing to their sympathy with artistic model and image.