Ode to a Wandering Son was written in Liyang (now Jiangsu). Under the title of this poem, Meng Jiao made a note: "Mu Ying Li Shangzuo." Meng Jiao drifted in his early years and was poor all his life. Until he was fifty years old, he got a humble position as a county commandant in Liyang, and ended his years of wandering life. He lived with his mother. The poet's career was frustrated and he experienced the indifference of the world. At this time, he felt the value of his family more and more, so he wrote this heartfelt and touching poem praising his mother.
In the case of frustrated official career, the poet felt the value of family ties because he was miserable and worried about his life. "Poetry is born from the heart, and sorrow should be the heart" (Su Shi's Reading Meng Jiao's Poems). Although this poem is not carved with algae paintings, it is fresh, smooth and unpretentious, which shows that its poetic flavor is rich and mellow. Ode to a Wanderer is an ode to maternal love, which is touching.