The first sentence states that victory or defeat is a common occurrence for military strategists. The second sentence criticizes Xiang Yu for not being broad-minded and lacking the bearing of a general. Three or four sentences imagine that if Xiang Yu returns to Jiangdong to regroup, he might be able to make a comeback. This sentence expresses regret that Xiang Yu committed suicide due to anger, but the main meaning is to criticize him for not being good at seizing opportunities, not good at listening to other people's suggestions, and not good at recruiting and employing people. Sima Qian once criticized Xiang Yu's obsession with "it is not a crime of war that God will destroy me" from a historian's perspective. Du Mu used the perspective of a military strategist to argue that success or failure depends on people. Both of them paid attention to personnel matters, but Sima Qian summarized the lessons learned and emphasized the reasons for defeat; Du Mu imagined opportunities that had not yet materialized, emphasizing that military strategists must have far-sightedness and indomitable will.
The first sentence directly points out the common sense that victory or defeat is a common occurrence for military strategists, and implies that the key lies in how to deal with the issue, paving the way for the following. "Unexpected events" means that victory or defeat cannot be predicted.
The second sentence emphasizes that only one who "bears shame" can be a "man". When Xiang Yu was frustrated, he became discouraged and committed suicide in shame. How could he be considered a real "man"? The word "man" is reminiscent of the overlord of Western Chu who claimed that his power was greater than mountains and rivers and that he was unparalleled in the world. Until his death, he had not found the reason for his failure. He just blamed "unfavorable times" and committed suicide in shame and anger. for his "hero" title.
The third sentence, "The children of Jiangdong are many talented people" is an artistic summary of the pavilion chief's suggestion that "Although Jiangdong is small, it is thousands of miles away and has hundreds of thousands of people, and it is enough to be a king." People have always appreciated Xiang Yu's phrase "I never met Jiangdong's father and brother", thinking that it showed his integrity. In fact, this just reflects his stubbornness and his inability to listen to the advice of the pavilion chief. He missed Han Xin and made Fan Zeng angry to death. He was indeed ridiculously stupid. However, at this last moment, if he can face the reality, "bear shame", take the advice, return to Jiangdong, and regroup, the outcome of victory or defeat may not be easy to measure. This brings us to the last sentence.
"A comeback is unknown" is the most powerful sentence in the whole poem. It means that if you can do this, there is still a lot to do; unfortunately, Xiang Yu refused to let go and committed suicide. This provides a strong basis for the first and second sentences above, and such a sudden turn of events, all in one go, makes people imagine the situation of "Jiangdong children" "making a comeback", which is quite impressive. At the same time, in addition to feeling regretful, criticizing, and sarcastic, it also shows the principle of "don't be discouraged by defeat", which is also quite positive.
This poem, like the poem "Red Cliff", discusses the success or failure of war, and puts forward one's own hypothetical speculations about wars that have ended in history. The first sentence states that victory or defeat is a common matter for military strategists. The second sentence criticizes Xiang Yu for not being broad-minded and lacking the bearing of a general. Three or four sentences imagine that if Xiang Yu returns to Jiangdong to regroup, he might be able to make a comeback. This sentence expresses regret that Xiang Yu committed suicide due to anger, but the main meaning is to criticize him for not being good at seizing opportunities, not good at listening to other people's suggestions, and not good at recruiting and employing people. Sima Qian once criticized Xiang Yu's obsession with "it is not a crime of war that God will destroy me" from a historian's perspective. Du Mu used the perspective of a military strategist to argue that success or failure depends on people. Both of them paid attention to personnel matters, but Sima Qian summarized the lessons learned and emphasized the reasons for defeat; Du Mu imagined opportunities that had not yet materialized, emphasizing that military strategists must have far-sightedness and indomitable will.
The characteristic of Du Mu's epic poem is that it does not fall into the trap of traditional interpretation. Such as "The east wind does not cooperate with Zhou Lang, and the bronze bird spring locks two Qiao deeply" ("Red Cliff"), "The southern army does not expose the left sleeve, and the four old men An Liu will destroy Liu" ("Inscribed on the Four Hao Temples of Shangshan"), They all tell the opposite story, and their style is similar to this one. Hu Zai from the Song Dynasty said in his "Tiaoxi Yuyincong Hua" that this poem was "different but unreasonable... The Xiang family crossed the river with 8,000 people and were defeated, with no one returning. They lost people's hearts very much. Who is willing to reattach it? It cannot come back, it is determined." Wu Jingxu of the Qing Dynasty refuted Hu Zai, saying that Du Mu was "using the method of overturning the case to fall to the first level and awaken his righteousness." In fact, from a historical point of view, Hu's accusation is not unfounded. Wu Jingxu defended Du Mu mainly because this poem used the topic to promote the spirit of perseverance, which is desirable.