Song of Eternal Sorrow is a long narrative poem by Bai Juyi, which describes the love tragedy between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei. The theme of this poem has always been different. Some people think it's ironic and dissolute, some people think it's a celebration of love, and some people think it's a double theme.
This poem describes the love tragedy between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei from a historical perspective. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was obsessed with Yang Guifei's beauty and neglected political affairs, which eventually led to the Anshi rebellion and made the Tang Dynasty turn from prosperity to decline. So some people think this poem is ironic and dissolute.
However, from the literary point of view, this poem describes the love between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei, and the poet depicts the deep love between them and the grief of their final separation with delicate brushstrokes. So some people think that this poem is a hymn to love.
In addition, some people think that this poem has a dual theme, which is both ironic and dissolute, and also praises love. This view holds that the poet not only criticized the extravagance and waste of Tang Xuanzong, but also expressed his praise and pursuit of true love by describing the love tragedy of Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei.
To sum up, there have always been different understandings about the theme of Song of Eternal Sorrow. Some people think it's ironic and dissolute, some people think it's a celebration of love, and some people think it's a double theme.