There are eight sentences in the whole poem. The first four sentences pay tribute to the events of the ancient Wu Kingdom. The sentence "The King of Jinling lost his spirit sadly" shows the collapse of the Wu Kingdom in the writing. The author uses the ancient events to metaphor today's Tang Dynasty. The separatist power of the dynasty, the concern for the safety of the country, and the survival of the country are thus revealed. Then the poet used "sinking at the bottom of the river" and "moving out of the stone" to express the crisis of the country's situation, and had the intention of advising those in power to strengthen national defense.
In the last four sentences, the poet turns from narrative to lyrical. The word "shang" vividly expresses the impermanence of the human world and the sadness and joy of the changing dynasties. "The mountain shape is still pillowing the cold current" also expresses the feeling that people and affairs are constantly changing, but the country remains. In the last two sentences, the poet moves from nostalgia to reality, "Today is the day when the world is home, so the forts are rustling and the reeds are rustling in autumn." They criticize the Tang Dynasty's separatist vassal towns as kings. were able to unify, but some vassal towns supported their own troops and destroyed the unity of the country. This embodies the author's great significance in criticizing reality and expresses the author's desire for the peaceful reunification of the country. This poem is a model of poetry that satirizes current affairs. It uses the past to describe the present, and uses the pain of the subjugation of previous dynasties to reveal the shortcomings of the current situation. On the whole, the structure is rigorous, the poetic meaning is clear and metrical; in terms of language, it is calm and steady, citing ancient allusions; in terms of content, the narrative is precise, the scenery is sad, and the lyricism is natural.
How many times in this life do we regret the past. The poet used Xisai Mountain as a line to draw out the pain of the fall of the Wu Kingdom. The rise and fall of the country and the changes in the world revealed the chaotic situation at that time, which left a deep impression on the current dynasty and future generations, and had a profound impact. "Learning from the past" not only wakes up those who do not understand current affairs and disrupts the situation, but also warns the world that peaceful reunification of the country is not easy.
"Nostalgia for the Ancients in Xisai Mountain" embodies Liu Yuxi's concern for the country and the people, depicts the poet's loyalty to the monarch and his ideal of unifying the country by ending the feudal rule.