Available via license: CC BY 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
Analyzing the Theme of The Everlasting Regret from the
Perspective of Segmented Discourse Representation Theory
Muzi Hu1,a,*
1Shanghai International Studies University, 550 Dalian West Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai,
China
a. humuzi0527@foxmail.com
*corresponding author
Abstract: This research conducts a thematic analysis of The Everlasting Regret based on
Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT), aiming to uncover its deeper meanings
by exploring the text's discourse structure and rhetorical relations. Unlike traditional literary
criticism approaches, this study adopts the SDRT framework, with a focus on analyzing the
rhetorical relations between Compound Discourse Units (CDUs). The academic debate
surrounding the theme of The Everlasting Regret is extensive, with major perspectives
including allegorical, romantic, and dual-theme interpretations. Through detailed analysis,
this research argues that The Everlasting Regret does not present a dual theme, but rather a
single one. Moreover, this theme is not a celebration of love, but rather a subtle and nuanced
form of satire. Additionally, the research offers an in-depth examination of key discourse
units within the text, revealing that the rhetorical relations among them can be interpreted as
Contrast, Result, and Narration. This not only highlights the complexity of discourse
coherence and textual structure, but also suggests a potential intrinsic link among these three
rhetorical relations.
Keywords: Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT), Rhetorical relations, The
Everlasting Regret.
1. Introduction
Since Bai Juyi composed The Everlasting Regret, debates surrounding its theme have been ongoing.
Broadly speaking, there are three main interpretations: the allegorical view, the romantic view, and
the dual-theme view. The allegorical view holds that The Everlasting Regret satirizes and critiques
the indulgence and excesses of the Tang rulers. The romantic view interprets the poem as a
sympathetic celebration of the sincere and unwavering love between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and
Yang Guifei. The dual-theme view reconciles the previous two perspectives, suggesting that the poem
contains both satirical critique and sympathetic celebration. While each perspective offers its own
rationale, it also faces criticism. The allegorical interpretation focuses excessively on the poem's first
half, which criticizes the indulgence and neglect of governance by Li and Yang, while overlooking
the portrayal of their love in the second half. In contrast, the romantic interpretation emphasizes the
second half's depiction of love, but neglects the satirical tone in the first half. The dual-theme
interpretation, by attempting to combine both views, highlights the apparent inconsistency between
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
© 2025 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
13
the two halves, raising questions about whether The Everlasting Regret has a coherent theme
throughout and whether it maintains artistic unity in structure [1].
Although extensive research on the theme of The Everlasting Regret has produced these
representative interpretations, most of these studies are grounded in traditional literary criticism and
seldom explore the poem from the perspective of modern linguistics or narratology. In particular, few
studies have employed the emerging analytical framework of Segmented Discourse Representation
Theory (SDRT) to conduct in-depth analysis. As a theory that combines linguistics with logic, SDRT
effectively addresses complex narrative structures and the relationships between different semantic
units within a text. For a work like The Everlasting Regret, which is replete with dramatic twists and
emotional tension, analyzing its narrative coherence and the relationships between events is especially
crucial. Therefore, applying the SDRT perspective to The Everlasting Regret holds significant
theoretical value and fills a gap in existing research. This research aims to analyze the narrative
structure and thematic expression of The Everlasting Regret through the framework of SDRT,
exploring the poem's unique aspects in terms of narrative coherence, emotional progression, and event
relations. In doing so, it offers new perspectives and methodologies for further understanding the
thematic depth of this classic poem.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Overview of SDRT
Discourse Representation Theory (DRT) was introduced by Hans Kamp and others in the 1980s as a
dynamic semantic theory designed to address the limitations of Montague grammar in handling
natural language phenomena [2]. Montague grammar gives us formal ways to look at semantics, but
it is based on a truth-conditional semantics that is static, which doesn't work well when dealing with
the fact that natural language semantics change over time and depend on the context. To overcome
these shortcomings, Kamp developed DRT as a dynamic semantic framework capable of addressing
issues such as anaphora resolution, temporal sequencing, and contextual dependencies across
sentences, while revealing the connection between syntactic structures and semantic representations
within a broader context. This, in turn, allows for a more effective treatment of discourse coherence.
However, as research progressed, DRT's limitations in handling complex discourse structures and
rhetorical relations became apparent. Specifically, understanding discourse requires not only attention
to local syntactic structures but also to global rhetorical structures and the pragmatic links between
sentences. To extend DRT's explanatory power in cross-sentence coherence, Nicholas Asher and Alex
Lascarides introduced Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT) [3]. By integrating
rhetorical relations into the logical form of discourse, SDRT addresses issues of semantic reasoning
within discourse coherence and effectively manages cross-sentence rhetorical and pragmatic relations,
thus providing a more comprehensive and nuanced framework for semantic analysis.
SDRT introduces a distinction between coordination and subordination, which helps to analyze
rhetorical relations such as Explanation, Contrast, and Result within the hierarchical structure of
discourse [4]. Moreover, SDRT employs the concepts of Elementary Discourse Units (EDUs) and
Compound Discourse Units (CDUs) to model discourse hierarchically. EDUs, as the smallest
semantic units in discourse, are connected through rhetorical relations to form more complex CDUs.
Rhetorical relations can further link these CDUs, creating even more intricate discourse structures.
As a result, SDRT not only offers a systematic approach to local syntactic structures but also provides
a detailed hierarchical model that explains global discourse coherence comprehensively. Given
SDRT's advantages in analyzing complex discourse structures, this research seeks to apply it to the
thematic study of The Everlasting Regret. By analyzing the text’s discourse structure and rhetorical
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
14
relations, this research aims to uncover the underlying thematic logic of the poem and offer a detailed
analysis of key units through rhetorical relations.
2.2. Overview of the Hierarchical Structure of The Everlasting Regret
As a narrative poem, The Everlasting Regret represents both a literary form and a type of discourse,
characterized by overall coherence and unity. Its constituent parts are not randomly assembled but
are connected through a few recurring rhetorical relations, which convey specific messages and
emotions. Before analyzing how these parts form coherence, it is necessary to first explain the
hierarchical structure of The Everlasting Regret. Scholars have differing opinions on how to segment
the poem's structure, with interpretations ranging from two-part, three-part, four-part, to five-part
divisions. Additionally, differences exist within each approach regarding the starting points of certain
segments. This section will briefly introduce representative perspectives for each segmentation
approach.
Table 1: Two-Part Division: Dividing the Poem into Two CDUs.
First perspective [5]
CDU 1 (lines 1-26)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence.
CDU 2 (lines 27-120)
Emperor Xuanzong’s profound longing for
Yang Guifei.
Second perspective [6]
CDU 1 (lines 1-32)
The cause of the “regret”.
CDU 2 (lines 33-120)
The “regret” itself
Table 2: Three-Part Division: Dividing the Poem into Three CDUs.
First perspective [7]
CDU 1 (lines 1-42)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in pleasure,
Yang Guifei’s arrogance, leading to the An
Lushan Rebellion.
CDU 2 (lines 43-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s profound longing for
Yang Guifei.
CDU 3 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist searches for Yang Guifei in
heaven and earth and finally encounters her.
Second perspective [8]
CDU 1 (lines 1-30)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in pleasure,
Yang Guifei’s arrogance.
CDU 2 (lines 31-74)
The outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion,
Yang Guifei’s death, and Emperor
Xuanzong’s grief.
CDU 3 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist searches for Yang Guifei and
meets her.
Table 3: Four-Part Division: Dividing the Poem into Four CDUs.
First perspective [9]
CDU 1 (lines 1-30)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in
pleasure, Yang Guifei’s arrogance.
CDU 2 (lines 31-50)
The An Lushan Rebellion, Yang Guifei’s
death, and Emperor Xuanzong’s grief.
CDU 3 (lines 51-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s deep longing for
Yang Guifei after returning to Chang’an.
CDU 4 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei
and his encounter with her.
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
15
Second perspective [10]
CDU 1 (lines 1-26)
Yang Guifei’s entrance into the palace,
her favor with the emperor, and the
prosperity of her family.
CDU 2 (lines 27-54)
The An Lushan Rebellion, Yang Guifei’s
death, and Emperor Xuanzong’s
lingering affection.
CDU 3 (lines 55-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s deep longing for
Yang Guifei after returning to Chang’an.
CDU 4 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei
and his encounter with her.
Third perspective [11, 12]
CDU 1 (lines 1-32)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in
pleasure, Yang Guifei’s arrogance,
leading to the An Lushan Rebellion.
CDU 2 (lines 33-50)
Yang Guifei’s death and Emperor
Xuanzong’s grief during exile.
CDU 3 (lines 51-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s continuing longing
for Yang Guifei after returning to
Chang’an.
CDU 4 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei
and his encounter with her.
Fourth perspective [13]
CDU 1 (lines 1-26)
Yang Guifei’s beauty and the height of
her favor in the palace.
CDU 2 (lines 27-42)
The An Lushan Rebellion and Yang
Guifei’s death.
CDU 3 (lines 43-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s longing for Yang
Guifei.
CDU 4 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei
and his encounter with her.
Fifth perspective [14]
CDU 1 (lines 1-30)
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in
pleasure, Yang Guifei’s arrogance.
CDU 2 (lines 31-42)
The An Lushan Rebellion and Yang
Guifei’s death.
CDU 3 (lines 43-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s longing for Yang
Guifei.
CDU 4 (lines 75-120)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei
and his encounter with her.
Table 4: Five-Part Division: Dividing the Poem into Five CDUs.
First perspective [15]
CDU 1 (lines 1-26)
Yang Guifei’s entrance into the palace, her
favor with the emperor, and the prosperity
of her family.
CDU 2 (lines 27-54)
The An Lushan Rebellion, Yang Guifei’s
death, and Emperor Xuanzong’s lingering
affection.
Table 3: (continued).
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
16
CDU 3 (lines 55-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s deep longing for Yang
Guifei after returning to Chang’an.
CDU 4 (lines 75-100)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei and
his encounter with her.
CDU 5 (lines 101-120)
Yang Guifei’s eternal vow to Emperor
Xuanzong.
Second perspective [16]
CDU 1 (lines 1-26)
The emperor’s infatuation with Yang
Guifei, her favor, and the arrogance of the
Yang family.
CDU 2 (lines 27-50)
The outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion
and the destruction of the love between the
emperor and Yang Guifei.
CDU 3 (lines 51-74)
Emperor Xuanzong’s deep longing for Yang
Guifei after returning to Chang’an.
CDU 4 (lines 75-100)
The alchemist’s search for Yang Guifei and
his encounter with her.
CDU 5 (lines 101-120)
Yang Guifei’s eternal vow to Emperor
Xuanzong.
3. Methodology
This research adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing textual analysis within the theoretical
framework of SDRT to conduct an in-depth discourse analysis of The Everlasting Regret. The focus
is on deconstructing the rhetorical relations within the text to uncover its thematic expression.
Text Selection and Analysis: The study takes The Everlasting Regret as the primary object of
analysis. Through careful reading and interpretation, the text is segmented into various discourse units
(EDUs and CDUs).
Discourse Analysis: This research focuses on analyzing the rhetorical relations and coherence
between different discourse units within the text. By examining how the text constructs its thematic
structure through different narrative levels and semantic inferences, the study seeks to reveal how the
poem articulates its thematic trajectory.
4. Results
Section 2.2 of this study introduced various perspectives on the hierarchical structure of The
Everlasting Regret. This section will explain how different hierarchical divisions arise into distinct
rhetorical relations.
The two-part division segments the poem into two CDUs. Although the two perspectives within
the two-part division differ in their segmentation starting points, the rhetorical relationship between
CDU1 and CDU2 is consistently identified as Result.
The three-part division splits the poem into three CDUs. Similar to the two-part division, the
rhetorical relation between CDU1 and CDU2 is Result, while the relation between CDU2 and CDU3
is Violated Expectation.
The four-part division segments the poem into four CDUs, with five representative perspectives
revealing two distinct types of rhetorical relations between the CDUs. In the first type (represented
by the first, second, and third perspectives), the rhetorical relation between CDU1 and CDU2 is Result,
between CDU2 and CDU3 is Narration, and between CDU3 and CDU4 is Violated Expectation. In
Table 4: (continued).
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
17
the second type (represented by the fourth and fifth perspectives), the rhetorical relation between
CDU1 and CDU2 is Result, between CDU2 and CDU3 is also Result, and between CDU3 and CDU4
is Violated Expectation.
The five-part division splits the poem into five CDUs, which similarly presents two types of
rhetorical relations. In the first type, the rhetorical relation between CDU1 and CDU2 is Result,
between CDU2 and CDU3 is Narration, between CDU3 and CDU4 is Violated Expectation, and
between CDU4 and CDU5 is Narration. In the second type, the rhetorical relation between CDU1
and CDU2 is Result, between CDU2 and CDU3 is also Result, between CDU3 and CDU4 is Violated
Expectation, and between CDU4 and CDU5 is Narration.
5. Discussion
5.1. The Impact of Different Hierarchical Divisions on the Theme
The two-part division splits the poem into two CDUs, with CDU1 serving as the basis for the
allegorical interpretation and CDU2 forming the basis for the romantic interpretation. The transition
from CDU1 to CDU2 represents a significant shift, and analyzing these two parts in isolation naturally
leads to divergent views. However, from the perspective of rhetorical relations, there is a close link
between CDU1 and CDU2. In CDU2, grief consumes Emperor Xuanzong after Yang Guifei's death,
intensifying his longing for her to the point where he sends a Daoist priest to search for her soul.
When viewed in isolation, CDU2 indeed portrays the sincere love between the emperor and Yang
Guifei, transcending life and death. However, considering the rhetorical relationship between CDU1
and CDU2, it becomes apparent that Yang Guifei’s death was a result of Emperor Xuanzong’s
indulgence and neglect of state affairs. It was precisely because of his infatuation with pleasure that
the An Lushan Rebellion erupted, leading to Yang Guifei’s death, and consequently, Xuanzong’s
profound sorrow for her. Therefore, the rhetorical relation between CDU1 and CDU2 is Result.
Scholars who support the romantic interpretation argue that CDU2 is the main section of the poem,
while CDU1 merely provides background, which implies that the rhetorical relation between CDU1
and CDU2 is Background. If rhetorical relations are divided into two types, subordination and
coordination [4], Result is typically viewed as a coordination relation, while Background is seen as a
subordination relation. Given the opposite nature of these two relations, it is impossible for CDU1
and CDU2 to simultaneously possess both Result and Background relations, suggesting that one of
these analyses may be flawed. In SDRT, coordination shifts the scene and advances the narrative,
while subordination elaborates on the scene, deepening the narrative [4]. From CDU1 to CDU2, the
scene has indeed changed: CDU1 describes the prosperous times before the rebellion, with the
emperor and consort immersed in pleasure, while CDU2 depicts the aftermath of the rebellion, with
the Tang dynasty’s glory gone and the life of luxury vanished. This change in scene follows a linear
temporal sequence, which aligns with the characteristics of a coordination relation. Viewing the
rhetorical relation between CDU1 and CDU2 as Result shifts the theme of The Everlasting Regret
towards an allegorical interpretation: the deeper Emperor Xuanzong’s feelings for Yang Guifei, the
greater his regret for his past neglect of state affairs, thereby strengthening the poem’s cautionary
message. However, given that CDU2 depicts Xuanzong’s deep longing and the sincere love between
the emperor and Guifei, the poem’s satire is not harsh but rather a subtle form of critique, expressed
through the lens of "emotion."
The three-part division splits the poem into three CDUs. As previously analyzed, the rhetorical
relation between CDU1 and CDU2 is Result, and this will not be reiterated here. The focus now shifts
to the relation between CDU2 and CDU3. After Yang Guifei’s death, Emperor Xuanzong is overcome
with sadness in Sichuan, reflects on his memories of her on the return journey, and continues to grieve
after returning to the palace. His longing for her reaches such an intensity that even the mere sight of
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
18
her in a dream would provide some solace, yet this expectation remains unmet, leading to his decision
to have a Daoist priest search for Yang Guifei’s soul. It is important to note that Emperor Xuanzong
only decides to seek Yang Guifei’s soul because her spirit had not appeared to him in a dream.
However, the outcome, as presented in CDU3, is that the priest only brings back tokens and vows
from Yang Guifei, rather than a reunion. Xuanzong’s anticipated result is thus denied, and the
rhetorical relation between CDU2 and CDU3 is Violated Expectation. Unlike CDU1 and CDU2,
CDU3 represents an imaginary celestial realm created by the poet, rather than a real-world setting.
Given this fictional setting, why does the poet not allow Xuanzong and Yang Guifei to reunite,
constructing a Result relation, but instead chooses a Violated Expectation relation? If the purpose
were merely to highlight the tragic nature of their love, why further construct this tragedy? The poet’s
choice to prolong rather than resolve Xuanzong’s suffering is itself a subtle critique of the emperor.
Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence in pleasure led to the An Lushan Rebellion, causing national turmoil
and immense suffering for the people. The consequences were so severe that even in the imaginary
celestial realm, the two cannot and should not reunite. Only through unresolved suffering can the
consequences of neglecting state affairs be fully realized, emphasizing that a ruler’s priority should
be the welfare of the state and its people. The construction of Violated Expectation ensures that the
discourse consistently adheres to a singular theme, maintaining coherence between the poem’s parts,
rather than splitting into two separate themes of satire and love.
The four-part division splits the poem into four CDUs, with five representative perspectives,
leading to two types of rhetorical relations between the CDUs. The difference lies only in the
rhetorical relation between CDU2 and CDU3, where one type identifies it as Narration and the other
as Result. However, since Result is sometimes considered a causal intensification of Narration [17],
these two types are essentially the same. Whether the causal relation between Emperor Xuanzong’s
indulgence and the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion is made explicit, or Xuanzong’s longing for
Yang Guifei is divided into spatial and temporal sequences to show continuity, neither interpretation
alters the conclusions drawn earlier. Making the causal relation explicit undoubtedly reinforces the
poem’s satirical critique of Emperor Xuanzong. Meanwhile, the more detailed segmentation of
Xuanzong’s longing for Yang Guifei might seem to emphasize their love, but as previously discussed,
the deeper the love, the greater the pain, and the deeper the regret, resulting in a stronger cautionary
message. The fact that different segmentation methods do not affect the thematic interpretation
underscores that The Everlasting Regret has a clear theme. The coherence of the poem ensures that
the theme naturally emerges through continuous narration, regardless of how the hierarchy is
segmented.
Compared to the four-part division, the five-part division further subdivides the poem’s imaginary
realm. Using “Like a spray of pear blossoms in spring rain impearled” as a dividing point, lines 75 to
120 are split into two parts, connected by Narration, highlighting spatial and temporal continuity
without altering the previous conclusion: The Everlasting Regret does not have dual themes, but
rather a single theme. This theme is not a celebration of love but a subtle and nuanced form of satire.
5.2. The Internal Connection Between the Three Rhetorical Relations
In the analysis of the two-part division in Section 5.1, this research pointed out that the rhetorical
relation between CDU1 and CDU2 cannot simultaneously be both Result and Background. SDRT
does not deny the possibility of multiple rhetorical relations between discourse units, but the premise
is that these multiple relations must not contradict or conflict with each other. In other words,
coordination and subordination relations cannot coexist between two discourse units. In The
Everlasting Regret, the possibility of multiple rhetorical relations is illustrated in lines 27-34. These
eight lines can be analyzed into 16 Elementary Discourse Units (EDUs) as follows:
Πa: The Huaqing Palace stands tall.
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
19
Πb: The palace reaches high into the clouds.
Πc: The music is beautiful.
Πd: The music floats on the wind.
Πe: The music can be heard everywhere.
Πf: The emperor enjoys the wind instruments.
Πg: The emperor enjoys the string instruments.
Πh: The emperor enjoys the dance.
Πi: The emperor is still not satisfied.
Πj: The emperor watches the performances all day and night.
Πk: The war drums of Yuyang sound.
Πl: The drums shake the earth.
Πm: The drums break the performance of the "Song of Rainbow Skirt and Coat of Feathers."
Πn: War erupts in the capital.
Πo: Thousands of chariots and horses escort the emperor away from Chang’an.
Πp: They flee to the southwest.
Figure 1: Graph of Semantic Representations of Discourse Units.
Π1 is the CDU composed of Πa-Πj, and Π4 is the CDU composed of Πk-Πp. The rhetorical
relation between Π1 and Π4 can be interpreted in three ways: Contrast, Result, and Narration. Since
all three of these rhetorical relations belong to coordination relations, they do not conflict with each
other, making it entirely possible for all three to coexist between Π1 and Π4.
First, Narration: The progression from performing dances and music to stopping the performance,
and from a state of peace to a state of war, demonstrates temporal and spatial continuity. Second,
Result: as previously mentioned, the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion was not accidental but was
caused by Emperor Xuanzong’s indulgence and neglect of state affairs. Therefore, the rhetorical
relation between Π1 and Π4 is not only Narration but an enhancement of Narration through a causal
relationship, i.e., Result. Lastly, Contrast: the same imagery appears in both Π1 and Π4, specifically,
the "Song of Rainbow Skirt and Coat of Feathers". This piece of music has a rich rhythm, starting
slow and becoming intense. The phrase "slow dance and fluted or stringed song" represents the
beginning phase of the piece, where the rhythm is slow. The term "break" in the phrase "And 'Song
of Rainbow Skirt and Coat of Feathers' break" carries two distinct meanings, thereby establishing
three levels of contrast. The first meaning of “break” is “to interrupt,” as the war drums stopped the
performance, forming the first contrast: the performance was ongoing versus the performance was
stopped. At the same time, “break” is also a technical term in ancient Chinese music [18], indicating
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
20
the climax of the piece, where the rhythm becomes fast and intense. This creates the second contrast
between the slow rhythm in the earlier part and the rapid rhythm in the later part. The change in
rhythm in the "Song of Rainbow Skirt and Coat of Feathers" also metaphorically reflects societal
change, with the slow rhythm symbolizing the peaceful times before the rebellion and the fast rhythm
symbolizing the outbreak of the rebellion, which ended the peace. Therefore, the third contrast
between Π1 and Π4 represents the difference between a "peaceful society" and "societal turmoil."
The existence of these three non-conflicting rhetorical relations between Π1 and Π4 implies a
logical connection between them. (1) Result is a type of causal relation, where the cause precedes the
effect. In terms of temporal sequence, the cause must occur before the effect; without the former, the
latter cannot exist. Result expresses the causal relationship based on the temporal order, further
explaining the causal link through the timeline. Therefore, Result encompasses Narration, and if the
rhetorical relation between Π1 and Π4 can be interpreted as Result, then it can also reasonably be
interpreted as Narration. (2) Different causes lead to different effects, and contrasting these different
effects can reflect a Contrast relation. The peaceful times depicted in Π1 are the result of Emperor
Xuanzong’s early diligent governance, while the turmoil shown in Π4 is the result of his later
indulgence and neglect of state affairs. These two outcomes form a clear contrast, allowing the
rhetorical relation between Π1 and Π4 to be interpreted as Contrast. (3) There is also a connection
between Contrast and Narration. Narration describes the temporal and spatial continuity of events,
and events occurring in different times and spaces may differ, thus leading to Contrast.
6. Conclusion
Different hierarchical divisions affect the interpretation of rhetorical relations, which in turn influence
the interpretation of the text's theme. However, the analysis of The Everlasting Regret shows that
despite these different divisions, they do not lead to multiple thematic interpretations. Instead, they
converge on a single thematic direction, indicating that the poem has a singular theme rather than a
dual one. The theme is not a celebration of love, but rather a subtle form of satire. The reason for this
is likely that the various hierarchical divisions have not fundamentally altered the nature of the
rhetorical relations between the internal components of the text. The relationship between the
hierarchical structure, rhetorical relations, and the text’s theme is highly complex, and The
Everlasting Regret only illustrates one possible scenario. A more comprehensive understanding of
this interactive mechanism requires the analysis of more complex texts.
The possibility of multiple non-conflicting rhetorical relations between discourse units suggests,
to some extent, that there may be certain connections between these rhetorical relations. Through the
analysis of The Everlasting Regret, this paper has explored the connections between the rhetorical
relations of Narration, Result, and Contrast. Further research and discussion are still needed to
determine whether similar connections exist between other rhetorical relations, and which factors
determine the presence or absence of logical connections between them.
References
[1] Zhang Zhongyu. 2005. A Structural Study of Bai Juyi's "The Everlasting Regret". Journal of Hainan Normal
University (Social Sciences Edition), Issue 5.
[2] Kamp, Hans, and Uwe Reyle. 1993. From Discourse to Logic: Introduction to Model Theoretic Semantics of Natural
Language, From Logic and Discourse Representation Theory. Dordrecht: Kluwer, pp. 486–489.
[3] Asher, N., and A. Lascarides. 2003. Logics of Conversation: Studies in Natural Language Processing. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
[4] Nicholas Asher and Laure Vieu. 2005. Subordinating and coordinating discourse relations. Lingua, 115(4):591–
610.
[5] You Guoen. 1963. A History of Chinese Literature (Volume 2). Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House.
[6] Huo Songlin. 1995. Selected Tang Poems. Nanjing: Jiangsu Ancient Books Publishing House.
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
21
[7] Yuan Xingpei. 1999. A History of Chinese Literature (Volume 2). Beijing: Higher Education Press.
[8] Jin Jicang. 2002. Detailed Explanation of "The Everlasting Regret" and Other Poems on the Same Theme. Taiyuan:
Shanxi Ancient Books Publishing House.
[9] Gong Kechang and Peng Chongguang. 1984. Selected Annotations of Bai Juyi's Poetry and Prose. Shanghai:
Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House.
[10] Xia Chuancai. 1995. Selected Readings of Chinese Classical Literature: Volume 2. Beijing: Language and
Literature Publishing House.
[11] Zhang Buyun. 1990. Tang Dynasty Poetry. Hefei: Anhui Education Publishing House.
[12] Cheng Qianfan. 2000. Famous Poems of Tang and Song Dynasties. Shenyang: Liaoning People's Publishing House.
[13] Lin Geng and Feng Yuanjun. 1979. Anthology of Chinese Poetry through the Ages: Volume 1. Beijing: People's
Literature Publishing House.
[14] Liao Zhong'an and Liu Guoying. 1989. Dictionary of Classical Chinese Literature. Beijing: Beijing Publishing
House.
[15] Su Zhongxiang. 1957. Selected Poems of Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi. Shanghai: Classical Literature Publishing House.
[16] Ding, Ruming, et al. 1993. Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poetry. Shanghai: Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing
House.
[17] Hobbs, J. R. 1985. On the Coherence and Structure of Discourse. Technical Report CSLI-85-37. CSLI, Stanford
University.
[18] Yao Ronghua. 2014. The Imagery of "Nishang Yuyi" in the "The Everlasting Regret". Literary Contention, Issue 8.
Proceedings of ICSPHS 2025 Workshop: Global Educational Psychology and Covid-19's Impact on Learning Across Cultures
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/82/2025.MU20446
22