The Peacocks Fly to Southeast was first recorded in Yu Tai Xin Yong by Xu Ling who was in Southern Dynasties, also titled Ancient Poems for the Jiao Zhongqing’s wife. It is the longest Yuefu narrative poems of the Han Dynasty, but also the earliest long poem in the history of Chinese Literature. The Ballad of Mulan and The Peacocks Fly to Southeast was called “Yuefu double wall”, both of them and Qin Fu Yin are described as “Yuefu Sanjue”. Obviously, The Peacocks Fly to Southeast represents the highest development of Chinese folk songs. This poem tells a tragic love story that took place during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The poem is set during the Jian’an Period of the dynasty. A girl who named Liu Lanzhi from a common family, married to Jiao Zhongqing whom grew up in an official family that was in decline at the time. Although they loved each other, they were broken up by Jiao’s mother due to different family status. Liu Lanzhi was expelled from the family by Jiao Zhongqing’s mother, and then forced by her elder brother to remarry. In the end, the couple have to choose to commit suicide.

The Peacocks Fly to Southeast is an great work, which uses the form of five character lines to praise the faithful love and misfortune of the couple. What bring about the death of the couple? Different scholars have different opinions. Some people think that the feudal traditional moral codes is to blame for the tragedy, some people believe that Liu Lanzhi’s stubborn character  is the basic reason, some other people insist that it is caused by the Jocasta complex of Jiao’s mother.

2. Literature Review文献综述

    About the Sons and Lovers this novel, was famous in English literature in the 20th century, which aroused a large number of scholars to research it. Among the scholars who incline to consider this novel from the realist perspective and view it the prosperous top of the many 19th century efforts to give a true and full picture of the industrial life, David M. Thompson is outstanding and with his article “Calling in the Realists: The Revision and Reputation of Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers”. Some others, concerned with the formative years and growth into full awareness of protagonist Paul in the novel, research the novel carefully in the Bildungsroman way. Jerome H. Buckley once gave a systemic analysis of this literary work in his “Season of Youth: The Bildunsroman from Dickens to Golding”. At the same time, many critics focusing on the abundant psychological descriptions of the unconsciousness, Alfred Booth Kuttner takes the lead with his masterpiece “Sons and Lovers: A Freudian Appreciation”.