Continual wars of conquest beginning with the emperor Wu Di of the Han dynasty resulted in annual expeditions beyond the Great Wall. The poem reflects the pain of separation felt among common people swept up in these events.
修築長城、加上漢武帝之後連年征戰，每年前往塞外築城、從軍的征戍之客何其多，悲莫悲兮生別離，〈飲馬長城窟行〉觸動了普遍存在於人類社會的離情之苦，遂成千古絕響。