南明时期（1644-1661）经历了四个小朝廷，其间士人撰写了大量的诗歌，《帝国的流亡：南明诗歌与战乱》通过细致考订南明诗歌，可以见出土人们不约而同地述说着同一个主题，即"帝国的流亡"。《帝国的流亡：南明诗歌与战乱》上编"诗歌中的流亡"、描述朝廷大规模流亡的状态，疆土日渐沦丧，人心涣散，以至于士人最终在精神上无所依凭，只能主动或被动地选择死亡、返回故乡和皈依佛门。下编"流亡中的诗歌"返回诗学主题，意义究竟何在？分为绝命诗。殉国诗，悲伤的诗学等专题。 (Altogether four imperial courts govern the state affairs alternatively in the Southern Ming Dynasty(1644-1661), during which period a good deal of poetry was created, describing one theme: exile of an empire. Exile of the Empire: the Southern Ming Poetry and Warfare is just such a book working in a meticulous manner on the textual research and correction of the Ming poetry. In Volume 1, "exile reflected in poetry", the author describes the mass exile in imperial court, the gradual loss of territory, the divided state and low morale, and in such desperate circumstances scholars, helpless in spirit/void of sense of belonging, had to commit suicide, return home or convert to Buddhism, voluntarily or were made to do so. And we can see in Volume 2, "poetry in exile", the author returns to the poetic theme including swan song, patriotic poems, sad poems and poems concerning other subjects, so what on earth is the point? )