Early life

In the same Chinese year Li Congjia was born, his grandfather Xu Zhigao, also known as Xu Gao (Li Bian) founded the state Qi, renaming it Tang (known as the Southern Tang) 2 years later. When Li Congjia was 6, his father Li Jing became the next Southern Tang emperor. With Li Jing naming his younger brother Li Jingsui his heir apparent, his sixth eldest son Li Congjia seemed unlikely to ever succeed the throne. However, many of Li Congjia's brothers died very young, and after the death of the second eldest brother Li Hongmao (李弘茂) in 951, Li Congjia all of a sudden found himself right behind Li Hongji — the eldest brother — and uncle Li Jingsui in the succession line.

Li Hongji, a withdrawn and troubled young man, resented his crown prince uncle, whom he saw as a political enemy standing in his way. He also disliked his younger brother Li Congjia, even though they shared the same biological mother, Empress Zhong. Fearing the possible results of this family enmity, Li Congjia tried hard to be inconspicuous and focused on the arts, including poetry, painting and music. He loved reading, a passion encouraged by his father, also an acclaimed poet. At the age of 17, Li Congjia married Zhou Ehuang, chancellor Zhou Zong's daughter and a year his senior. Lady Zhou was not only highly educated but also multi-talented in music and the arts and the young couple enjoyed a very intimate relationship.

Accession to the throne

In 955, a year after Li Congjia's marriage, Southern Tang was invaded by Later Zhou. The resistance war did not end until spring 958, after Li Jing ceded all prefectures north of the Yangtze River to his powerful northern neighbor. Li Jing also relinquished all imperial trappings, degrading his own title from emperor to king. The national humiliation was soon followed by familial tragedy: later that year Li Hongji poisoned uncle Li Jingsui to death, which was followed by his own death a few months later, allegedly hastened by many encounters with Li Jingsui's vengeful ghost.

Not long after Li Hongji's death in 959, Li Congjia was given the post of royal secretary (尚書令) so that he could familiarize himself of governmental affairs. However, despite being the king's eldest surviving son, a few ministers considered him too dissolute and weak for the crown prince position, including Zhong Mo, who pleaded to have Li Congjia's younger brother Li Congshan chosen instead. Li Jing found Zhong's suggestion offensive and demoted him.

Suffering from poor health, Li Jing decided to transfer all responsibilities to his successor. He named Li Congjia the crown prince in spring 961 to take over in the capital Jinling (金陵; modern Nanjing, Jiangsu) while he retired to the southern city of Hongzhou (洪州; modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). A few months later he died, and Li Congjia officially succeeded the throne, not without a last-second effort by Li Congshan to challenge him. By then Zhong Mo had also died, so Li Congshan asked chancellor Xu You to bring Li Jing's last will to him. Xu refused and confided in Li Congjia of Li Congshan's intentions. Li Congjia — changing his name to Li Yu — did not punish his younger brother other than a slight demotion.

As Southern Tang ruler

Appeasing the Song Dynasty

A year before Li Yu ascended the throne, Southern Tang's nominal overlord Later Zhou had been replaced by the Song dynasty established by former Later Zhou general Zhao Kuangyin, who had earlier participated in several campaigns against Southern Tang. Knowing the limit of Southern Tang's military strength and trying hard to be subservient to the northern court, Li Yu immediately sent a high official Feng Yanlu with a letter — whose language was of extreme humility — to inform Song of his succession. Things got to a rocky start: during his accession to the throne Li Yu built a golden rooster, a symbol of imperial power, the news of which infuriated Zhao Kuangyin. In the end, the Southern Tang ambassador in the Song capital of Bianliang (汴梁; modern Kaifeng, Henan) had to give the explanation that the golden rooster was actually a "weird bird" to satisfy the Song emperor.

Such an embarrassing relationship would define Li's entire reign, as tribute payments, both regular and irregular, drained the Southern Tang treasury. Essentially Li was ready to fulfill Emperor Taizu of Song's every demand except go to Bianliang himself. In 963, Li Congshan who accompanied a tributary mission was held hostage in Bianliang and had to write letters on behalf of the Song emperor asking his elder brother also join him at the Song court. Li Yu, naturally, did not heed the request.

Successive deaths in the family

Li Yu remained close to his musically gifted wife Zhou Ehuang — now Queen Zhou — so close that he sometimes canceled government meetings to enjoy her performances. The absences continued until a censor (監察御史) spoke out against it.

In around 964, the second of the couple's 2 sons, a 3-year-old still called by his milk name Ruibao (瑞保), died unexpectedly. Li would mourn his son by himself so as not to sadden his wife more than necessary, but Queen Zhou was completely devastated and quickly deteriorated in health. During her illness, Li attended her so devotedly that he did not disrobe for days. When the queen finally succumbed to illness, Li mourned so bitterly until "his bones stuck out and he could stand up only with the aid of a staff." In addition to several grieving poems, he chiseled the roughly 2000 characters of his "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" (昭惠周后誄) — "Zhaohui" being her posthumous name — to her headstone himself. Part of the dirge read (as translated by Daniel Bryant):

While Li Yu was almost certainly sincere in his love for his wife, during her last days he also engaged in a secret sexual relationship with Queen Zhou the Younger, the queen's younger sister, who was only around 14 at that time. Worst of all, the queen discovered the "affair" which probably hastened her demise and multiplied Li Yu's regret. A few months later, in late 965, disaster stroke again: Queen Dowager Zhong died after several months of attentive care-taking by Li. The subsequent mourning period delayed Li's marriage to the younger Lady Zhou until 968.

Deaths of Lin Renzhao and Pan You

After conquering Jingnan, the Hunan region and Later Shu, the Song Dynasty army set off to invade Southern Han in 971, Southern Tang's southwestern neighbor. Lin Renzhao, the Southern Tang military governor of Zhenhai Command centering in Wuchang (in modern Hubei), believed the opportunity golden to attack the Song cities around Yangzhou (in modern Jiangsu) as the main Song army would be a long distance away and already severely fatigued. Li Yu immediately rejected Lin's request: "Stop the nonsense talks, (stop) destroying (our) country!"

What Li was perhaps unaware was a year before, the Song military had gotten hold of an important chart with detailed measurements of Yangtze River crossing points, provided by a Southern Tang defector named Fan Ruoshui. After the conquest of Southern Han, their next step was to eliminate Lin Renzhao. In 974, Emperor Taizu of Song got hold of a Lin portrait through agents working in Southern Tang, and Li Congshan, the hostage kept in Bianliang, was then made to believe that Lin's loyalty was with Song. When Li Yu was told of this, he without a thorough investigation secretly poisoned Lin to death. Chancellor Chen Qiao angrily reacted to Lin's death: "Seeing loyal ministers killed, I don't know where I will die!".

Fall of Southern Tang

Not known for his governing skill, Houzhu was nevertheless a highly accomplished scholar, he allowed himself indulgence with artistic and literature pursuits, with little regard to the strong Song Kingdom that was eying its weaker neighbor. In 971, Houzhu dropped the name of Tang from its Kingdom's name, in a desperate move to please the mighty Emperor Taizu of Song.

Of the many other kingdoms surrounding the Southern Tang, only Wuyue to the east had yet to fall. The Southern Tang's turn came in 974, when, after several refusals to summons to the Song court, on the excuse of illness, Song dynasty armies invaded. After a year long siege of the Southern Tang capital, modern Nanjing, Li Houzhu surrendered, in 975; and, he and his family were taken as captives to the Song capital at present-day Kaifeng. In a later poem, Li wrote about the shame and regret he had on the day he was taken away from Jinling (as translated by Hsiung Ting):

Devotion to the arts

Although, Li Yu indeed was a great exponent and developer of the Ci poetry form, which form sometimes or often seems to characterize poetry of the Song Dynasty, there is also some difficulty in categorizing him as a Song poet: the Southern Tang state is more of a continuation of Tang than a precursor on the Song side of the divide of the history of the Tang-Song transition, also known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Li Yu represents both a continuation of the Tang poetry tradition, as well as representing the Ci poetic style which is so especially associated with the poetry of Song.

Li Houzhu devoted much of his time to pleasure-making and literature, and this is reflected in his early poems. A second phase of Li's ci poems seems to have been the development of an even sadder style after the death of his wife, in 964. His best-known, and saddest, poems were composed during the years of his captivity, after he formally abdicated his reign to the Song, in 975. He was created the Marquess of Wei Ming (Chinese: 違命侯; literally, the Marquess of Disobeyed Edicts), a token title only: actually, he was a prisoner, though with the outward accoutrements of a prince. Li's works from this period dwell on his regret for the lost kingdom and the pleasures it had brought him.

He developed the ci by broadening its scope from love to history and philosophy, particularly in his later works. He also introduced the two stanza form, and made great use of contrasts between longer lines of nine characters and shorter ones of three and five. Only 45 of his ci poems survive, thirty of which have been verified to be his authentic works, the other of which are possibly composed by other writers: also, seventeen shi style poems remain to his credit. His story remains very popular in many Cantonese operas.

Death

He was poisoned by the Song emperor Taizong in 978, after he had written a poem that, in a veiled manner, lamented the destruction of his empire and the rape of his second wife Empress Zhou the Younger by the Song emperor. After his death, he was posthumously created the Prince of Wu.

Writing

Ci poetry

The roughly 40 (some of which incomplete owing to damaged manuscripts) ci poems possibly written by Li Yu are summarized in the table below. The ci as a poetic form follows set patterns or tunes (詞牌).

A few poems have been set to music in modern times, most notably the 3 songs in superstar Teresa Teng's 1983 album Light Exquisite Feelings. Some of the songs are mentioned below.

Poetry Examples

Poems like these are often invoked in later periods of strife and confusion by literary figures.

"Western Tower" (獨上西樓)

One of Li Yu's most famous poems, popularly known as "Alone Up the Western Tower" (獨上西樓), was written after his capture. As translated by Chan Hong-mo: This was also rendered into a song by Teresa Teng, one of the most popular Asian singers ever. Teresa Teng 1983: 獨上西樓

<<望江南>> "Jiangnan Remembrance" (second stanza)

多少恨，Such hatred,

昨夜梦魂中。Last night I departed in my dream.

还似旧时游上苑，To enjoy the park as of yore,

车如流水马如龙。The carriages flow like water and the horses like dragon.

花月正春风。 Blossoms and the moon in the spring breeze

Shi poetry

Li Yu's poems in the form of shi include:

• "Bìng Qǐ Tí Shān Shě Bì" (病起題山舍壁; "Getting up while Ill: Written Upon the Wall of My Mountain Lodge")

• "Bìng Zhōng Gǎn Huái" (病中感懷; "Feelings while Ill")

• "Bìng Zhōng Shū Shì" (病中書事; "Written while Ill")

• "Dào Shī" (悼詩; "Poem of Mourning")

• "Dù Zhōng Jiāng Wàng Shí Chéng Qì Xià" (渡中江望石城泣下; "Gazing at Stone City from Mid-river and Weeping")

• "Gǎn Huái" (感懷; "My Feelings") — 2 poems

• "Jiǔ Yuè Shí Rì Ǒu Shū" (九月十日偶書; "Jotted Down on the Tenth Day of the Ninth Month")

• "Méi Huā" (梅花; "Plum Blossoms") — 2 poems

• "Qiū Yīng" (秋鶯; "Autumn Warbler")

• "Shū Líng Yán Shǒu Jīn" (書靈筵手巾; "Written on the Napkin for a Sacrificial Banquet")

• "Shū Pí Pá Bèi" (書琵琶背; "Written on the Back of a Pipa")

• "Sòng Dèng Wáng Èr Shí Dì Cóng Yì Mù Xuān Chéng" (送鄧王二十弟從益牧宣城; "On Saying Farewell to My Younger Brother Chongyi, the Prince of Deng, Who is Going Away to Govern Xuancheng") — including a long letter

• "Tí jīn lóu zi hòu" (題金樓子後; "Written at the end of the Jinlouzi") — including a preface

• "Wǎn Chí"(輓辭; "Poem of Mourning") — 2 poems

"To the Tune of Liǔ Zhī" mentioned in the ci section may also be classified as a shi.

Prose writing

Though miscellaneous in character, Li Yu's surviving prose writings also demonstrated his poetic genius. For example, "Dirge for the Zhaohui Queen Zhou" is rhymed and almost entirely in regular four-character metre, resembling the dominant fu form a millennium before.

Calligraphy

Li Yu's calligraphy style has been dubbed "golden inlaid dagger" (金錯刀) for its perceived force and clarity. As one Song Dynasty writer noted: "The large characters are like split bamboo, the small ones like clusters of needles; altogether unlike anything done with a brush!"

Television series

Three independent television series focused on the complex relationships between Li Yu (Li Houzhu), Emperor Taizu of Song (Zhao Kuangyin) and the various women in their lives. They are:

• The Sword and the Song (絕代雙雄), a 1986 Singaporean series starring Li Wenhai as Li Yu.

• Love, Sword, Mountain & River, a 1996 Taiwanese series starring Chin Feng as Li Yu.

• Li Houzhu and Zhao Kuangyin, a 2006 Chinese series starring Nicky Wu as Li Yu.

生平

李煜「為人仁孝，善屬文，工書畫，而廣顙豐額駢齒，一目重瞳子」，是南唐元宗（中主）李璟的第六子。由于李璟的第二子到第五子均早死，故李煜長兄李弘冀為皇太子時，其為事實上的第二子。李弘冀「為人猜忌嚴刻」，時為安定公的李煜因而惶恐，不敢參與政事，每天只醉心研究典籍，以讀書為樂。

959年李弘冀在毒死李景遂後不久亦死。李璟欲立李煜為太子，鐘謨說「從嘉德輕志懦，又酷信釋氏，非人主才。從善果敢凝重，宜為嗣。」李璟怒，將鐘謨貶為國子監司，流放到饒州。封李煜為吳王、尚書令、知政事，令其住在東宮，就近學習處理政事。

宋建隆二年（961年），李璟遷都南昌並立李煜為太子、監國，令其留在金陵。六月李璟死後，李煜在金陵登基即位。李煜「性驕侈，好聲色，又喜浮圖，為高談，不恤政事。」篤信佛教，「酷好浮屠，崇塔廟，度僧尼不可勝算。罷朝，輒造佛屋，易服膜拜，頗廢政事。」

971年宋軍滅南漢後，李煜為了表示他不敢對抗宋朝，對宋稱臣，改用宋朝年號，不再稱帝，改稱為江南國主，去鴟吻，諸王降為公爵。

973年，宋太祖令李煜至汴京，李煜託病不往。974年，宋太祖遂派曹彬領軍攻南唐。十二月，李煜因此棄用北宋年號，改用幹支紀年。吳越王錢俶奉命出兵助宋，李煜寫信勸他與自己合作，說今日沒有江南，明日就沒有吳越，宋朝兼併吳越後錢俶也只是宋朝都城汴梁的一介布衣。錢俶卻把信交給宋朝。在宋滅南唐之戰中，南唐屢敗于宋朝和吳越聯軍。

975年12月，曹彬攻克金陵，南唐滅亡。李煜在位十五年，後世稱李後主或南唐後主。

李煜被俘後，在汴京被封為違命侯，拜左千牛衛將軍。

976年，宋太祖逝世，弟趙光義繼位為宋太宗，改封隴國公。嘗與金陵舊宮人書寫：「此中日夕，以淚珠洗面」。宋人筆記上說趙光義多次逼迫小周后侍寢。李煜在痛苦鬱悶中，寫下《望江南》、《子夜歌》、《虞美人》等名曲。

978年，徐鉉奉宋太宗之命探視李煜，李煜對徐鉉嘆息：「當初我錯殺潘佑、李平，悔之不已！」徐鉉退而告之，宋太宗聞之大怒。史載三年七月初七（978年8月13日），農曆七夕，當李煜在其42歲生日那天與后妃們聚會，兩天後李煜卒，年四十二（但《宋史·太祖本紀》曾記載「（建隆三年三月）乙亥，遣使賜南唐主生辰禮物」，李煜似當生于三月乙亥日前後）。一說李煜因寫「故國不堪回首月明中」、「恰似一江春水向東流」之詞，宋太宗再也不能容忍，用牽機毒殺之。牽機藥或說是中藥馬錢子，其主要成分番木鱉鹼有劇毒，服後會破壞中樞神經系統，全身抽搐，腳往腹部縮，頭亦彎至腹部，狀極痛苦。李煜死後，葬洛陽北邙山，小周后悲痛欲絕，不久也隨之死去。

李煜「生于深宮之中，長于婦人之手」，雖無力治國，然「性寬恕，威令不素著」，好生戒殺，性格出了名的善良，故在他死後，江南人民聞之，「皆巷哭、為齋」。

文學、藝術成就

李煜在藝術方面具有很高的成就。劉毓盤說李後主「于富貴時能作富貴語，愁苦時能作愁苦語，無一字不真。」

詞

李煜詞本有集，已失傳。現存詞四十四首。其中幾首前期作品或為他人所作，可以確定者僅三十八首。李煜的詞的風格可以以975年亡國被俘而分為兩個時期，前期描寫宮廷生活，詞風綺麗，後期寫亡國的悲痛，拓寬了詞的風格與內容：

前後李煜亡國前的詞，透插富麗奢華的宮廷生活，言詞多溫軟綺麗，卿卿我我，呈現「花間詞」氣息。根據內容可大致分為兩類：一類是描寫富麗堂皇的宮廷生活，一類是風花雪月的男女情事，如《菩薩蠻》：

又如《一斛珠》：

李煜亡國後，晚年的詞寫家國之恨，拓展了詞的題材，感慨既深，詞益悲壯。李煜詞最大特色，是自然真率，醇厚率真，情感真摯。喜用白描手法，通俗生動，語言精鍊而明淨洗煉，接近口語，與「花間詞」縷金刻翠，堆砌華麗詞藻的作風迥然不同。李煜後期的詞由于生活的巨變，以一首首泣盡以血的絕唱，使亡國之君成為千古詞壇的「南面王」（清沈雄《古今詞話》語），正是「國家不幸詩家幸，話到滄桑語始工」。這些後期詞作，淒涼悲壯，意境深遠，為詞史上承前啟後的大宗師。至于其語句的清麗，音韻的和諧，更是空前絕後。如

《破陣子》：

《虞美人》：

《浪淘沙令》：

書畫

他能書善畫，對其書法：陶穀《清異錄》曾云：「後主善書，作顫筆樛曲之狀，遒勁如寒松霜竹，謂之『金錯刀』。作大字不事筆，卷帛書之，皆能如意，世謂『撮襟書』。」對其的畫，宋代郭若虛的《圖書見聞志》曰：「江南後主李煜，才識清贍，書畫兼精。嘗觀所畫林石、飛鳥，遠過常流，高出意外。」

評價

文學

歐陽脩在《新五代史》中描述李煜：「煜字重光，初名從嘉，景第六子也。煜為人仁孝，善屬文，工書畫，而豐額駢齒，一目重瞳子。」

《漁隱叢話前集·西清詩話》提到宋太祖征服南唐統一中國後感嘆：「李煜若以作詩詞工夫治國家，豈為吾所俘也！」

近代學者王國維認為：「溫飛卿之詞，句秀也；韋端己之詞，骨秀也；李重光之詞，神秀也。」「詞至李後主而眼界始大，感慨遂深，遂變伶工之詞而為士大夫之詞。周介存置諸溫、韋之下，可謂顛倒黑白矣。」。此最後一句乃是針對周濟在《介存齋論詞雜著》中所道：「毛嬙、西施，天下美婦人也，嚴妝佳，淡妝亦佳，粗服亂頭不掩國色。飛卿，嚴妝也；端己，淡妝也；後主，則粗服亂頭矣。」王氏認為此評乃揚溫、韋，抑後主。而學術界亦有觀點認為，周濟的本意是指李煜在詞句的工整對仗等修飾方面不如溫庭筠、韋莊，然而在詞作的生動和流暢度方面，則前者顯然更為生機勃發，渾然天成，「粗服亂頭不掩國色」。

李煜詞擺脫了《花間集》的浮靡，他的詞不假雕飾，語言明快，形象生動，性格鮮明，用情真摯，亡國後作更是題材廣闊，含意深沉，超過晚唐五代的詞，不但成為宋初婉約派詞的開山，也為豪放派打下基礎，後世尊稱他為「詞聖」。

後代念及李煜的詩詞中以清朝袁枚引《南唐雜詠》最有名：「作個才人真絕代，可憐薄命作君王。」

為政

《宋史·潘慎修傳》記載：南唐滅亡後，一些南唐舊臣開始批評李煜為人愚昧懦弱，添油加醋地成份越來越多。宋真宗問潘慎修李煜是不是真的如此，潘慎修回答：「如果李煜真的這麼愚昧懦弱的話，他怎麼能治國十餘年？」

另一位南唐舊臣徐鉉在《大宋左千牛衛上將軍追封吳王隴西公墓誌銘》中評價李煜：「以厭兵之俗當用武之世，孔明罕應變之略，不成近功；偃王，躬仁義之行，終于亡國，道有所在，復何媿歟？」

其它

• 徐鉉：「王以世嫡嗣服，以古道馭民，欽若彞倫，率循先志。奉蒸嘗、恭色養，必以孝；事耇老、賓大臣，必以禮。居處服御必以節，言動施捨必以時。至于荷全濟之恩，謹藩國之度，勤修九貢，府無虛月，祗奉百役，知無不為。十五年間，天眷彌渥。」「精究六經，旁綜百氏。常以周孔之道不可暫離，經國化民，發號施令，造次于是，始終不渝。」「酷好文辭，多所述作。一游一豫，必以頌宣。載笑載言，不忘經義。洞曉音律，精別雅鄭；窮先王製作之意，審風俗淳薄之原，為文論之，以續《樂記》。所著文集三十卷，雜說百篇，味其文、知其道矣。至于弧矢之善，筆札之工，天縱多能，必造精絕。」「本以惻隱之性，仍好竺幹之教。草木不殺，禽魚咸遂。賞人之善，常若不及；掩人之過，惟恐其聞。以至法不勝奸，威不克愛。以厭兵之俗當用武之世，孔明罕應變之略，不成近功；偃王躬仁義之行，終于亡國。道有所在，複何愧歟！」

• 鄭文寶：「後主奉竺乾之教，多不茹暈，常買禽魚為放生。」「後主天性純孝，孜孜儒學，虛懷接下，賓對大臣，傾奉中國，惟恐不及。但以著述勤于政事，至于書畫皆盡精妙。然頗耽竺乾之教，果于自信，所以奸邪得計。排斥忠讜，土地曰削，貢舉不充。越人肆謀，遂為敵國。又求援于北虜行人設謀，兵遂不解矣。」（《江表志》）

• 陸游：「後主天資純孝……專以愛民為急，蠲賦息役，以裕民力。尊事中原，不憚卑屈，境內賴以少安者十有五年。」「然酷好浮屠，崇塔廟，度僧尼不可勝算。罷朝輒造佛屋，易服膜拜，以故頗廢政事。兵興之際，降御札移易將帥，大臣無知者。雖仁愛足以感其遺民，而卒不能保社稷。」（《南唐書·卷三·後主本紀第三》）

• 龍袞：「後主自少俊邁，喜肄儒學，工詩，能屬文，曉悟音律。姿儀風雅，舉止儒措，宛若士人。」（《江南野史·卷三後主、宜春王》）

• 陳彭年：「（後主煜）幼而好古，為文有漢魏風。」（《江南別錄》）

• 歐陽修：「煜性驕侈，好聲色，又喜浮圖，為高談，不恤政事。」

• 王世貞：「花間猶傷促碎，至南唐李王父子而妙矣。」（《弇州山人詞評》）

• 胡應麟：「後主目重瞳子，樂府為宋人一代開山。蓋溫韋雖藻麗，而氣頗傷促，意不勝辭。至此君方為當行作家，清便宛轉，詞家王、孟。」（《詩藪·雜篇》）

• 納蘭性德：「花間之詞，如古玉器，貴重而不適用；宋詞適用而少質重，李後主兼有其美，更饒煙水迷離之致。」（《淥水亭雜識·卷四》）

• 王夫之：「（李璟父子）無殃兆民，絕彞倫淫虐之巨惹。」「生聚完，文教興，猶然彼都人士之餘風也。」（《讀通鑑論》）

• 余懷：「李重光風流才子，誤作人主，至有入宋牽機之恨。其所作之詞，一字一珠，非他家所能及也。」（《玉琴齋詞·序》）

• 沈謙：「男中李後主，女中李易安，極是當行本色。」（徐釚《詞苑叢談》引語）「後主疏于治國，在詞中猶不失南面王。」（沈雄《古今詞話·詞話》卷上引語）

• 郭麐：「作個才子真絕代，可憐薄命作君王。」（清代袁枚《隨園詩話補遺》引郭麐《南唐雜詠》）

• 周濟：「李後主詞如生馬駒，不受控捉。」「毛嬙西施，天下美婦人也。嚴妝佳，淡妝亦佳，粗服亂頭，不掩國色。飛卿，嚴妝也；端己，淡妝也；後主則粗服亂頭矣。」（《介存齋論詞雜著》）

• 周之琦：「予謂重光天籟也，恐非人力所及。」

• 陳廷焯：「後主詞思路悽惋，詞場本色，不及飛卿之厚，自勝牛松卿輩。」「余嘗謂後主之視飛卿，合而離者也；端己之視飛卿，離而合者也。」「李後主、晏叔原，皆非詞中正聲，而其詞無人不愛，以其情勝也。」（《白雨齋詞話·卷一》）

• 王鵬運：「蓮峰居士（李煜）詞，超逸絕倫，虛靈在骨。芝蘭空谷，未足比其芳華；笙鶴瑤天，詎能方茲清怨？後起之秀，格調氣韻之間，或月日至，得十一于千首。若小晏、若徽廟，其殆庶幾。斷代南流，嗣音闃然，蓋間氣所鐘，以謂詞中之大成者，當之無愧色矣。」（《半塘老人遣稿》）

• 馮煦：「詞至南唐，二主作于上，正中和于下，詣微造極，得未曾有。宋初諸家，靡不祖述二主。」（《宋六十一家詞選·例言》）

• 王國維：「溫飛卿之詞，句秀也；韋端己之詞，骨秀也；李重光之詞，神秀也。」「詞至李後主而眼界始大，感慨遂深，遂變伶工之詞而為士大夫之詞。」「詞人者，不失其赤子之心者也。故生于深宮之中，長于婦人之手，是後主為人君所短處，亦即為詞人所長處。」「主觀之詩人，不必多閱世，閱世愈淺，則性情愈真，李後主是也。」「尼採謂一切文字，余愛以血書者，後主之詞，真所謂以血書者也。宋道君皇帝《燕山亭》詞，亦略似之。然道君不過自道身世之感，後主則儼有釋迦、基督擔荷人類罪惡之意，其大小固不同矣。」「唐五代之詞，有句而無篇；南宋名家之詞，有篇而無句。有篇有句，唯李後主之作及永叔、少游、美成、稼軒數人而已。」（《人間詞話》）

• 毛澤東：「南唐李後主雖多才多藝，但不抓政治，終于亡國。」（毛澤東評價歷史人物）

• 鄭超麟：「無言獨對如鉤月，爭解離腸結？淚珠日夕洗年華，應恨託身偏在帝王家。 江南憶昔危城墜，故國原無罪。倉皇辭廟最悽然，只為妨他一統礙他眠。」（《虞美人·哀李重光》）

• 柏楊：「南唐皇帝李煜先生詞學的造詣，空前絕後，用在填詞上的精力，遠超過用在治國上。」（《濁世人間》）

• 葉嘉瑩：「李後主的詞是他對生活的敏銳而真切的體驗，無論是享樂的歡愉，還是悲哀的痛苦，他都全身心的投入其間。我們有的人活過一生，既沒有好好的體會過快樂，也沒有好好的體驗過悲哀，因為他從來沒有以全部的心靈感情投注入某一件事，這是人生的遺憾。」（《唐宋名家詞賞析》）

家庭

皇后

• 大周后（小字娥皇）

• 小周后

妃嬪

• 保儀黃氏 （記載于馬令《南唐書》）

• 嬪御流珠

• 宮人喬氏

• 宮人秋水

• 宮人窅娘

• 宮人臧氏

子女

子

• 清源郡公 李仲寓

• 岐懷獻王 李仲宣

相關戲劇

電影

粵劇

歌仔戲

電視劇