一上高城万里愁，蒹葭杨柳似汀洲。
溪云初起日沉阁，山雨欲来风满楼。(沉通：沈)
鸟下绿芜秦苑夕，蝉鸣黄叶汉宫秋。
行人莫问当年事，故国东来渭水流。
诗人首联扣题，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shuqing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>抒情HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xiejing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>写景：“高楼”，指咸阳城西楼，咸阳旧城在西安市西北，汉时称HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/changan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>长安，秦汉两朝在此建都。隋朝时向东南移二十城建新城，即唐京师HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/changan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>长安。咸阳旧城隔渭水与HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/changan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>长安相望；“蒹葭”，即芦荻（蒹，荻；葭，芦），暗用《HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shijing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>诗经·国HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风·秦HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风·蒹葭》的诗意，表HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/sinian/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>思念心绪；“汀洲”，水边之地为汀、水中之地为洲，这里指代诗人在HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jiangnan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>江南的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/guxiang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>故乡。诗人一HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/dengshang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>登上咸阳高高的城楼，向南望去，远处烟笼蒹葭，雾罩HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yangliu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>杨柳，很像HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/changjiang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>长江中的汀洲。诗人游宦HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/changan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>长安，远HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/lijia/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>离家乡，一旦登临，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/sixiang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>思乡之情涌上心头。蒹葭HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yangliu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>杨柳，居然略类HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jiangnan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>江南。万里之愁，正以HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xiangsi2/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>乡思为始：“一上”表明触发诗HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/renqing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>人情感HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shijian/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>时间之短瞬，“万里”则极言HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/chousi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>愁思空间之迢遥广大，一个“愁”字，奠定了全诗的基调。笔触低沉，景致凄迷，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/chujingshengqing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>触景生情，苍凉HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shanggan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>伤感的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/qinghuai/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>情怀落笔即出，意远而势雄。
颔联写晚HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/tiaoyuan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>眺远景，寓意深远：“溪”指磻溪，“阁”指慈福寺，诗人有自注：“南近磻溪，西对慈福寺阁。”诗人HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/bangwan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>傍晚HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/dengshang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>登上城楼，只见磻溪罩云，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/muse/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>暮色苍茫，一轮红日渐薄远HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xiyang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>夕阳与慈福寺阁姿影相叠，仿佛靠近寺阁而落。就在这夕照图初展丽景之际，蓦然凉HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风突起，咸阳西楼顿时沐浴在凄HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风之中，一场HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>雨眼看就要到了。这是对HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/ziran/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>自然HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jingwu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>景物的临摹，也是对唐王朝日薄西HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山，危机四伏的没落局势的形象化勾画，它淋漓尽致而又形象入神地传出了诗人“万里愁”的真实原因。云起日沉，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>雨来HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风满，动感分明；“HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/feng/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>风为HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>雨头”，含蕴深刻。此联常用来HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/biyu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>比喻重大事件发生前的紧张气氛，是千古传咏的名句。
颈联写晚眺近景，虚实结合：HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>山HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>雨将到，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/niao/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>鸟雀仓惶逃入遍地绿芜、秋蝉悲鸣躲在黄叶高林，这些是诗人眼前的实景。但早已荡然无存的“秦苑”“汉宫”又给人无尽的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/lianxiang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>联想——禁苑深宫，而今绿芜遍地，黄叶满林；唯有HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/niao/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>鸟雀和虫鸣，不识HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xingwang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>兴亡，依然如故。HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/lishi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>历史的演进，王朝的更替，世事的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/bianhua/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>变化沧桑，把诗人的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/chouyuan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>愁怨从“万里”推向“千古”，以实景叠合虚景，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/diaogu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>吊古之情油然而生。
尾联作结，融情于景：“行人”，过客。泛指古往今来HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/zhenHRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/gre/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>GREn/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>征人HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/youzi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>游子，也包括作者在内；“HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/guguo/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>故国”，指秦汉故都咸阳；“东来”，指诗人（不是渭水）自东边而来。诗人最后HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/gankai/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>感慨道：HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jilu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>羁旅过客还是不要索问当年秦汉HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xingwang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>兴亡之事吧！我这次来HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/guguo/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>故国咸阳，连遗址都寻不着，只有渭水还像昔日一样长流不止而已。“莫问”二字，并非HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/quanjie/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>劝诫之辞，实乃令人HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/sisuo/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>思索之语，它让读者从HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/beiliang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>悲凉颓败的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/ziran/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>自然HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jingwu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>景物中钩沉HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/lishi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>历史的教训；一个“流”字，则暗示出颓势难救的痛惜之情。渭水无语东流的景象中，融铸着诗人HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xiangsi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>相思的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/youchou/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>忧愁和感古HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shangjin/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>伤今的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/beiliang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>悲凉，HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/woiwan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>委婉含蓄，令人HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shanggan/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>伤感。
全诗情景交融，景中HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/yuqing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>寓情，诗人通过对HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/jingwu/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>景物的描写，赋予抽象的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/ganqing/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>感情以形体，在呈现HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/ziran/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>自然之景的同时又体现丰富的HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/shenghuo/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>生活经验，以及对HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/lishi/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>历史和HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/xianshi2/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>现实的深刻思考。景别致而凄美，情HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/chouku/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>愁苦而HRef=https://www.qijian.info/list/beichuang/ target=_blank class=infotextkey>悲怆，意蕴藉而苍凉，境雄阔而高远，神完气足，堪称晚唐登临之作的翘楚。