This essay interprets "The Song of Yellow Birds" mainly as an expression of King Yuri"s feeling of loneliness that arises from his precarious political status and his loss of his Chinese wife, Chihee. Being one of the oldest songs in Korean literature, "The Song of Yellow Birds" is recorded in the 13th Volume of Koguyro in Samkuk-sagi (The History of Three Kingdoms). The critical consensus is that King Yuri is the author of "The Song of Yellow Birds" and that its background source is based on historical facts. Its background source informs us that King Yuri"s object of affection in the song is either Chihee or the Queen Song, from the Song clan. The Queen Song, however, does not seem to be the object of affection for King Yuri in the song, considering that his marriage to her was arranged by his desire to gain political power at the beginning of his kingship. Whahee, another wife of King Yuri"s, does not seem to be his object of love in the song, either, as his marriage to her was also supposed to help him obtain more political power. Chihee, a Chinese woman, was the only one without anything to offer in terms of political gain, and thus it is quite likely that she is the object of love in the song. The dominant reading of the song is that it describes King Yuri"s despair about being unable to unite with his Chinese wife, Chihee, who was insulted and banished by Whahee. I contend, however, that the song is not simply about King Yuri"s longing to be united with his Chinese wife. The song is more about King Yuri"s feeling of loneliness, and his loss of Chihee is only one of many reasons for his loneliness. Although most scholars of the Chosun era understood King Yuri as an immoral king and some scholars accept this view and see him as an incompetent and morally problematic figure, close investigation of historical facts suggest that he was a great king who sought to expand his power and establish his kingdom by forming alliances through marriage and engaging in big and small wars against other countries. What is important to note is that despite his achievements as king, King Yuri"s personal life is characterized by unhappiness and sadness. He not only had a lonely childhood but also had to endure an extreme sense of loneliness because of his precarious status as a king. His sense of loneliness reached its peak when he lost Chihee, and it is very important to keep in mind that his feeling of loneliness was intensified not merely because of his affection for Chihee but because of his realization that he was a king without enough power to override the opinion of the dominant political power and keep his loved one near him.
<黃鳥歌>는 『삼국사기』에 수록되어 있는 작품으로 작자가 분명하고 창작 연대가 비교적 확실한 우리 나라 최초의 고대 가요이다. 황조가에 등장하는 연모 대상은 치희이다. 일단 황조가의 배경담으로 볼 때 연모의 대상이 될 수 있는 사람은 송씨 왕후와 치희 뿐인데, 즉위 초기에 왕권이 미약하여 곤란을 겪던 유리명왕이 혼인을 통한 세력 확장을 도모하고자 추진한 것이 혼인 동맹이었으며 송씨 왕후와의 혼인은 그러한 정략 결혼의 산물이었기 때문이다. 또, 화희와 치희를 繼室로 맞아들였을 때도 화희와의 혼인은 골천 세력을 새로운 세력 기반으로 삼고자 하는 의도에서 비롯된 정략 결혼이었으나 漢族인 치희로부터는 혼인을 통해 얻어낼 것이 없었다고 볼 때 유리명왕이 애정을 품고 있었던 상대는 치희였으며, 그러한 치희가 화희를 쫓아내자 치희에 대한 아련한 연모의 정을 표현한 작품이 황조가이다. 그러나 황조가의 핵심적인 정조는 ‘고독’이다. 조선 시대 유학자들은 유리명왕을 부덕한 왕이라고 보았으나, 유리명왕은 지지 기반이 취약한 가운데서도 혼인 동맹과 적극적인 대외 투쟁을 통해 세력 기반을 확대하고자 하였으며, 제국의 기틀을 마련한 英主였다. 그러나 그는 개인적으로는 매우 불행한 삶을 살아간 사람이었다. 유리명왕이 마주쳐야 했던 고독은 유년 시절의 그의 삶으로부터 시작된 태생적인 고독도 있었으나 특히 왕이 된 이후에 미약한 왕권 때문에 감당해야 했던 고독은 더욱 큰 것이었다. 화희와 치희가 애정 싸움 끝에 충돌하는 과정에서 사랑하는 여인 치희를 떠나보내면서 그의 고독은 절정에 이르렀다. 유리명왕의 고독은 단지 치희를 잃었기 때문에 얻어진 것이 아니라 골천 세력의 눈치를 봐야 하는 상황 때문에 사랑하는 사람을 다시 찾아오지도 못하고 속앓이를 해야 했던 미약한 군주인 자신의 처지 때문에 증폭된 고독이었으며, 따라서 황조가는 유리명왕의 고독을 노래한 서정 가요라고 규정할 수 있다.
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