AngloSaxon Poetry The Seafarer The Wanderer The Wifes

Anglo-Saxon Poetry “The Seafarer, ” “The Wanderer, ” & “The Wife’s Lament

“The Seafarer” � What is this poem about? ◦ A seafarer who drifts away from human companionship ◦ Even though he is “drowning in desolation” he continues to return to the sea ◦ Life no matter where it is spent is exile ◦ The only home is heaven

“The Seafarer” Regular Rhythms � “This tale is true, and mine. It tells” � “But there isn’t a man on earth so proud” � Purpose to oral tradition: helps with memorization of lines

“The Seafarer” Kennings � Eagle’s screams: caw � Summer’s sentinel: the cuckoo � The whale’s home: the sea � Purpose to oral tradition: poetic words used for imagery and memorization

“The Seafarer” Assonance � “To the open ocean, breaking oaths” � Purpose to oral tradition: helps with rhythm and memorization

“The Seafarer” Alliteration � “This tale is true, and mine. It tells” � “My soul roams with the sea, the whales Home, wandering to the widest corners Of the world, returning ravenous with desire, Flying solitary, screaming…” � Provides rhythm and repetition

“The Seafarer” Theme � Wandering With the Anglo-Saxon belief of home, to be wandering was to have nothing � Exile The Anglo-Saxons did not have patriotism to their country, but to their lord, so to be exiled was to be forsaken and they feared this

Elegy & Lyrics � Lyrical Poetry expresses the thoughts and feeling of a single speaker's life � Elegiac Poetry a type of lyric poetry where the loss of someone or something is mourned

Question � How is “The Seafarer” an example of elegiac poetry and lyrical poetry?

“The Wanderer” � What ◦ ◦ ◦ is this poem about? Wanderer has experienced a complete collapse His lord died He has no purpose He has no one to promise his loyalty to He is left to wander in search of a new lord

“The Wanderer” Kenning � Lines � How 20 -26 does the kenning “gold-lord” help you infer the wanderer’s goal?

“The Wanderer” Kenning Answer � Suggests wander’s livelihood is intimately connected with his having a lord, or one who will provide him with gold, or money.

“The Wanderer” Alliteration and Assonance � Read � What lines 87 -92 images and ideas do alliteration and assonance bind together in these lines?

Answer � Alliteration: “walls wondrous high, ” serpent shapes, ” and “carnage…and conquering fate” � Assonance: “warriors” with “memorials”

“The Wanderer” Caesura � How are caesuras used in “The Wanderer? ” � Why are caesuras used?

“The Wanderer” Caesura Answer � They � Add are breaks in the middle of a line to rhythmic element, add to meaning they either echo an idea or oppose an idea

“The Wanderer” Theme � Isolation

“The Wife’s Lament” Overview � Speaker has been sent into exile by her husband. � She still longs for her husband � She is angry and bitter about her friendless, lonely, joyless fate she must endure. � Be 31 able to answer essential question on pg.