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

Paganism Belief in the old gods (Viking) and nature worship Most of Europe could have been considered pagan before Christianity spread north from Rome, Italy.

Christianity Belief in one God with Jesus as His son. All other forms of worship are sinful according to Christian commandment; therefore, all other forms of worship are pagan (or heathen). The only Anglo-Saxon poems that have survived had to have been written down. The only people educated enough to know how to read and write were mostly Christian monks, clergy, etc. When they wrote these poems down, they probably Christianized them.

“The Seafarer” This poem is an old Anglo-Saxon poem, probably spoken before Christianity came north, but then written down by a Christian monk.

Group Activity Group One: What is the poem about? Group Two: Which 3 different lines sound “Christian”? Be ready to read them and explain. Group Three: Which 3 different lines sound “pagan”? Be ready to read them and explain. Group Four: What words could you use that describes the mood of the poem? Choose a part from the poem that creates the mood. Group Five: What is the poem trying to say about life?

“The Wanderer” Again, this is an old pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon poem. Notice how there are 2 voices in this poem: a kind of narrator and the wanderer. A lot of the original poem is probably here with the intrusive narrator voice included.

Group Activity Group One: What is the poem about? Group Two: Which 3 different lines sound “Christian”? Be ready to read them and explain. Group Three: Which 3 different lines sound “pagan”? Be ready to read them and explain. Group Four: What words could you use that describes the mood of the poem? Choose a part from the poem that creates the mood. Group Five: What is the wanderer himself trying to say about life? The narrator?

“The Wife’s Lament” What a great and amazing little poem. Do you realize how rare it was for a woman’s voice to even be considered important, let alone be the voice of a piece of writing? Notice how this poem actually has very little Christian influence. It’s probably very close to the original version.

Group Activity Group One: What is the poem about? Group Two: What events lead to the wife’s exile? Group Three: How does she feel about her husband (her “lord”)? Group Four: What words could you use that describes the mood of the poem? Choose a part from the poem that creates the mood. Group Five: Generalize what this poem is demonstrating about the lives of women at that time.