The Wife's Lament: Book Analysis

(A Discussion of One Messages from Each Exeter Book)

The exeter book, is a book full of stories. The three stories we studied were, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer” and “The Wife’s Lament”. All three of the speakers are missing something and are alone. They are exile. The definition of exile is, cast out or banished. Each one of the speakers feels this way. A message from Exeter Book would be, the conceptions of God “The Seafarer”, traveling away from home and being alone “The Wanderer, and woman are defined by man “The Wife’s Lament”. To begin, "The Seafarer" messaged expressed was the conceptions of God. For example, God is similar to the Anglo-Saxon Code – a vaguely ominous force that determines the outcome of events in a person's life, and before whom all human beings are basically helpless. The seafarer love the idea of going on and sailing on a boat. “Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are.” (McGillis ) He compares life in a city and to living on the sea. He says that life is a journey on a ship, and God is the captain. Home is where one goes after one dies. He learns that when you get older

This story is about how she was sent way. He husband exile her, which means he banished her. We don’t know why, some possibilities are, she cheated or because the husband will be gone. She hopes her husband is sad because she is sad. She lives in the middle of the woods under a tree alone. The difference between being alone and lonely is, being alone is having no one around. Whereas being lonely is a feeling. “The time you feel lonely is the time you most need to be by yourself.” (Coupland) Although she still longs for her husband. She is bitter and angry about the friendless, lonely, joyless fate she must endure. Lament is a sad song. “I make this song of myself, deeply sorrowing.” (Line