The Wife’s Lament is a notable literary work by Anonymous. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of The Wife’s Lament.
The Wife's Lament by Anonymous Author Translated by André Babyn I sing this song, full of sadness, this song which is myself. I will tell, what I am able, about what hardships I have faced—since I grew up, recently or long ago, never more than now. Always I suffer my misery of exile. First my lord departed from my people, over waves rolling; I had grief before dawn thinking of the lands which held him, my people’s lord. Then I set out, a friendless stranger, searching for his retinue, because of my grievous [...]
The poem The Wife’s Lament is a first-person monologue by a wife who shares her sorrowful story of exile and separation from her husband. She begins by expressing her deep sadness. The pain she feels from being alone is unlike anything she has experienced before...
Exile and Isolation
The poem's central theme is the wife’s physical and emotional exile. She is separated from her husband and kinsmen and forced to live in a desolate, unfamiliar land. Her isolation in a cave under an oak tree reflects her emotional state—cut off from the warmth of love, companionship, and community...