For Tuesday: The Word Exchange, "Poems of Exile and Longing"

 

Be sure to read the following poems for Tuesday's class:

* "The Seafarer"

* "The Wife's Lament"

* "Deor"

* "Wulf and Eadwacer" (we read this in class, but you can read it again!)

* "The Husband's Message"

* "The Wanderer"

Instead of having an in-class writing, I'll give you a question to respond to for Tuesday's class (bring it with you to class!). The question is below:

Homework Response: How do many of these poems, notably "The Seafarer, "The Wanderer," and "Deor" share many of the same themes of Tolkien's The Hobbit? In other words, how do the adventures and characters Bilbo encounters in the book offer many of the same lessons and world view of these poems? Consider all the poems in this section are about travelers, or people who are exiled far away from home (like Bilbo!). 

Other ideas to consider in your reading: 

* How do these poems reconcile pagan ideas and sentiments (such as fate, valor, fame, treasure) with the emerging Christian world view? At the time these poems were composed, most of Britain was slowly becoming Christian, and the poets were probably using old poems/ideas within the new Christian mindset.

* What seems to drive most of the speakers of these poems away from their homes? Why are they exiled? Why can't they return home?

* We see the rare voice/perspective of a woman in the poem "The Wife's Lament," which is relatively rare in Anglo-Saxon literature. How 'modern' does her voice sound? Have problems of love changed in a thousand years?

* What philosophy of life emerges in many of these poems? Are they all the same? Consider that these poems could have been written hundreds of years apart. Would the poet of "Deor" agree with the poet of "The Seafarer"? 

* Anglo-Saxon poems are rich in metaphors, and often employ kennings, which are metaphorical names for common things, such as "whale-road" for the ocean. How many kennings can you locate in these poems, and which ones are particularly interesting or vivid?