The Wander Poem Analysis

The Wander is an Elegy-style poem that depicts the suffering, exile, and memoirs of an anonymous narrator who refers to himself differently according to what part of his life he is sharing; a "Lone-dweller", an "Earth-stepper", ect. Although it is commonly believed that there is only one narrator, there is still a lot of debate on whether or not there was only one narrator throughout the poem or if there were several. The Wanderer is believed to have been created around the 5th or 6th century, being orally "handed down" from generation to generation. However, it was actually written in the 10th century by scribes who copied the poem in the Exeter book, the biggest manuscript collection of Old English poetry in existence. It is preserved there until this day along with several other poems similar to it´s style and theme. The poem itself can be divided into three parts or, rather, 2 testimonies and 1 realization: "each of the narrators" depicts a different attitude and a different experience. …show more content…
He shares his pain and his desire for God´s mercy on his life. Also, it´s important to note that the "exile" he´s in isn´t exactly exile. Actually, his version of exile is being "forced" to aimlessly sail icy waters with his solitude and memories as his only companions. These first 5 lines paint a word picture that depicts a lonely and weary traveler, tragically sailing across viciously cold seas in a row boat. This "lone dweller" spares no details regarding the harsh climate and his emotional state; Forced Exile tends to have that effect on