The Wanderer
Old English poem
Quick Summary
"The Wanderer" is an Old English poem preserved in the Exeter Book, a collection of Old English poetry dating to around 975 CE. This secular poem evokes a profound sense of desolation and loneliness, describing the sorrows of exile and separation. It is considered one of the Anglo-Saxon elegies, a genre that often explores themes of loss and hardship. While some of these elegies carry religious allegory, "The Wanderer" primarily focuses on the poignant experience of a solitary figure grappling with grief and displacement.1
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