Journal 9

The most important bond in Anglo-Saxon society was that between a lord and his retainers. How do “The Seafarer” and “The Wife’s Lament” reveal the Anglo-Saxon ideal of loyalty and the tragedy of separation or exile from one’s lord?

The Seafarer” and “The Wife’s Lament” both portray the ideal of loyalty and the tragedy towards a lord. In each poem the lord plays a key role. In order to live a good life you must stay close to the lord. In “The Seafarer,” it’s a mans faith to be on the open sea, and there is no one to help him. Even though he felt at home on sea, the sea almost claimed his life several times. Without the lord the author gives his thoughts that without the lord, one must go through suffering. “The Wife’s Lament” has a connection with the lord. The woman lost connection with the lord and as a result she had to live a sad lonely life.