Name:______
“The Wanderer” Translated by Charles W. Kennedy
Page 26:
1. Read the quote on page 26, what predictions can you make about what this poem will be about?
Page 27 (Lines 1-5):
2. In this opening section we have a narrator who describes a mysterious character, the "wanderer," who is apparently in exile. What does exile mean for him? Give the key words from the poem.
3. Despite the fact that the wanderer is in this situation, the narrator injects a note of hope. What key words give a sense of hope?
(Lines 8-17):
4. What is the tone of these lines? Give a tone word and pull out key diction as evidence.
5. What has happened to the wanderer in these lines? Provide evidence.
6. What has the wanderer learned to be the “true mark of a man”?
(Lines 18-25):
7. Find a kenning in these lines and explain its importance. How does the kenning help you infer the wanderer’s goal?
Remember a kenning is a metaphorical phrase used in place of a common noun. (Examples of kennings: Axe – blood-ember; Death – sleep of the sword; Blood – slaughter-dew or battle-sweat)
8. What has happened to the wanderer’s lord? What words/phrases tell you this?
(Lines 26-34):
9. What is the pronoun “it” referring to in Line 26?
10. What is the metaphor in lines 26-27? Explain its significance as well.
11. What does the wanderer reflect on in these lines? Provide the evidence.
(Lines 35-51):
12. What is the wanderer dreaming about?
13. How is line 41 an antithesis (contrast) to the wanderer’s situation?
14. What makes the wanderer happy and then what makes him sorrowful? Provide textual evidence.
15. How do lines 50-51 relate to the previous poem we read, “The Seafarer”?
(Lines 52-65):
16. What is the tone of these lines? How does your knowledge of Anglo-Saxon life help you understand the tone of these lines?
17. What are FIVE important traits of a wise man?
18. A caesura is a break of pause in a line of poetry. It adds emphasis for a dramatic effect. How are the caesuras specifically used in these lines? What is the effect of them?
(Lines 66-79):
19. What is the imagery (image) portrayed in these lines. Provide textual evidence.
20. Draw a picture of the scene portrayed in this stanza.
(Lines 80-92):
21. Find THREE examples of alliteration and explain the effect of each:
A.
B.
C.
(Lines 93-102):
22. How is weather used in these lines?
(Lines 103-108):
23. What are the qualities of a “happy” and “good man”?
Critical Reading Questions (Analyze and Evaluate):
24. (A) Who are the speakers in the poem? (B) What is the relationship between the two? (C) What effect does the use of two speakers have on your picture of the wanderer?
A.
B.
C.
25. (A) Why does the wanderer go into exile? (B) What images does the poet use to convey his isolation and despair? (Key diction)
A.
B.
26. Do you think dwelling on the sorrowful, painful side of life can give a person wisdom and a valuable perspective on life, or do you think it can be harmful. Write an argument paragraph explaining your ideas.
______