Bernard F. Huppe presents a critical exposition entitled “The “Wanderer”: Theme & Structure”. He says that “the goal of the poem is entirely Christian. Its main theme is the contrast of the transitoriness, or earthly goods, and the security, or mercy, of God.” (Huppe 516). Although this seems plausible, a more thorough analysis of how form and content relate may reveal other layers of meaning. The use of stoic language and multiple speakers can lead to a variety of interpretations. The Wanderer is inherently concerned about “fate”, its credibility, and “free will”. Out of this dichotomy, there is both divine intervention as well fundamental human agency. These concepts are evident in “wyrd”, which is a term that appears frequently but changes depending on the context. “Wyrd”, is in essence a paradox. From the eternal perspective God, the pagan connotation shifts and grows, and earthly life is seen to be “inexorable fate”. However, the sage’s view, which embraces the transient nature and believes in God’s mercy, sees it as also the workings of providence.
The Anglo Saxon elegy shares a common theme: exile, mental and physical isolation from a societal structure. Personal pronouns, devotion to a “lost ruler” and personal pronouns in the story of the narrator indicate a male warrior being excommunicated by his lord’s weakest retainers. The theme of exile is present throughout the poem. However, it can be seen that there is a transition between disdain and eventual embrace. There are two types of narration in the poem. The first seems to be traditional, while the second adopts a didactic tone. The poem’s subject, an “anhaga”, refers to a “solitary” man who dwells on the deaths of his kinsmen as well as the funeral of their lord. The first seven words convey an objective and passive tone. “The wanderer’s” dialog begins after that. At line 29b, the dialogue stops: “weman mi wynnum.” Wat se e cunna,”. (The Wanderer. Line 29). This narrative portrays a third party perspective in reference the speaker’s experiences. This shift also suggests that there is a cultural tradition. Huppe comments: This rhetorical deviation is not unusual. The Old English poetic style was strained for variety when telling stories… the conduct and difficulties of the wanderer. 29b’s “motivation” is more than mere decoration. Old English poets valued heroic etiquette as a fundamental aspect of their poetry. (Huppe, 522)
This may be due to the variety of “storytelling”, but the shift could also reflect the flexibility of the state in exile. Assuming there’s only one speaker, they sustain the transition of “anahaga”, which is the isolated man, to “modecearig”, line 2, troubled in thoughts, to the final stage of “snotter upon mode” (111), the wise in heart). Static language allows movement even though the definitions of “exile” change. This can be interpreted as an allegory for larger thematic concerns, such as that of “wyrd”, which describes a transition from a Germanic war society to a Christian one.
The poem contains “Wyrd” four times. Each placement denotes a different connotation of this word. “Wyrd”, also known as “fate”, “circumstance”, “fortune” and “circumstance”, is a reference to “fate”, “fortune”, and “circumstance”. The Wanderer’s case is an example of the divisions in narrative. “Wyrd” refers to “fortune”, circumstance, and most importantly, fate. Because it encompasses both modes in poetic discourse, “Wyrd”, is intrinsically paradoxical. The first half of the narrative may refer to pagan beliefs, while the second half might be about a transition to Christian values. “Wadan wraeclastas” is the beginning of the word’s journey through the poem. Wyrd ful araed!” (“The Wanderer”, line 5) The wanderer’s only chance of security is the mercy and protection of God. Fate is described as “inflexible”. The beginning lines of the poem contain Christian doctrine, which further reveals the insecurity of earthly matters. It encompasses both fate and providence. “Wyrd” refers to fate. The narrator describes “the graces and mercy of God”, while at the same time he cautions that “fate remains unavoidable”.
In the latter half of this poem, “Wyrd”, appears again. This is after the change of speaker. (The Wanderer line 106-107) In this poem, the paradoxical quality “wyrd”, which addresses both pagan elements and those that are innately Christian, is evident. As a soldier, but more so as a living creature, the wanderer seeks peace of mind. But he also relies on God to determine his fate and the fate within him.
The final lines of the conclusion cement The Wanderer’s contradictory nature. The “anhaga”, who has reflected on his trials and tribulations, finally achieves the status “snotter-on-mode”, which is the enlightened man, aware of his retained wisdom. This is the conclusion:
Swa cwae snottor on mode, gesaet him sundor aet rune. Til se be his treasure gehealde. Wel bip?am pe him se be his treowe gehealde, frofre on heofonum, and aer useal seo fiaestnung stonde. (The Wanderer. Line 111-115)
The wisdom of the poem is expressed in these lines. When tragedy strikes, however, the individual should not react too quickly to it and must embrace it with courage. This wisdom is available only to those who have a total commitment to Fate. These people, unlike the Christian, don’t have any divine escape options. Virtue is inextricably linked to both the opposing forces of “wyrd”, since it is necessary for both the wanderer’s qualities to find reconciliation. Huppe draws an analogy between the beginning line and the end line, which Huppe considers a form-and-content correlation.
It would seem, therefore, that the poem should be constructed around the themal distinction between earthly security and heavenly insecurity: A contrast which is stated at beginning, developed and summarized in the body. (Huppe, 526)
“Earthly insecurity” is a description of the conflict between Christian and pagan values in the poem. Huppe tackles the structure and organization of the elegy in this opposition. However the Christian claim made in The Introduction prevails. Christian beliefs open and close The Wanderer, while self-reliance is supported by self-cultivated virtue and self-reliance.
The seemingly contradictory nature of misfortunes and the “grace & mercy of God” spoken in the beginning of the poem can be solved in the conclusion of the banished wanderer. This suggests that maybe there is some function to the many misfortunes he has suffered, just like the ones that brought him to God’s mercy. The pagan meaning of “wyrd,” which can change and expand, is that what was seen during earthly existence as “inexorable fortune” from the timeless point of God – or from a sage who has taken on the “transientness” of the world in addition to the “belief and mercy of God” – is now revealed to also be the functioning of providence.
Works cited
Anonymous. “The Wanderer”. Mitchell, Bruce, Fred C. Robinson. A Guide for Old English. 8th ed. Malden, Mass. u.a. : Blackwell, 2012. Print.
Huppe. Bernard F. “The Wanderer”. The Journal of English and Germanic Philology. 42.4 (1943).: 516-38. JSTOR. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.
