The Wanderer

Although its themes of exploring existential loneliness in a harsh and ungiving world resonate with many contemporary readers, the form of The Wanderer reveals its Medieval roots. Like other British poems preserved from the Middle Ages, the poem’s form and meter reflect the cultural perception of poetry as a public art form. Without widespread access to print media, poems were regarded as public events. They were designed to be recited by traveling minstrels who would present their works to audiences, sometimes in public gatherings or in the great courts of local lords on special occasions.

In this, The Wanderer appears to be an exceptional expression of Medieval literature, as the poem, minus the framing first and last stanzas that reflect the work of a later editor, is essentially an interior monologue. The heroic character struggles to come to terms with his profound physical and spiritual isolation. Given its emotional gravitas and forbidding angst, the poem would not have fit easily within public recitations. Medieval scholars suggest the text, which was certainly recited, was more a reflective text, a rare work for private contemplation.

Despite generations of editors retranslating and revisiting the poem’s form, stanza breaks have remained constant through successive versions.