Old English Literature

The Wanderer combines parts of two traditional genres of Old English poetry: the elegy, or lament, and the wisdom poem. It is both a lament for all the things the speaker – and people more generally – have lost, and also a reflection on what wise men learn from their life experiences. These two genres aren't unrelated, since Anglo-Saxon poets believed that no one could be truly wise until they had experienced a whole lot of life – including pain and suffering.

The Wanderer is divided into two halves. The first describes the personal experiences of loss and sufferings of the lonely wanderer. In the second half of the poem, the wanderer comes to the realization that he must not lament. He knows that self-pitying thoughts will be of no help to him. This demonstrates his understanding of the process of success through inner-peace and acceptance. He compares his state to that of men who desire fame and recognition. They must rely upon themselves in order to obtain and then maintain a lofty societal level. Man must acknowledge his present state of being before being able to transform it into one of a more favorable degree.

From this point on until the end of the poem, the earth-stepper is basically casting away his want of a physical world. It took being exiled for him to gain the wisdom of knowing that true contentment comes from within. He knows that he must strive to gain the acceptance of a higher being than that of the known world, the "Middle-earth," or human existence. No man may indeed become wise before he has had his share of wisdom in this world's kingdom. He has finally gained an appreciation for his status. Without banishment, he would still be a captive of the "failing middle-world." He would never have had the strength or courage to overcome human existence and gain a higher recognition than that which was obtainable in his physical society.

Towards the end of the poem, the wanderer begins to feel pity for those people still wrapped up in the torment and grief of the "middle-world." The wanderer realizes the degree to which man is duped into believing his false perception of the world. They will never understand why the Earth is slowly weakening before their eyes or the reasons behind the devastation which will eventually occur. He has been lucky enough to find self-enlightenment as his means of salvation, and he will now be protected from the hurt and agony of the physical world. The rest of man will be left with unanswered questions which they will never understand. “Where has the horse gone? Where the young warrior? Where is the giver of treasure? What has become of the feasting seats? Where are the joys of the hall?” These mysteries will plague the people with an unrelenting quest for knowledge. They will never obtain the wisdom which the wanderer possesses in order to understand the idea of existence. Life is never a constant factor; it can change at any given moment and the earth-dweller will now be fully prepared for whatever lay ahead. He knows to look to the "high-earth" for guidance and that the "middle-earth" is a mere fantasy of the inhabitants.

The earth-dweller's main goal throughout the poem was to find a means of stability. He finally realized that he could achieve this through the spiritual gifts of the Lord. He now understands who the true Lord in every man's life should be: God. "It will be well with him who seeks favor, comfort from the Father in heaven, where for us all stability resides”. The wanderer has now completed the cycle which he began in the beginning of the poem by referring to his kingdom lord as the almighty. Thus The Wanderer stresses the process of the achievement of wisdom through the wanderer's reflection and meditation.