THE WIFE’S LAMENT
Examining the female perspective
in Anglo Saxon literature and
culture.
Warm up Writing Prompt
• “Men grow up expecting to be the hero of their own story. Women
grow up expecting to be the supporting actress in somebody else's.
As a kid…that was always the narrative injustice that upset me more
than anything else…Lady hobbits didn't bring the ring to Mordor.
They stayed at home in the shire. ”- Laurie Penny, I was a Manic Pixie
Dream Girl
• What are some examples of female heroes? What do they have in
common?
• What does the author mean by the term “narrative injustice”?
• How does this quote make you feel? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Implications for Reading Beowulf
Get into the habit of interrogating a text. Start by asking:
• Whose story is this?
• What voices are missing or purposely ignored in this account?
• Are certain groups marginalized within the text?
• How does the author choose to write about these groups?
• What are the author’s goals or motivations?
Background on the Text
• Like Beowulf, “The Wife’s Lament” is written in Old English and the
author is unknown.
• From an anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry called The Exeter Book,
written prior to 1072 A.D.
• Some feel that the poem is an "elegy" or lament for things and/or
persons lost, often lost to death.
Eavan Boland reads her translation
• http://poemsoutloud.net/audio/archive/boland_reads_the_wifes_la
ment/
Homework
• In many canonical texts like Beowulf, we see female characters
primarily functioning as mothers, wives, daughters to male
protagonists, identified solely by their relationship to men. For
homework tonight, I’d like you to rewrite a scene from Beowulf in
first person narration from the female perspective. Feel free to
create a new character but try to stick to plot of the poem. Think
about the idea of “writing back” to the text and giving a voice to
the women during the time whose stories and experiences did not
feature prominently in the Anglo Saxon culture.