Write a five-paragraph essay (2–3 pages) on one of the poems for this lesson: “The Seafarer,” “The Wanderer,” or “The Wife’s Lament.” Your essay should discuss and illustrate the theme of exile. In your essay, you should:

Discuss the elements of Anglo-Saxon lyrics in reference to the poem’s theme of exile. How do caesuras, kennings, assonance, and alliteration contribute to create an elegiac feel (a sense of sadness, grief, or loss) and express the theme of exile?

Begin your essay with a strong introduction as well as a thesis statement. Throughout the body of your essay, clearly discuss elements of the poem that help support your thesis. Be sure to use examples and quotations from the poem. Support your claims and cite appropriately using MLA Style. Remember, when quoting a poem, give the line number(s) for the quotation, not the page number. For help with MLA style, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Please refer to textbook page R21 Literary Handbook (after the glossary) for an overview of MLA Style. If you wish, you may refer to or quote secondary sources in your essay; however, if you do, you need to include a works cited list.