How is the exile of the three speakers in the poems from The Exeter Book similar and different?

The Exeter Book, a tenth-century anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry held in Exeter Cathedral, England, contains several poems dealing with themes of exile. Three famous elegies that discuss exile are "The Wanderer," "The Seafarer," and "The Wife's Lament." Although these poems address exile in different contexts, they share similar thematic concerns as well as exhibit distinct differences.

Similarities: 1. Themes of loss and alienation: All three poems feature speakers who are dealing with profound loss, whether it’s the loss of a lord, kin, or a spouse. This loss results in a sense of alienation from society. 2. Search for meaning: The speakers reflect on their circumstances and contemplate the larger meaning of life, often arriving at philosophical or religious insights. 3. Elegiac tone: The tone in all three poems is mournful and melancholic, befitting the themes of exile and separation. 4. Use of nature imagery: Each poem uses nature—the sea, weather, landscapes—as a metaphor for the speaker's internal state and the hardships of exile.

Differences: 1. Personal contexts: "The Wanderer" speaks of exile through the lens of a warrior deprived of his lord and companions, "The Seafarer" discusses a solitary life at sea which is both literal and metaphorical, and "The Wife's Lament" is from the perspective of a woman forced into isolation due to her husband's absence. 2. Relationship to society: The speakers in "The Wanderer" and "The Seafarer" are isolated from society due to their own existential journeys, while the speaker in "The Wife's Lament" is in a state of imposed exile due to social circumstances relating to her marriage. 3. Resolution: Each poem resolves differently, with "The Wanderer" ending in a stoic acceptance of fate and the impermanence of earthly things, "The Seafarer" reconciling the suffering with a hope for salvation and eternal life, and "The Wife's Lament" culminating in unresolved grief and an ongoing state of estrangement