Symbol Analysis
Within the context of the poem, the Old English word "hlaford," literally "lord," translates best to "husband." But what if that's not entirely accurate? There's a theory among scholars that the "hlaford" of the "Wife's Lament" actually symbolizes another more well-known lord—the Lord—none other than Jesus Christ. In this sense, the poem may not be an elegy at all, but rather a riddle. Let's examine the poem in this divine light.
The lord in this poem, then, might actually represent Jesus—kinsmen plotting to kill him, banished to a far-away land after death—while he commands her to live the life of an ascetic in a cave, where she pines for him like many Christian ascetics of the day. Trippy, right?
- Lines 6-8: Early on we learn that the speaker's "hlaford" departs his people for a distant country. Some critics interpret this to mean his death, and that the poem is in fact an elegy for the speaker's deceased lover. Could this symbolize the death of Jesus, leaving his community on earth for a distant land: the kingdom of heaven?
- Lines 11-12: Here we have this strange passage about the hlaford's kinsmen conspiring against to keep the pair separated. Could this have something to do with Judas's betrayal of Jesus?
- Lines 28-29: It's unclear exactly who orders the speaker to live in this cave, or why this occurs. Perhaps though, it's no coincidence that caves were often used by Christian ascetics and monks of the day as solitary venues for the contemplation of God. Maybe our speaker comes here, commanded not by her husband, but by the Lord, to carry out her spiritual obligation.
- Lines 33-37: Poets from John Donne to Rumi have expressed feelings of divine love from the perspective of a lover. This was not an uncommon theme in Old English literature, either, and some critics think that's what's happening here. Perhaps our speaker's grief arises not from an absent lover, but from her pining for her true "hlaford," Jesus. Or, maybe the speaker represents the Church, as Bride of Christ.
- Lines 52-53: In light of this reading, the closing gnome could be a Christian commentary. Life is full of suffering and longing, away from our loved one: Jesus Christ. But in death, we will finally be delivered into His arms and into eternal bliss. Alright, so take this whole interpretation with a grain of salt. But it would make for a truly divine riddle. (See what we did there?)