“Ubi Sunt” in “The Wanderer”
Smells Like: Anglo-Saxon poetry, The Wanderer
“The Wanderer” from 1818 by Caspar David Friedrich
The theme of isolation dominates The Wanderer. Most of the poem gives the reader insight into the mind of a man suffering great sorrow because of the death of his family and comrades. He spends his days in a painful exile, reflecting on the life he once had — an exile forced upon him by an unfortunate and horrible turn of events. “The Wanderer” is considered a wisdom poem in that the poet achieves true insight: in this case into the degeneration of earthly goodness. From start to finish, it follows what is known as the “ubi sunt” motif: in other words it tries to answer the question, where are they?
By Tom Fasano on September 14, 2009 – 9:41 pm
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