The Wife’s Lament / Anonymous, translated by Marcelle Thiébaux

Test Practice

Identify Main Ideas

With your partner, discuss how to answer these questions about main ideas.

1. Which of the following statements best describes the speaker’s experience in “The Wife’s Lament”?
a. The speaker is sad because her lord has died.
b. The speaker is lonely because her lord left her.
c. The speaker is tormented by loneliness and grief.
d. The speaker is resigned to waiting for her beloved.


How does information you gather as you read help you eliminate incorrect answers?

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