The Husband's Message Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. If you were the lady addressed in "The Husband's Message," what would you do? Would this message convince you to do what the lord asks? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think the runes mean? Why does the poem use them instead of just directly saying what it means?
  3. Imagine a backstory for the lord and lady. Who is she? Who is he? How did they meet and fall in love? What happened to force the lord into exile? Bonus points if you can find evidence in the poem to back up your story.
  4. The poem we know as "The Husband's Message" doesn't actually have a title in the manuscript in which it was found. What title would you give it if you were in charge of naming it?