Poetry · Chapter
V explained
The wedding preparations are in full swing, with the old man joyfully hosting and dancing.
What happens
The wedding preparations are in full swing, with the old man joyfully hosting and dancing. The Servant who cares not for wage, Anna, declines to stay for the wedding, insisting she must go on a pilgrimage to Kiev. Despite Mark's pleas, she leaves, blessing him. In Kiev, she works as a water carrier to save money for prayers and offerings, buying a magic cap for Mark and a ring for Kate from the saints. She returns home, where Mark and Kate greet her warmly, but she keeps her secret and weeps from the hurt of her penance.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Sacrifice
Anna's selfless pilgrimage and labor to buy gifts for Mark and Kate, despite her own hurt, embody maternal sacrifice.
Faith and Hypocrisy
Anna's devout pilgrimage and offerings to saints contrast with her hidden secret and weeping, suggesting a tension between outward piety and inner pain.
Characters to notice
- The Servant Who Cares Not for Wage
Anna, the servant, declines to stay for the wedding, goes on pilgrimage to Kiev, works as a water carrier, buys gifts from saints, and returns home keeping her secret.
- Mark
Mark almost wept for Anna to stay and sit as his mother at the wedding, but she refused; he later greets her warmly upon her return.
- Katherine
Kate, the bride, joins Mark in greeting Anna upon her return and arranges her couch for rest.
- Holy Barbara
Anna prays to Holy Barbara and receives a ring from St. Barbara to bring back to Kate.
Key passages
“And where is the Servant who cares not for wage? To Kiev she is gone on pilgrimage.”
The servant who works without concern for pay has left for a pilgrimage to Kiev.
Anna's departure for Kiev is noted, emphasizing her selflessness.
“She water carries, never tarries, And mighty store of pennies saves, Then in the Lavra’s awesome caves She seeks the blessed wealth she craves.”
She tirelessly carries water, saving many pennies, then visits the Lavra's caves to seek spiritual blessings.
Anna's labor and devotion in Kiev are highlighted.
“And still the Servant her secret kept, Yet from the hurt of her penance wept.”
The servant continued to hide her secret, but wept from the pain of her penance.
Anna's hidden sorrow and the emotional cost of her sacrifice are revealed.