This subject is derived from Geoffrey Chaucer's 'Franklin's Tale' from The Canterbury Tales. It demonstrates Burne-Jones's interest in medieval subjects. Dorigen is shown longing for her husband's return but fearful that he will be wrecked at the harbour's mouth. The reunion that she so desires is alluded to in the ghostly figures that decorate her portable organ. Since it can be played only when the bellows are pumped by someone else, this emphasises her loneliness. Her pose with arms outstretched, opening the shutters onto the view of the sea churning around the rocks, suggests also her sense of hopelessness.