The woman in Lamentations 1:1 represents the nation of Judah. The writer describes Judah as a woman who now sits alone and suffers.
gone into exile: The people of Judah were led away into captivity (forced to leave their land and live in another country). This happened four times:
In 605 BC, some young men were taken to Babylon (Daniel 1:3–4).
In 597 BC, King Jehoiachin and many others were taken away (2 Kings 24:12–16; Jeremiah 52:28; Ezekiel 1:2–3).
In 586 BC, Jerusalem was destroyed and more people were taken into exile (2 Kings 25:5–7, 18–21; Jeremiah 39:5–10; 52:29).
In 581 BC, another group was taken away after the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52:30).