Comparison Of Anglo-Saxon Men And Women

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Anglo-Saxon men and women had a unique perspective on society, personal life, and death. To them, exile was the worst of the worst that could happen to anyone and the most feared punishment. Due to this unique look on life, the Anglo-Saxon’s strived to avoid exile at all cost, whether that be turning to god or giving up everything one owns. The poems “The Seafarer,” “the Wanderer,” and “The Wife’s Lament” show examples of Anglo-Saxon men and women in exile and how they dealt with it. “The Seafarer” begins with a man’s story of the hardships he faced at sea. He is on a voyage to discover new lands and riches, yet he is not happy. Despite the great journey the man is undertaking, he feels in exile from his people. He has been lonely for a long period of time now and has had no success. As he is pondering this topic, he thinks of how he only hears the sounds of birds instead of the laughter of people in the mead hall. He thinks of how he is cold instead of warm and sharing drink with his friends; he is lonely and his kinsmen can offer him no comfort, so his soul is left drowning in desolation. This is the first sign of exile the seafaring man shows. He begins to realize how alone he really is on the ocean and …show more content…

It is the real reason he trying to find a foreign land. It seems the man's heart is in deep exile and is trying to find a way out of it, despite the fact that the way out may be leaving everything behind. At this point, the ocean voyage may be a metaphor for life, but the real meaning is still hidden. This is an interesting concept because it could mean all Anglo-Saxon people feel in exile until they have found their place in life. As the man ends his brooding, he mentions how no earthly pleasures can please him. He wants something more in life, a return from his exile. He desperately wants to end the exile, whether death take him, he return home, or discover new

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