Theme Of The Seafarer, The Wanderer, And Beowulf

Anglo-Saxon literature has some of the most renowned stories within its walls. “The Anglo-Saxon period lasted for 600 years, from c.410 to c.1066” (BBC). Their literary writings in Old English were composed somewhere between c.650 and c.1100. There are two common types of old English poetry the heroic and the Christian works. A common theme throughout all types of the Anglo-Saxon works is isolation some of which are The Seafarer, The Wanderer, and Beowulf. In the literary work “The Seafarer” remoteness shapes the mood of the story. Throughout it the reader feels this sense of sadness and loneliness from the speaker. This is shown through lines like this “Around my heart. Hunger tore at my sea-weary soul. No man sheltered on the quiet fairness of earth can feel how wretched I was drifting through winter” (Wiggins 22). This quote was heavy on the theme of isolation and that writing style is held throughout most of the story. Further in the story it almost completely changes

The wanderer described in the poem speaks of his frustration as he is forced to search for a new lord during winter, and even his dreams of the joy he might find once more in the employ of a new lord prove to be no comfort to him in the end” (Esteliel). This Quote from writers guild shows, very well, how exile and isolation impacted the Wanderer. In this story the main character of the story is forced to walk this lonely ice road trying to find a new lord. Throughout his lonely journey the reader slowly grows sympathetic feelings towards for him because he starts dreaming he was back in the old hall talking to and laughing with his old lord and everyone there. After having these amazing dreams he would wake up to the very depressing realization that he still has nobody to converse with and that he still has a long and lonely road ahead of