Exiled In Anglo Saxon Poetry Essay

These Anglo Saxons poems share many common points. They both tell the protagonists story about being exiled from their society. This was a popular topic in Anglo Saxon time because many had lords who could kick them out at any time without a reason, and the person being exiled could not do anything about it. During the protagonists exile, they experience hard times and emotional pain. The most noticeable similarity is that in both stories, the narrator is exiled from the society. However, they are exiled for different reason. In the wanderer, the protagonist is exiled because he deserted his allies in a time of battle. This was extremely dishonorable and the other members of the society banished him. In the seafarer, the protagonist exiles himself because his lord was killed or conquered. This puts him on a search for a new home. …show more content…
They are forced to live outside in the extreme cold of winter. This is shown in the quote “in winter heat is dead” and in the quote “the horror of winter, smothering warmth in the shadow of night. And the north angrily hurls its hailstorms at our helpless heads”. The protagonist’s hardships in the Wanderer are very similar. The narrator says his “feet were cast in icy bands, bound with frost” The author of both of these poems wants us to realize the physical pain of being stuck in nature. The protagonists also face emotional hardships. Both of the protagonist are lonely and have no one to talk to. This is extremely painful. In the Wanderer it states the protagonist has no friend left and no one to whom he can fully unlock his heart. This mean he has to keep all of his emotions locked inside. The poem also says that it takes a real man to lock his pains inside of him. This shows the strength it took to hold it in can only be produced by a man and not by a