Great works of English literature often have at least one thing in common: a character is altered in either a physical, mental or emotional form. This provides the work, whether it be a narrative, book or poem, with deeper significance and relatability to readers. Two Old English poems that exhibit character development are The Dream of the Rood and The Wanderer. The two poems have completely different subject matter, but do contain the same literary device as a means of progression: mood. The use of mood creates a significant character development in both The Dream of the Rood and The Wanderer that is perceptible throughout each, though their moods are often unrelated. The Dream of the Rood begins with an admiring tone of the rood;
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Fate is firmly set” (2-5). These lines show that the “eard-stapa” has no hope of ever escaping his brutal exile. This punishment was considered to be the worst possibility of the time and the poet’s use of an exile as the focus of the work exhibits that the speaker has accepted that he will never see his companions again. The wanderer forces himself to rid his mind of thoughts of his home, he “must hold in the thoughts of my heart-- / though often wretched, bereft of my homeland” (19-20). This suppression deepens the anguish and desolation expressed by the speaker; each line contributes to the establishment of the character that will ultimately change (Bjork, 316-17). Though the moods of the poems differ, their purpose is the same. After reading both poems, a reflection on these initial lines allows the reader to perceive how the speakers have been altered by the events that they have …show more content…
In The Dream of the Rood, the speaker tells of their own life is “tarnished by sin, / begrimed with evil” (13-14); this recognition creates the perspective that the speaker knows they do not live the life that they should. The speaker has subconsciously become aware the they need to change their lifestyle, in one way or another, for the purpose of pleasing God. In The Wanderer, he speaks on the unworthiness of mankind in general; man needs to learn to “direct his heart on the right path” (72) and “consider deeply the darkness of this life” (89). By addressing the faults of the world, the wanderer is attempting to warn his kinsmen of their fate if they do not choose to follow God. The purpose of this acknowledgement in both works is to introduce the Christian concepts that ultimately lead to the character development present in
Fate is firmly set” (2-5). These lines show that the “eard-stapa” has no hope of ever escaping his brutal exile. This punishment was considered to be the worst possibility of the time and the poet’s use of an exile as the focus of the work exhibits that the speaker has accepted that he will never see his companions again. The wanderer forces himself to rid his mind of thoughts of his home, he “must hold in the thoughts of my heart-- / though often wretched, bereft of my homeland” (19-20). This suppression deepens the anguish and desolation expressed by the speaker; each line contributes to the establishment of the character that will ultimately change (Bjork, 316-17). Though the moods of the poems differ, their purpose is the same. After reading both poems, a reflection on these initial lines allows the reader to perceive how the speakers have been altered by the events that they have …show more content…
In The Dream of the Rood, the speaker tells of their own life is “tarnished by sin, / begrimed with evil” (13-14); this recognition creates the perspective that the speaker knows they do not live the life that they should. The speaker has subconsciously become aware the they need to change their lifestyle, in one way or another, for the purpose of pleasing God. In The Wanderer, he speaks on the unworthiness of mankind in general; man needs to learn to “direct his heart on the right path” (72) and “consider deeply the darkness of this life” (89). By addressing the faults of the world, the wanderer is attempting to warn his kinsmen of their fate if they do not choose to follow God. The purpose of this acknowledgement in both works is to introduce the Christian concepts that ultimately lead to the character development present in