Analysis of "The Seafarer"
"The Seafarer", by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon scop, focuses on the themes of depression and passion. This elegy, which is a song of misery reveals the sorrow, pain, and loneliness the speaker feels while at sea. Though the speaker feels these emotions, he is passionate about what he is doing, and will continue his journey. Interpolations also occur through the end of the story which causes the speaker to change how he views his exile.
In the first section, the speaker introduces his emotions through his word choice while on his present adventure. However, he tries to seek "comfort"(25) while he is crashing through the great sea with his emotions full of "sorrow"(15). Though he has been through many "hardships"(10), hunger tears at his "sea-weary soul"(12). The speaker is torn between what he …show more content…
This means that though he may claim the riches he is out to get, when he dies he can not take them with him. They remain here on earth and do not ascend with him. He seems to also hint on that he cannot choose how he dies, but he can choose how he wants to live his life. The speaker knows he can try to plan for a good future, but knows he cannot predict what obstacles he has to overcome throughout his life. He knows death lies ahead of him, but the question everyone wants to know, is, how will they die, and when?
In the sixth section, interpolation starts to occur. Consequently, this interrupts the whole story. Christianity is not mentioned throughout the elegy until the last couple of sections. The interpolations ruins the elegy because it is not tied in through the whole story. He feels like he lost his hope, and he mentions, only the weak survives. This is saying he is at a weak time in his life and that he will be okay. He mentions again, that everything is "stripped"(96) from you when you have breathed your last breath on
"The Seafarer", by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon scop, focuses on the themes of depression and passion. This elegy, which is a song of misery reveals the sorrow, pain, and loneliness the speaker feels while at sea. Though the speaker feels these emotions, he is passionate about what he is doing, and will continue his journey. Interpolations also occur through the end of the story which causes the speaker to change how he views his exile.
In the first section, the speaker introduces his emotions through his word choice while on his present adventure. However, he tries to seek "comfort"(25) while he is crashing through the great sea with his emotions full of "sorrow"(15). Though he has been through many "hardships"(10), hunger tears at his "sea-weary soul"(12). The speaker is torn between what he …show more content…
This means that though he may claim the riches he is out to get, when he dies he can not take them with him. They remain here on earth and do not ascend with him. He seems to also hint on that he cannot choose how he dies, but he can choose how he wants to live his life. The speaker knows he can try to plan for a good future, but knows he cannot predict what obstacles he has to overcome throughout his life. He knows death lies ahead of him, but the question everyone wants to know, is, how will they die, and when?
In the sixth section, interpolation starts to occur. Consequently, this interrupts the whole story. Christianity is not mentioned throughout the elegy until the last couple of sections. The interpolations ruins the elegy because it is not tied in through the whole story. He feels like he lost his hope, and he mentions, only the weak survives. This is saying he is at a weak time in his life and that he will be okay. He mentions again, that everything is "stripped"(96) from you when you have breathed your last breath on