Comparing Poems The Seafarer And Raffel's

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Anglo-Saxons used storytelling and writing such as in the poems “The Seafarer” translated by Burton Raffel and “The Wanderer” translated by Charles W. Kennedy. In both of these poems, there are similarities and differences that show fame and fate, religious struggles and the cultures societal structure. The earliest of the Anglo-Saxon literature began as oral tradition tales ; later, Christian monks would often take those tales that had been written down and alter them as a meaning of spreading religious belief. However, these poems and stories were presented either orally or written. One can often compare Anglo-Saxon literature to find not only similarities common to the time period, but, also, differences.
Several common points can be found …show more content…

“Though woefully toiling on wintry seas”(The Wanderer 3). The Seafarer and the Wanderer both use harsh weather conditions to portray how they have cold emptiness in their hearts. “Diving through winter…hung on icicles”(The Seafarer 16). They both agree that you should not worry about worldly possessions because at the end of your life you cannot take the
Heaton 2 possessions with you. “A wise man…swept by the winds”(The Wanderer 66). The seafarer has hope as where the wanderer does not. “With treasures intended for
Heaven, but nothing golden shakes the wrath of God ” (The Seafarer 101). They are portraying how you should not worry about possessions you cannot take with you at the end of your life.
There are different points throughout both poems and stories that show several different emotions and struggles, “No givers of gold, as once there were, when wonderful things were worked among them and they lived in lordly magnificence” (The
Seafarer 85-87). The seafarer was put out to sea by exile to continue searching for his kin, where as the wanderer has lost his lord. The character just experienced a loss of his king and it forced him to go out and search for another. “Sad, I sought the hall of

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