AP English Lit & Comp Period 5
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
The Seafarer
Part one:
In a brief paragraph, respond to the following prompt. Be sure to include textual evidence to support your ideas.
After carefully reading "The Seafarer," what is the speaker's attitude toward exile, his own life, and the heroic warrior's lifestyle and values? In what ways do the poem's poetic devices reveal the poem's overall meaning or lesson? You may want to address diction, tone, imagery, shifts, and mood.
Part two:
In what ways might your reading of and response to "The Seafarer" connect to ideas in Beowulf? The speaker discusses aspects of the heroic code and the warrior's lifestyle. What implications do the speaker's ideas have on the character Beowulf, and what happens in the entire text, Beowulf?
Part three:
Respond to at least two of your classmates' post. You must engage in a conversation with their post. This means you should NOT merely say something like "I agree/disagree," or "you make a good point," or "I like your idea/that's a good idea". Instead, you should enter into a conversation the same way you would during a class discussion and offer new information in some way. You may connect their to some other textual evidence, some other idea in any of the texts from this unit, you may offer alternative analysis, ask questions and/or complicate some of their ideas, or respectfully disagree with their analysis and explain why.
LASTLY, be sure to read through your peers' comments and DO NOT repeat information/ideas. If what you planned to say has already been said, say something else. This thread should not be the same ideas over and over and over.
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Frankenstein/ Rime of Ancient Mariner & SUBLIME
Das Eismeer (The Sea of Ice), 1823–1824, a painting by Caspar David Friedrich The painting above depicts ...
Part one:
ReplyDeleteIn "The Seafarer" the speaker uses dark imagery and inspirational tone to expresses their belief in the detrimental effects that exile has on ones life and that the glory that one gains on earth will go with him to heaven. The dark imagery used throughout the poem helps convey the cheerlessness and loss of the hope in the speaker for both their future and mankind itself as a result of their exile. This loss of hope in mankind is evident when the author writes," the earth's flower ages and withers as now does every man throughout this middle-world"(Crossley-Holland 55). The speaker and all of mankind around him will wither and die, relating to the poem's overall message that no matter how noble or virtuous you may or may not be in your life, you are still subject to the fate that God has set for you. The speaker also shares his belief that the glory that one gains on earth will follow him into heaven through the use of inspiration diction. The speaker conveys their belief when they say," Wherefore each man should strive, before he leaves this world, to win the praise of those living after him... so that the children of men may later honor him and his fame live afterwards ... amongst the heavenly host"(55). It is important for a man to live his life among others and not in exile so that he can win this fame among his peers so that he can be glorious in heaven. This shows the speakers belief that the heroic warrior's lifestyle and values are very noble.
Part two:
The main connection between the ideas in "The Seafarer" and Beowulf is that in both poems, the speaker expresses their belief that the noble virtues are critical to a man and to his future happiness. The belief in this heroic code and that a warrior must live out his life for his reputation is very evident in the way that Beowulf acts. These beliefs are shown in the way that Beowulf does daring deeds on earth such as fighting Grendel and his mother to win the praise of those around him in hopes of fame in heaven. The majority of the poem Beowulf revolves around the actions that people do in hopes of winning this warrior reputation and eternal glory.
Emma Sheridan
DeleteI do agree that the speaker uses dark imagery to emphasis central themes in this poem. Another theme that uses dark imagery to emphasis its significance is that darkness can be the first step toward God and eternal life.
Based on your evidence in part one, I’m not exactly seeing “dark” imagery but instead “aging” or “dwindling” imagery. So maybe you could swap out the word “dark” for one of those or I think an even better word than “dark” that’s more specific could be “cold” “harsh” or “sorrowful” imagery. For example, you could use “My feet were afflicted by cold, fettered in frost, frozen chains; there I sighed out the sorrows seething round my heart; a hunger within tore at the mind of the sea-weary man” (53). I feel like this connects better to your set up in which you talk about cheerlessness and loss of hope.
DeleteWhen reading the poem I never picked up on the speakers attitude towards the whole world in exile. I though he was only talking about a select group of people. Your main message says that not matter how virtuous and noble you are, you are still in God's fate. This is a really good theme for the poem as a whole and I did not catch the speakers diction on death when I read the poem.
DeleteAlthough I think that both of your ideas are very good, I think that they should almost be separate paragraphs. The two ideas together do not seem cohesive. I think that both could be elaborated on and understood better if they were in separate paragraphs.
DeleteEmma Sheridan
ReplyDeletePart One:
In "The Seafarer" the speaker uses a depressing tone to emphasis that dissatisfaction in ones choices can lead to a life of sadness and restlessness. The depressing tone in this poem indicates that the speaker feels torn between his desire for stability and security and his restless urge to travel. This tone is evident when written, "I often endured a time of hardship, how I have harboured bitter sorrow in my heart and often learned that ships are homes of sadness" (3-5). The speaker was ultimatley left with sorrow in its heart and with complete dissatisfaction in its decision to travel. The speaker learned that the sea is filled with loneliness and sadness, thus making the speaker discontent in its choice. It does not matter all of the riches the speaker will gain in its travels, in the end it will still leave the speaker with complete dissatisfaction.
Part Two:
The main connection between "The Seafarer" and "Beowulf" is that in both of these poems, the people believe that having lavish and ornate goods will further and strengthen their relationship with God. Both speakers show off all of their riches and make an effort to have them to please the Lord. This idea is shown in the way that Beowulf talks to the other kings. He makes it clear in his speeches that he has a lot of riches and treasures that have furthered his reputation. This leads to Beowulf being boastful, inspiring some of his decisions in the future, such as some of his war strategies.
I agree with your part two response and I think we can even connect this back to the Christianity v. Paganism motif in Beowulf. Like you mentioned, people in both are enthralled with material possession (Pagan) and believe that offering them up to God will, in a sense, gain them a spot in Heaven. However, this is quite the opposite as it is the Christian belief that one leaves everything behind when they die so really your material possessions have no purpose.
DeleteI might be misunderstanding, but it seems from your part 1 analysis that the reason the speaker is depressed is because he is torn between wanting to journey on the open sea and living the typical glory and treasure filled life of a good warrior. However, I saw a different reason for the depressing mood. I felt that the speaker was feeling isolated and unhappy with his life out on sea, a result of being exiled. The excitement for the journey seemed to be a result of realizing that the benefits that were attributed with warriors (gold, glory, etc.) were simply temporary and insignificant after death.
DeleteI agree with your part two and the importance of riches also relates to reputation. In Beowulf, people use their treasures and accomplishments to increase their reputation. This is also shown when the speaker demonstrates a warrior's lifestyle.
DeleteI also agree with your part two and how important riches are in both poems. You discussed Beowulf a lot and how he loves out his life to get riches in hopes of getting into heaven, but how do you think that the speaker in "The Seafarer" will get treasures or try to get treasures to increase their reputation if they are in exile?
DeleteAllie Diaz
ReplyDeletePart One:
In “The Seafarer,” the author uses metaphor and cold, unfriendly diction to suggest the speaker’s attitude toward his lonely life of exile and to convey the message that a life of isolation can be extremely difficult. The author creates the metaphor of a bird to represent the speaker and his life of exile. He says, “the solitary bird screams, irresistible, urges the heart to the whale’s way over the stretch of the seas” (54). With the bird being a metaphor for the speaker, it becomes clear that the speaker is in agony over his life of isolation in exile. While he might be physically exiled, his heart yearns to be back on land with his comrades. Despite how loud he might scream, no one will hear him or recognize his existence as he is no longer apart of society.
Part Two:
In Beowulf and “The Seafarer,” both poems discuss the importance of fame and one’s reputation. The speaker in “The Seafarer” says “each man should strive, before he leaves this world, to win the praise of those living after him, the greatest fame after death...so that the children of men may later honor him and his fame live afterwards” (55). The speaker is describing one of the biggest noble virtues of reputation and how one should aim to make his name known to all the generations that come after him. Similarly, Beowulf does things for the purpose of making his name known. For example, he leaves his own country to go and fight the evil Grendel and as a result gained treasure, praise, and fame. Additionally, Beowulf is determined to kill the dragon, despite his old age, because he knows his time on earth is almost up so he wanted to be remembered as the king who defended his people till the very end, or at the very least, died trying.
I didn't notice how the bird is a metaphor for the speaker, but now that I see it I completely agree with you! I just went back and can now see that after his short burst of optimism on his exile situation, the speaker actually can't fully accept his state. He is trying to see the exile as a journey, but deep in his heart he knows that he still wants to live that prosperous and comfortable life back with his fellow warriors.
DeleteThe bird metaphor made me a little sad, thinking of how it's caged and nobody knows it exists; therefore, nobody can hear its pleas for help. For part two, i realized how the poems seem to portray the two, different ways a warrior can be - forgotten and remembered. It reitirates the importance of fame and rep.
DeleteI completely read over that line where the bird was mentioned. I did not notice, until you pointed it out, that it is indeed a metaphor for isolation. With that being said, I do agree that the image of a lonely screaming bird could translate to a fruitless call for help to be reunited with society.
DeleteNikita Rahman
ReplyDeletePart 1:
In The Seafarer, the speaker’s sorrowful, hopeful, and reflective tones demonstrate his different attitudes regarding his life in exile and the heroic virtues. In the beginning of the poem, the speaker describes his current situation as a man in exile. He uses words and phrases, such as “bitter sorrow,” “homes of sadness,” “sorrows,” and “cheerless heart,” which signify that he is unhappy with his life (53). He also relies of winter imagery to demonstrate this harsh, isolated life. He describes his feet as being “afflicted by cold, fettered in frost, frozen chains” and says he “endured a winter on the icy sea,” (53). However towards the middle of the poem, there is a shift from depressing diction to hopeful diction. The speaker starts to view his life in exile as a simple obstacle, or journey that he must complete to get to a better place. This is illustrated through the change of the seasons from winter to spring. He starts to describe his surroundings where the “groves burst with blossom, towns become fair, meadows grow green, the world revives,” (54). He also continues to talk about how this new life, youthfulness, and “the joys of the Lord” inspire him to set out on this journey (55). There is another shift from the hopeful tone to a reflective tone. The speaker begins to discuss the temporary state of life on earth. He mentions specific ideals and ideas valued by the warrior lifestyle, including fame; gold; glory; courage; and treasure. Although he says that these elements are part of what make a hero, he dismisses the importance of them by emphasizing that these are not long lasting. These earthly longings “are gone forever” and “the earth’s flower ages and withers,” (55). Whatever seems important and desirable does not matter in the afterlife, like how “the gold a man amasses while still alive on earth is no use at all to his soul, full of sins” (55). The speaker's final reflective tone in the middle to end of the poem especially suggest the speaker’s message: many of the heroic values, like fame and treasure, might seem of great importance of earth but are not significant in when one dies and enters life after death.
Part 2:
The Seafarer and Beowulf are both works based on the ideas of the heroic code and the potential consequences of not following the code. The speaker in The Seafarer discusses the most important parts of the code. For example, he says “each man should strive to win...the greatest game after death...so that the children of men may later honour him” (55). He refers to the constant determination warriors have to prove themselves and make a name for themselves. Reputation is what gives warriors their own and their family’s respective status. The speaker continues on to say “with daring deeds on earth against the malice of fiends, against the devil” (55). Here, he refers to the courage that is expected from warriors to fight and defend in the face of evil. Both reputation and brave deeds are evident in Beowulf’s journey as he is shown to be the strongest, bravest warrior. Beowulf arrives at Hrothgar’s with a long list of completed deeds, and is ready to aid Hrothgar in defeating Grendel, a form of the devil. His goal throughout is to build his reputation, which results in more glory and more treasure. He even goes to fight the dragon wreaking havoc on the Geats when he is old and, consequently, weaker. Although in Beowulf, there is a greater focus on how warriors like Beowulf strive to follow the heroic code, The Seafarer also examines exile that results from an inability to follow the code. The poem goes into depth of how a life in exile is a life of sorrow and isolation, in contrast with the luxurious and comfort and life that comes from strictly following the heroic lifestyle.
Another thing that I picked up while reading "The Seafarer" that relates to your part one is the connection between the shift from depressing diction of death and winter to new life and joy fullness. This reminds me of our discussions in class of the circle of life and is another way that the speaker portrays their hope. Although they are in exile and in a dark place, after winter everything gets better. This hope can be both the hope of getting out of exile or even the hope of going to heaven soon to be out of the darkness of the world.
DeleteI agree that he was a hopeful tone while addressing the speaker’s attitude toward exile however I feel he is more hopeful for death instead. The speaker says “blessed is the humble man: mercy comes to him from heaven.” (56). He looks forward to death as an escape from exile.
DeletePart One:
ReplyDeleteIn “The Seafarer” the speaker uses negative diction to demonstrate how those who are fortunate do not understand hardship until death. The speaker constantly refers to other as prosperous and follows with something they do not understand. “ Wherefore he who is used to the comforts of the life and, proud and flushed with wine, suffers little hardship”(Crossley-Holland 54). The speaker uses his diction to explain that his exile was cruel and he suffered greatly and those who live life carelessly will never fully understand the hardships he endured. Through the speaker’s diction, there is also positivity and longing that is related to the life he has lived on the sea. “He [the seafarer] thinks not of the harp nor of receiving rings, nor of rapture in a woman nor of worldly joy, nor of anything but the rolling of the waves”(54). The speaker demonstrates that his exile was miserable but his love for the sea and longing for the waves made him appreciate nature as a result.
Part Two:
The importance of treasures is the main connection between “The Seafarer” and Beowulf. Taking riches to your death is one of the greatest similarities that both poems discuss and similarly, all the gold a person acquires means nothing after death. The speaker illustrates that a warrior’s lifestyle is to serve and honor his King. Beowulf does exactly that and does it to increase his and his tribe’s reputation. Everything, in both poems, come back to your reputation, how much treasure you have, and if you die or live with honor.
I don't really get the second sentence 😂 However, I think he was referring to his "good ole' days" when he talks about his warrior life having a lot of amenities and advantages. I agree with the part that those who have not experienced that hardship will never understand how hard being in exile truly is.
DeleteAlthough the speaker does use negative diction, it seems to be a little bit vague. An example, that could work with you paragraph is patronizing.
DeleteI feel the connection could be more directly identified as the importance of reputation and less about attaining treasures. The author in “The Seafarer” and Beowulf both talk about the importance of maintaining your reputation and following the heroic code.
DeleteIt seems to me that he speaker in "the seafarer" is condemning taking earthly riches with you after death. So in a way, I believe that the views on riches and wealth in Beowulf and "The Seafarer" are contrasting. In "The Seafarer" the speaker says that the gold one accumulates on earth has no use at all to his soul. This contrasts with Beowulf because the Danes and the Geates seem to believe that earthly riches are taken with people eventhriugh death. This is exemplified in the beginning of the epic poem, when king Scycling dies and is placed into the water with his gold so that they both may "float away" or pass on to the next life.
DeleteAnne Cervantes
ReplyDeletePart One:
In the poem, The Seafarer, the speaker's diction creates a sense of iciness and coldness that demonstrate the emptiness and dissatisfaction of being able to do what one wants to do. The speaker constantly reiterates that being in exile feels as if one is "…afflicted by cold, fettered in frost, frozen chains" (9-10). His longing to voyage is portrayed by the "hunger within that tore at the mind of the sea-weary man." The tone in the beginning of the poem suggests the downtrodden mood of the speaker about his inability to sail out on the sea. Towards the middle, a reminiscent tone towards the life of a warrior portrays warriors as men who is used to amenities in his life (28). However, "on earth there is no man so self-assured" (42) which creates never ending longing for something (50). On the other hand, the shift from frosty and extreme coldness to blossoming and lively hope shows the how seafaring is what is important to these men and what makes them fill the longing they have (48).
Part Two:
A connection that is significant between The Seafarer and Beowulf is the warriors' desire for materialistic things and treasure. These warriors believe that acquiring a many gifts as they can will allow the Lord to think highly of them. The more one has, the higher one is on the Lord's list. This implies the importance of treasure to the character Beowulf. The importance suggests that treasure is the reason that Beowulf eagerly fights battles in order to acquire the golf and glory that come with it. Likewise, the similar view of treasure of the warriors will ncoirage them to fight for their Lords so they, too, receive gold and glory
The first sentence should read as, "In the poem, The Seafarer, the speaker's diction creates a sense of iciness and coldness that demonstrate the emptiness and dissatisfaction of NOT being able to do what one wants to do."
DeleteFor the first sentence, I think you should could use words other than "iciness and coldness". While those are the words that are written in the text to provide imagery. Furthermore, "coldness and iciness" do not seem like the appropriate terms for the sense trying to be conveyed. Maybe, "bitterness and frigidness", for example.
DeleteI really like your point on the shift. There is also another shift that follows right after the one from winter to spring into summer. It points out how although they enjoy seafaring in the spring, they then mature and realize that it feels as if they are exiled far out to the ends of the world when at sea.
DeleteEmma Sheridan
ReplyDeleteI agree with your part two. In both poems the desire to seek riches seems to motivate their own actions. All of these people seem to want to further their reputation by gaining materlistic goods and treasures. I also agree that they want these riches so the Lord will think highly of them. The people in these poems think that by obtaining these lavish goods it will get them into heaven. That is another motive in wanting to seek these treasures.
Part one: In “The Seafarer”, the author uses isolating imagery and a dismal tone to demonstrate the speaker’s attitude towards the harsh reality of exile and to convey the overall theme that exile is a worse punishment than death. The isolating imagery used throughout the poem infers that the speaker views exile as extremely lonely. The speaker says, “the solitary bird screams, irresistible, urges the heart to the whale’s way over the stretch of the seas.” (54). The author carefully chose the word solitary to show the loneliness and solitude one feels during exile. The shame and grief associated with exile brings so much dishonor to ones self and his/her family that many would often die than experience exile. As described in the heroic code and lifestyle, one would rather die honorably than live in exile. This shows the severity of the loneliness and shame one experiences during exile.
ReplyDeletePart two: In both poems, “The Seafarer” and “Beowulf”, the author emphasizes the importance of maintains an honorable reputation. In “ The Seafarer”, the speaker praises those who die honorable deaths and those who are back in society following the heroic code. He describes them as happy and joyful, in contrast to the speaker who had been exiled and is lonely, miserable, and knows no joy. The speaker uses such contrasting descriptions of the two lifestyles to show the importance of keeping a honorable reputation. Similarly, in “Beowulf”, the author shows the importance of reputation in society by showing the reason why Beowulf traveled overseas to help the Danes. The author says, “Far of in his homeland Hygelac’s thane, good man of the Geats, heard about Grendel; he was the strongest of all living men at that time in this world, noble and huge.” (61). In order to maintain his honorable reputation, zbeowulf travels far to help ride the Danes if the monster Grendel. Doing so, he gets to maintain honorable reputation while also gaining fame, money, and glory.
I agree that the speaker in “The Seafarer” believes exile is much worse than death but they imagery also demonstrates how the speaker’s heart longs to go beyond the sea, meaning he is tired of his exile at sea and wishes to do more.
DeleteI agree that the speaker uses isolating imagery and a dismal tone. I think you did a great job in showing us were the author uses isolating imagery but I think it would be good if you included more support for the dismal tone. I noticed that you did mention words like "grief", but it would make your statement stronger if you gave more evidence of the speaker's grief.
DeleteIn the poem "The Seafarer" the author uses negative diction when expressing the value of materialistic goods to help explain that earthly riches are temporary and therefore, people should strive to fear God. In this poem, the speaker comes to the realization that at some point, every person on earth will die, so the materialistic items that they accumulate on earth mean absolutely nothing in the long run. They speaker says, "The gold a man amasses while still alive on earth has no use at all to his soul full of sins in the face of God's wrath" (55). The speaker is essentially saying that when a person passes on to the next world, they should not be focused on the earthly riches that they cannot take with them, but rather, the sins on their soul. The author goes on to say, "Foolish is he who fears not his Lord: death catches him unprepared" (56). The speaker is stating that its is quite foolish for people not live a life in accordance with the will of God, because at the end of the day, He is the one who determines where we we end up after death.
ReplyDeletePart2
The "Seafarer" connects to the ideas of Beowulf in regards to the conflicting Christian and Pagan ideals. In Beowulf, we repeatedly see the value of accumulating materialistic items and wealth amongst the Danes and the Geates . For example, when the King Scyld dies, he is buried and sent off with his jewels and gold. This goes to show that unlike the speaker in the "Seafarer" the citizens in Beowulf believed that material items can be taken with you in death. Also, in the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is rewarded the gold after beating Grendel. This goes to show that materialistic goods were key elements used in honoring people and recognizing people. This connects to "The seafarer" because both poems have to do with views on wealth. In Beowulf, wealth can be seen as one of the most important values of society, whereas in "the seafarer", accumulating materialistic is awards is as pointless because they will one day perish. In Beowulf, it is fair to say that people live in order to accumulate earthly riches, but in the "Seafarer" the speaker urges to live in a way in which we can ensure we accumulate heavenly riches.
Hey Serah! I did not think to look for a connection between "The Seafarer" and Christianity/ a religious theme. Now that you have pointed it out, I can somewhat see it in the text. It is still a bit unclear to me, but I think it's cool you found something for part one that also has a prominent role in Beowulf.
DeleteI completely agree with the fact that Beowulf and the Sea Farer both discuss religion. I feel like you made a strong connection and gave justifiable evidence to support your thinking. When doing my comparison, I thought that the two poems were more similar in their beliefs but after reading your paragraph, I can see how they differ.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePart One:
ReplyDeleteThe speaker’s depressed attitude toward his own life and exile and his indifferent attitude toward the heroic warrior’s life and values, as revealed through the somber and blank diction, conveys the idea that exile is lonely, yet liberating. The speaker broods in their loneliness.The speaker says, “My feet/ were afflicted in cold, fettered in frost/ frozen chains; there I sighed out the sorrows/ seething round my heart; a hunger within tore/ at the mind of the sea-weary man” (8-12). The speaker expresses disdain toward their predicament as seen through the melancholy diction. The speaker ‘sighed out the sorrows’ they harbored because of their exile. The frozen chains around the speaker’s cold feet represents that the speaker feels alone like a prisoner cloistered and frozen as if he’s “frozen out” from society. However, the last two lines the speaker mentions the hunger within their mind. This hunger could represent anything that the speaker could not do because of the society that they were in. They are liberated because of their exile and have the opportunity to let their hunger roam free.
Part 2:
The society of the exiled speaker in “The Seafarer” significantly values material possessions and believes in the heroic code, as does the society in Beowulf. The speaker in “The Seafarer” frequently mentions materials whether it be gold or treasure, and one can see those same frequent mentionings throughout Beowulf. As far as the heroic code goes, the society in “The Seafarer” exiled the speaker because he violated the heroic code. He was neither brave nor present in a time when the lord needed him. In Beowulf, the society similar esteems the heroic code as seen with their often mentionings of courage, honor, and bravery in Beowulf whether it be in battle or not. The speaker in “The Seafarer” validates the values of the warriors in Beowulf. They put into context how serious the heroic code was at this time, and what effects violation of it might have.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteThe dejected and victorious diction in “The Seafarer” expresses the speaker’s negative perspective towards his life and heroic morals. The speaker first describes his life as one that is tiring, boring, and depressing which is evident in the way he describes his story during the spring time. The speaker describes how a man is eager to embark on a journey when the grass and flowers begin to grow but then follows up with a bird singing about summer’s arrival mournfully and explaining that some men do not know what it means to “tread the paths of exile to the end of the world” (49-58). First, spring is indicated in the plants blooming which represents the feeling of eagerness, what most people felt when they first tried something new as a kid. As he continues, the bird represents his own emotions on how he has grown and journeyed enough to understand that he feels as if he were stuck in exile while out at sea. As for his perspective on warrior values, the speaker explicitly states that a man should attempt to earn fame through his deeds before dying so that his name may live on for many generations (75-82). All this indicates his strong belief in earning a reputation because it will define you for an eternity and will matter much more after life.
Part 2:
The connection between Beowulf and “The Seafarer” is in their warrior values: living a victorious life. The speaker suggests that every man should attempt to live for great fame so that his name will be well known in the future through the tales of his heroic adventures. This is clearly seen throughout Beowulf since Beowulf himself is well known in far away lands and is associated with his successful battles. Besides Beowulf, the poem also includes this concept with other characters such as Wiglaf who is appointed king right before Beowulf dies because of his bravery and so he too strives to live a heroic life and succeeded.
How is the diction victorious? I like how you mention the heroic code. Your final sentences are very clear and easy to understand.
DeleteTesting
ReplyDeleteJeanine Hernandez
ReplyDeletePart one:
In "The Seafarer" the speaker uses cold, pessimistic diction and a melancholy tone to demonstrate his belief that earthly living is unsatisfactory, true joy and peace will come from being in Heaven with God. The cold diction used throughout the poem helps show the suffering and loneliness of the speaker due to their exile and separation from God. This sense of pessimism in the diction is expressed by “the dead with the many treasures he wished to take with him, the gold a man amasses while still alive on earth is no use at all to his soul full of sins”(Crossley-Holland 55). The speaker is telling the audience that life on earth, including world processions, have no worth in Heaven where God will judge you based on your good deeds rather than your treasures. This is important because it explains why the speaker has such a pessimistic view of his life, he understands that God should be feared because ehe will control your future in heaven by judging your soul’s heroic worth. This can also explain why Anglo-Saxon beliefs center around warriors being honorable and courageous; this will give then easier access into heaven and a life of joy. The speaker also uses a melancholy tone to convey his belief that Heaven is the only thing that can truly make someone joyous and that God will judge wether or not you deserve to sit by his side.The speaker conveys this when he say,"Foolish is he who fears not his Lord; death catches him unprepared.”(56). By stating this the speaker is giving a lot of power to God. He obviously fears God because he understands that his eternal fate lies in how God judges the acts he has done while living on Earth. This demonstrates that the speaker values heroic acts and a noble life because ehe knows that those are the keys into Heaven. Finally, this shows that the speaker believes God is almighty and life on earth is just the lonely suffering you must endure before reaching eternal happiness with God in Heaven.
Part two:
“The Seafarer” and Beowulf are both works that strongly believe in heroic code and the power of having faith in God. The speaker in “The Seafarer” discusses the how leading a noble life will lead to a joyful life in Heaven. For example, he says “with daring deeds on Earth against malice…[he will live] afterwards with the angels for ever and ever, in the joy of life eternal, amongst the heavenly host” (55). He refers to the the fact that in Anglo-Saxon culture, acts of bravery and sacrifice hold a lot of weight on Earth and ultimately in Heaven. This can translate to the idea that building a strong reputation on earth through good deeds can insure the chances of gaining access to Heaven. This connects to Beowulf because one of the themes revolves around the importance of reputation against the characters in the epic poem. In Beowulf, most of the poem describes the adventures and challenges Beowulf had to face and was able to conquer. This shows that Beowulf was a capable leader and hero. An example of Beowulf’s bravery would be when he went to the land of the Danes to fight Grendel, a monster described as a horrible killer, he was unafraid and even requested his troops to leave their weapons outside of the mead hall. Another way Beowulf relates to “The Seafarer” is through Beowulf’s constant faith in God’s will. Multiple times Beowulf has claimed that if he were to die in battle it was by the will of God; this shows his complete trust in his Lord. This compares to “The Seafarer” because the speaker also constantly brings us the idea that God has complete control over the future of men and wether they will be allowed into Heaven.
Throughout "The Seafarer" the speaker uses cold diction to indicate their displeasure with their life and exile to illuminate the theme that life without human connection is a horrible fate. The first stanza repeatedly uses words like "cold", "icy", and "icicles". Ice and the cold are typically parts of winter, which indicates bareness and lack of life. The seafarer, who is in exile, has no connection to other humans, making his life rather barren. The seafarer's only solace is that earthly ideas can not be brought up to heaven. During the middle of the poem, the seafarer admonishes other humans for being so obsessed with their earthly lives. The seafarer vehemently believes in heaven because that is what he has to hold on to. He firmly believes in abiding by the heroic code because he believed that if one adheres to the heroic code, they will be rewarded. In conclusion, the seafarer's attitude towards earth dwellers and his lack of happiness with his own life lead us to the conclusion that life without human connection in incredibly barren.
ReplyDeleteIn "Beowulf" and "The Seafarer" the effects of the heroic code are demonstrated. Grendel is in exile and is therefore bitter, like the Seafarer. Grendel wants to destroy the comradery that accompanies the heroic code because it is something he no longer possesses. This is why Grendel kills the warriors in the mead hall, because it symbolizes the brotherhood of the heroic code.
#1: In "The Seafarer", the speaker uses precipitous diction to create imagery and set a mood that shows how long-term isolation can lead to a despondent heart. The speaker frequently uses water-related words such as "cold", "frost", "frozen", and "icy" to describe either the speaker or the sea. Because of this, the audience visualizes the speaker and the speaker's surroundings as cold, desolate, and hopeless. Based on this description, the poem's mood can be interpreted as sorrowful and grievous. It can be inferred that the speaker's choice of words represents the speaker's feelings toward exile. Being isolated from familiars can make someone feel cold and lonely. It can bring despair to one's heart.
ReplyDelete#2: Anglo-Saxon values are reflected in both "The Seafarer" and "Beowulf". For example, loyalty to one's kin and king is very important. The lone seafarer longs for companionship with kinsmen to be renewed. The seafarer is also heart-broken that (s)he has no protector, no lord. In "Beowulf", the people's unbreakable bond with their king causes them to grieve over his death. It is implied that, as king, Beowulf has already formed this connection with his subjects. If they were to ever be exiled, they would violate their most sacred value and live a miserable life of isolation.
1. “The Seafarer” features a gloomy, depressed tone as a result of words that denote negativity, such as “grim”, “worrisome”, “weary”, “sorrowful”, and “wretched”. Because there is an abundance of such negative words, in addition to a pessimistic description of the speaker’s isolated circumstances, it is reasonable to claim that the speaker’s attitude toward exile is not optimistic. The speaker regards himself as “wretched and sorrowful”, which suggests that his outlook on life is negative and depressed. The poem amalgamates this gloomy diction with barren imagery of a cold and desolate environment, an environment in which the Seafarer exists in isolation. As a result of the poem’s employment of explicitly negative diction and detailed imagery, the text suggests that the Seafarer’s circumstance of isolation is not ideal for a human being.
ReplyDelete2. “The Seafarer” and "Beowulf" both function as commentaries on human connection and isolation. “The Seafarer” concentrates on the negative effects of a man’s experience in exile, which suggests that humans are inclined to surround themselves with people and form human relationships in order to live a content and satisfied life. "Beowulf" focuses on the importance of camaraderie, especially during scenes of celebration in the mead hall. After the warrior Beowulf’s emerges victorious from dueling Grendel and Grendel’s mother, the Geats and Danes join together for feasts of revelry and celebration. These scenes of companionship and happiness are some of the few during the text in which the kingdom is thriving, which suggests that humans thrive when fellowship is present. The Anglo-Saxon Heroic Code supports this emphasis on camaraderie because at the core of its values is the importance of loyalty in warriors. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf relies on his men to follow him in battle, while his men remain loyal to their leader, with the exception of the final battle against the dragon. Overall, however, the concept of loyalty crops up throughout "Beowulf", and suggests that human connections are strengthened when men are loyal to each other and are able to trust their comrades.