He exhorts his readers to look to God for security. At the end of the poem he explains that he has passed many winters and has attained wisdom. There is also a discussion of the characteristics of a wise man the narrator lists several traits that a wise man should not possess, such as anxiety, braggadocio, and irresoluteness. In the second part of the poem he moves into a more general discussion of humanity as a whole he contemplates ruins and the destruction of manmade artifacts. He identifies with the fate of all lonely wanderers. He describes his solitary journey, contrasting the warmth and comfort of the lord’s hall with the vast wintry world he now inhabits. He endeavored to find a new lord but was unsuccessful, and now he wanders alone, trying to keep his melancholy thoughts to himself and gain wisdom from them. In terms of summary, the wanderer is a former warrior whose lord has died he remembers the fealty he paid to his lord, the revelry of his hall, and his “The Wanderer” is also read in light of the poetry of Boethius. The two have in common their solitary speakers, the theme of the decay of the material world, a melancholy tone, and the desire to find security in God. “The Wanderer” is often read in company with “The Seafarer”, and much critical work focuses on both of these poems. It is an elegy composed of alliterative metre that focuses on the wanderer’s loss of his lord and the subsequent grief and search for wisdom that accompany this loss. The poem is admittedly difficult in terms of the numbers of speakers, the relationship between pagan and Christian themes and influences, and the tension between the personal and the general. “The Wanderer” is arguably the most famous and critically-debated Anglo-Saxon poem, with multiple interpretations jostling each other for attention. It is best for a man to look to God for mercy, comfort, and, above all, security. A man who stays steadfast in his beliefs and keeps his sorrow to himself before he knows how to shape it is courageous. Possessions, friends and men themselves are transitory and “the whole world is a wilderness.” All of this was thought by a wise man. Life is difficult and everything is subject to fate. Darkness and shadow come, and fierce hailstorms frighten men. Storms rage and snow and sleet fall across the world as winter settles in. The warriors have been replaced by a large wall with serpents upon it. That time is now gone and it is in darkness as if it had never been. He who looked upon the ruins and thought deeply about life remembers the slaughters and asks questions: Where is the horse? Where is the man? Where is the one that gives gold? Where is the banqueting hall? Where are the pleasures of the mead hall? The wanderer remembers and laments lost treasure, warriors, and the glorious ruler. The “Maker of Men” laid the world to waste and the land was silent. A wise man must know that the world’s riches will pass away, buildings will succumb to frost and fall down, lords will die, their followers will disperse in death or journeys (one was carried off by a bird, another killed by a wolf). A smart male needs to not be hasty in speech, rash or unpredictable in fight, worried, greedy, or boastful.Ī wise man will not boast until he is sure in his mind and free of doubt. The world passes away and guys can only acquire knowledge after they have had numerous winters. The wanderer does not know why he does not experience darkness when he thinks of the warriors who needed to leave the lord’s hall. His sadness increase because he needs to send his heart over the waves over and over again. He happily invites them and after that enjoys them swim away once again. Upon waking his grief is much heavier and he remembers his kinsmen. The lonesome male then should wake to the dark waves, sea-birds, and frost and snow.
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