The Seafarer

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The Seafarer is an Old English poem on folio 81–83v. of the Exeter Book can be found. There is extensive research on this poem. Often referred to as an elegy , the poem deals with topics such as this and otherworldly, happiness and the (Christian) way of life. An important topos is the question of the transience of earthly things ( ubi sunt motif). Most often, The Seafarer is mentioned in connection with a similar poem called The Wanderer . The two poems are largely identical in type and content, with The Wanderer being on a less concrete level than The Seafarer .

The text

The poem's lyrical self is on a boat on a sea, which is presumably in a northern region, because the immense cold of the surroundings is already described at the entrance. The lyrical self goes on to describe its sufferings, especially those of winter:

hū Ic earmecearig īscealdne sǽ
 winter wunade wræccan lāstum
 winemǽgum bidroren,
 bihongen hrīmgicelum. Hæl scūrum flēag.
 þǽr ic ne belongs to būtan hlimman sǽ,
 īscaldne wǽ.

Like me, poor and sad creature, in an ice-cold sea,
spent the winter
on the paths of exile
without compatriots / friends. Hail flew in storms
Then (at that time) I heard nothing but the growl of the sea
of the freezing waves

(The Seafarer, l. 14-19)

 

In a second section, the lyrical self begins to depict the transition to spring and summer. Here other creatures appear for the first time: Birds accompany the sailor, whereby the cuckoo as “sumeres weard” (guardian of summer) already refers to the coming winter.

In a second, more abstract part, reference is made to the Christian view of life. The only hope left for the seaman is the transience of the earthly and the infinity of the hereafter. Particularly noteworthy is the tension between the courtly world and the loneliness of the sea as well as the contrast between land and sea.

The lyrical me

In research, one is unsure whether the poem is a monologue or a dialogue. The apparent change of perspective from 1.50 to a more positive assessment of seafaring gives reason to assume that it could be a dialogue between an older sailor (negative view) and a young sailor (positive view). However, research tends to assume a single lyric self and thus assume a monologue. This thesis is supported by the thought of an experienced sailor who knows both the disadvantages and the advantages of the sea.

The Seafarer and The Wanderer

Usually the two elegies are mentioned together. The latter is probably a kind of abstraction of the Seafarer poem: Reasons for this lie on the one hand in the fact that The Seafarer describes the lyrical self much more concretely than The Wanderer . A second aspect is that in The Wanderer only a single line can be viewed as a concrete moment, namely the scene with the disappearing sea birds ( The Wanderer , 1.45–47).

literature

Primary literature

  • Treharne, Elaine (Ed.): Old and Middle English. c. 890 - c. 1400. An Anthology . 2nd edition Oxford / Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.

Research literature (monographs and articles)

  • Baker, Peter S .: Introduction to Old English . 2nd ed. Malden USA, Oxford UK and Carlton Victoria Australia, Blackwell Publishing, 2007. (General introduction to Old English with specific text examples)
  • Goldsmith, Margaret E. The Seafarer and the Birds , in: The Review of English Studies. New Series 5.19 (1954) 225-235.
  • Gordon, IL: Traditional Themes on The Wanderer and The Seafarer , in: The Review of English Studies. New Series 5.17 (1954): 1-13.
  • Greenfield, Stanley B .: The Formulaic Expression of the Theme of “Exile” in Anglo-Saxon Poetry , in: Speculum 30.2 (1955) 200-206.
  • Horgan, AD: The Structure of The Seafarer , in: The Review of English Studies. New Series 30117: 41-49.
  • Midgley, Graham: The Wanderer. Lines 49-55 , in: The Review of English Studies. New Series 10.37 (1959): 53-54. (Explanations of words / explanations of passages)
  • Mitchell, Bruce: The Syntax of The Seafarer, Lines 50-52 , in: The Review of English Studies. New Series 36,144 (1985): 535-537. (Explanations of words / explanations of passages)
  • Osborn, Marijane: The Vanishing Seabirds in The Wanderer , in: Folklore 85.2 (1974): 122-127. (Explanations of words / explanations of passages)
  • Salmon, Vivian: Some Connotations of 'Cold' in Old and Middle English , in: Modern Language Notes 74.4 (1989): 314-322.
  • Sisam, Kenneth: Seafarer, Lines 97-102, in: The Review of English Studies 21.84 (1945): 316-317.

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