The Wanderer Comparison

Essentially a monologue set within a frame, this poem creates two personae. The anonymous author gives a brief introduction and conclusion. The Wanderer, an aging warrior, who roams the world seeking shelter and aid. The Wanderer’s monologue divides into two distinct parts, the first being a lament for his exile and the loss of kin, friends, home, and the generosity of his king. In nature, he finds absolutely no comfort, for he has set sail on the winter stricken sea. Poignantly, the speaker dreams that he is among his companions, and embracing his king, only to awaken facing the gray, winter sea, and snowfall mingled with hail.

Anglo-Saxon literature often expressed concepts of survival, battle, exile, male dominance in society, and loyalty to the lord. These aspects are strongly represented in both “The Wanderer” and “The Wife’s Lament”. Both elegies deliver themes of self-exile and the mourning of lost companions. Ideas of longing and alienation are present in these two Anglo-Saxon poems through use of figurative language, structure, point of view, comparison, and various other literary techniques.

The crucifixion of Christ is treated differently within the bodies of Old English and Middle English literature. The values of each era's society are superimposed on the descriptions of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Christ is depicted either as the model of the hero, prevalent in Old English literature, or as the embodiment of love and passion, as found in Showings by Julian of Norwich.

vastness of life and he realizes that god is there to look after him and help him handle his

gives him no hope of earthly victory, she does remind him that the gates of heaven are open to all;

The ability for dreams, friendship and attitude to positively influence one’s life is conveyed through the repetition of George and Lennie’s dream about “living off the fatta the land”, and the way in which Candy and Crooks are pulled into the dream, giving them all a sense of hope in the otherwise hopeless context. Penn’s Into The Wild similarly demonstrates the importance and power of dreams and attitude, using Chris’ dream of reaching Alaska to illustrate the drive it can give someone, whilst Chris’ attitude towards freedom and escaping his materialistic society are conveyed through his manifesto and the diction he uses when speaking, demonstrating the power this instils in him. Chris’ eventual epiphany about friendship is mirrored in Of Mice and Men where George and Lennie have “somebody to talk to that gives a damn” and gives them the drive they need to hopefully achieve their dreams. Whilst these themes are comparatively balanced throughout both texts, the fundamental ideal of freedom is however demonstrated as a polar opposite of each other, with George and Lennie striving for material possession and wellbeing whilst Chris longs to get away from societal dependence on materialist and consumerist ideals.

But there is salvation through Christ. In the novel, the protagonist and others travel to the most glorious landscape they've ever seen. They soon find that the land is so dense that it takes all of their strength to lift merely a leaf; the grass pokes up into their feet, making the terrain difficult to cross. The solid people of what we soon learn is Heaven promise that walking upon the grass towards the mountains "will hurt less at every step." It's understood that the mountains represent the city of Heaven, or an eternal life with God. Crossing the terrain is similar to the trials we face on our walk with Him; 2 Timothy 3:12 mentions that "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," but James 1:12 asserts, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Indeed, as the solid people continually promise, the journey becomes easier the closer the ghosts get to the mountains. In a similar fashion, our walks with Him become less tumultuous as we grow closer to Him, until our eventual deaths where we can finally be with Him in heaven.

When trying to comprehend a story one should always take note of the important aspects throughout the passage. There are various instances contained in the essay’s “A Way Of Thinking” by William Stafford, and “The Symbolic Language of Dreams” by Stephen King that have vital pieces that contribute to the whole message. Specific questions, words, and events should be identified when trying to develop a full understanding of the meaning. Stafford and King both illustrate the various aspects and ideas on how a writer creates. Stafford expresses his views on how receptivity and trust within the individual’s inner world help the writer create. Similarly, King depicts numerous reasons as to how dreams have helped him in his writing. After reading

The author lets us experience the conflict and choose the sides of the family that best describe our own sense of belonging. We become accommodated with the protagonist early on, it is the one dreaming for a better life...fortunately, dreaming about success is the motivation that keeps this family sleeping at night and working during the day. Its a story of a dysfunctional family that works together for a common cause, and

The use of symbolism is seen when the author discusses, “wintery seas” (line 4) which symbolizes the wanderer’s loneliness and isolation, because the sea is at a standstill much like the wanderer is stuck in his own exile. This is also expressed in the line, “a heart that is frozen” which not only symbolizes the wanderer’s isolation but also his inability to find a place that feels like home. Because of this the wanderer then comes to the conclusion that he feels most alone when he reflects over his life, but manages to outweigh that with his dreams of one day finding a home. When people long for the things they can no longer have it results in them falling into a deep depression, just like how the wanderer longs for a life he can no longer have which has resulted in his

The man recognizes how easy it is to surrender to the mirage of good dreams, where the richness of color and variety of detail provides a dangerous contrast to the grey monotony of both his and his son’s reality. Often, he awakens “in the black and freezing waste out of softly colored worlds of human love, the songs of birds, the sun,” (272). Those dreams are an invitation to rest in some nonexistent land. The man recognizes this as a dangerous temptation so he forces himself to wake up and face the cruel world rather than deteriorate in a world that no longer exists. His philosophy is that “the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril and all else was the call of languor and of death.” (18). Only bad dreams belong in his mind because all good dreams are a reminder of valuable days that cannot be lived

     In John Steinbeck’s “The Leader of the People,” a theme that is portrayed throughout the story is that of the contrast between dream and reality. In the story, Grandfather cannot come to grasp that his dreams of the West and moving across the plains are over and that reality has set in. Another story that contrasts dream and reality is Ambrose Pierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” In this story, Farquhar cannot tell the difference between dream and reality until the very last second, when he is hanged.

In the medieval period, the Old English elegies use unnamed speakers that offer similar descriptions of devastated landscapes and immense personal hardships. However, where the unknown authors’ of the Old English elegies often present smilier descriptions and themes across their respective works, they do not present similar opinions on larger concerns like religion and the role of community. This is a concept that is interwoven into the framework of the Old English elegies “The Wanderer” and “The Seafarer”. By comparing and contrasting these two works, this paper will argue that the unnamed narrators’ vivid descriptions of landscapes, circumstances surrounding their exile, and climactic perspectives on the earthly community function solely

In the poems “The Wanderer” and “The Dream of the Rood,” anonymous authors give way to the idea that an Almighty God will solve every problem a person has by doing two things: 1) drawing upon the memories of a warrior who has lost everything near and dear to him due to war, and 2) entering the dream of a man who has been exiled and isolated. Each piece takes its reader through the trials and tribulations that one may not relate to in this era, yet the reader is still there alongside the character wanting them to find peace with their world and themselves. Initially, it is believed that the characters will overcome their hardships and achieve the happiness they seek. However, as the reader delves deeper into the character’s story, there is an overwhelming sense of incompleteness. What actually happens at the end of each piece is not written in stone - telling us the story is not whole - nor has a conclusion been reached. The intrapersonal thoughts being shared with the reader reveal the obstacles that keep an overall wholeness from occurring.

In “The Dream of The Rood,” an unknown narrator dreams of a beautiful Rood or cross. The cross was the one used in Christ’s crucifixion, the most important event in Christian belief. The Dreamer described it as, “the most splendid tree” (4). In his dream, the Rood tells its story of Christ’s crucifixion. The Rood described the nails that are driven into its