The Wanderer The Human Condition

“Night exposes much that is wrong with human nature and reveals little that is right.” Discuss.

ICCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE POETRY COURSEWORK In the poems you have studied a recurring theme is that of ‘loss’. This can take many forms: death; identity; hope or loss of innocence Discuss the poets’ treatment of any aspect of the theme of loss in at least 6 of the poems you have studied.

A golden green field stretches ahead endlessly, pointing towards two great mountains with its straightly planted fruit trees. To the left of the field are three small cabins built with simple wood structures in rectangular shapes. Near the edge of a cluster of trees sits a large house, painted white

Visiting Hour Critical Essay A poem which explores the feeling of loss is ‘Visiting Hour’ by Norman MacCaig. In this powerful and moving poem, the writer uses techniques such as imagery, symbolism and word choice to effectively grip the reader and keeps them with him throughout the poem. The poem is

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.

When someone is face to face with atrocious acts and cruel treatments, any regular human being could transform into the meanest of brutes. The people who were tortured, abused, neglected, and or stripped of their very own dignity leading to self-preservation by any possible means necessary, even if it meant forgetting those who they love just to survive on their own terms. Because of this, there are people who also become desensitized towards brutality and inhumanity that occurs around them. In the Holocaust novel, “Night,” the young Elie Wiesel has succumb to a scarring fate; he has witnessed a countless amount of people being tortured, neglected, abused, and even killed, but he showed little emotion, he experienced many fleeting thoughts that raced through his head about how life for him would be a lot easier without his father dragging him down and he was relieved and felt freedom when

In Anglo-Saxon culture blood feud was a common occurrence and if left unchecked could leave an entire area devoid of people that once called it home due to infighting. To avoid furthering conflict one could also pay the wer-gild but if the murderer refused to pay the wer-gild they would be exiled from their society of forced to live on their own on the fringes of civilization. The Wanderer is from the perspective of one man who was exiled after a blood feud and this part of his story is critical to understanding the poem within the context of the culture it was written. However The Wanderer has a backdrop of blood feud and punishment by exile surrounding it but it is not by itself a poem that condemns either of those things instead it contends with the idea of wyrd or fate and how it is inescapable.

“The Wanderer” and “The Seafarer” are both elegies that reflect Christian attitudes in their own respective views. Meaning it seems that they offer two different levels off the messages being sent and how it is perceived. This essay will explain the Attitudes the Christian influence shows in each elegy.

There are some things that we do know about this poem. It is most often referred to as an elegy because of the mood of mourning and regret. Upon further reading I discovered that this poem is like others of its time period. Many

In the three poems “The Wife’s Lament”, “The Wanderer”, and “The Seafarer” from The Exeter Book, it’s clear that travel and exile are recurring and important themes. Is there a possibility that these themes and elements have a significance that goes above and beyond their literal meaning? Though they may experience it differently, all three of the speakers from these poems in The Exeter Book deal with the great pain of exile, or being driven out, resulting in the need or desire for travel. This takes place due to the fact exile was one of the most tragic fates that an anglo-saxon man or woman could endure at the time. It makes sense that these themes would play a huge part in these poems because during this time period, exile was the

"The Wanderer" is both a lament for all the things the speaker – and people more generally – have lost, and also a reflection on what wise men learn from their life experiences. With this dynamic duo, "The Wanderer" combines parts of two traditional genres of Old English poetry: the elegy, or lament, and the wisdom poem. These two genres aren't unrelated, since Anglo-Saxon poets believed that

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

Poetry Analysis Essay The poem that I have selected for this essay is “Talking to Grief” by Denise Levertov. I chose this poem because it talks about grief. It also talks about the place that grief should have in a person’s life. The poem describes grief, and compares it to a “homeless dog.” It also describes how a dog deserves its own place in the house, instead of living under a porch or being homeless. This poem talks about how a person can be aware that grief is present, but that it is not always acknowledged and accepted. We all experience grief in different ways, and for different reasons. Everyone deals with grief in their own personal way. This poem describes a point in a person’s life when they are ready to accept grief as a part of their life

Throughout the history of British Literature, there have always been the themes of loneliness, torment or exile. Many times authors speak from their experiences and at times those experiences have to do with misery and discomfort with their lifestyles. In the Renaissance age, times were not always happy and people chose to pass on stories generation to generation to reveal their feelings and experiences. Poems made a great impact in easing the pain. In the poems, "The Seafarer" and "The Wanderer", the themes of loneliness and exile exist throughout both of the poems. The unknown authors portray the two themes through detail and emotion.

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.