The largest assemblage of Old English poetry represents the gruesome Anglo-Saxon time of war; isolation; and disease. Anglo-Saxons commonly wrote their difficulties and emotions onto manuscript to cope with this arduous time. In A.D. 950, in particular, a scribe composed the Exeter Book brimmed with poems, narrative, and religious verse. The text was neglected for several centuries until its resurrection in the 19th century. With deep fascination, scholars studying Anglo-Saxon culture took interest in the undecipherable poems. Specifically, the poem “The Seafarer” in the literary work the Exeter Book portrays human endurance and reveals how God is the Anglo-Saxon solution to all challenges in life.
Humans encounter the challenges of troublesome factors, such as exile, like in “The Seafarer”, the protagonist endures a series of lamentable events. For instance, the water and coldness…show more content… The protagonist confronts this holy revelation and shares the impression of how inconsistency and sacrilegious acts lead to a damned death. As reported by Vickrey, “The Seafarer” shows heavy influence by Psalm 48 in lines 111-115 when “refer[ing] to a rich man's life and expectations of Hell after death with little emendation”. The preceding quote exemplifies how humans who have shown no sign of charitable actions shall mark themselves with a one-way ticket to Hell. On the other hand, if a human chooses the route toward religion, then approval by God and acceptance into Heaven shall be the ultimate reward.
In summation, the poem “The Seafarer” in the Exeter Book highlights the emotional capabilities of humans and reveals the key to ending all ultimatums is God. In the text, the journey requires the sacrifice of all entities and distractions besides the rightful connection with religion. With this life choice, the path to Heaven is an effortless direction to be closer to the higher being who provides eternal
