‘The Seafarer’ is an Old English poem. It is an elegy. In this poem, the speaker is an old seafarer, who shares his experience. The speaker shares his point of view about life and shares the bitter experience of his life. During his sea voyage, he suffered a lot for winter. In winter, the water became ice. It was very tough for him to drive his boat. He was alone and no one was there. He was just surrounded by ice. In cold weather, his body became numb with cold. His physical condition was very critical. He was also very hungry. It shows his physical suffering. Besides this, he was alone, which was a great agony for him. It was very painful for him that he was far away from his family. For many days, the seafarer was going through physical and mental pain.
He said the men who lived in the land could not understand his sorrow. The seafarer said he had struggled a lot to survive in cold weather. For cold weather, the water of the sea had turned into ice. He was surrounded by the hoar-frost. It was very difficult for him. From the description of the seafarer, it is easy to understand how much he had suffered. While he was passing his days on the sea, he thought of people who lived on the land. He believed that the people who live on the land lead a good life. They can spend quality time in their burghs. They are not exiled from their own land. They can enjoy the sip of wine with their friends, enjoy food with family members, and they have no weariness in their mind. The old man thinks that land life is not full of hardship like sea life. The seafarer was very much worried about his condition. He was facing obstacles on his way. He was worried that darkness would set in and snow would fall.
The old man said there were no people around him. Even he had no companion during his voyage. Even there was no sound except the sound of slam waves in the icy sea. Only swan’s blare was his seldom amusement. Instead of laughing of men, there was the sound of curlew and the cries of gannets. Instead of the sound of the mead hall, there was the music of gull and scream of an eagle. The seafarer felt very sad that there was no friend, brother, or family member to whom he could speak and share the despair of his mind. It shows his mental suffering and loneliness.
In this poem, the speaker talks about his struggle while traveling on the sea. His suffering and hardship are highlighted in this poem. The seafarer not only shares his experiences but also gives his opinion about life. The seafarer believes that it is better to sacrifice his life for his Lord than lead a normal life on land. He thinks it is his duty to serve his Lord. There is no respect to lead a normal life. He is attracted by the sea. Though he has suffered a lot, still he wants to go on a sea voyage. He is familiar with the danger of sea life, still, he wishes to go to the sea. When the cuckoo sings, for him it seems very mournful. When he hears its sounds, he thinks it is better to go on a sea voyage. The poem ‘The Seafarer’ is the reflection of the life of the Anglo-Saxons, their culture and their experiences. For them, Fame was very important. The people who were brave, courageous and mentally strong, used to go to the sea. The people who served for the Lord and remained loyal had been rewarded by their Lords.
The seafarer believes that everything is temporary. Earthly things are not lasting forever. One day everything will be finished. The seafarer says that he has a group of friends who belong to the high class. All are dead now. He says that three things – age, diseases, and war- take the life of people. Even men, glory, joy, happiness are not forever. With the death of King and Lord, glory has gone. The old man also says gold is a precious thing, but after death, it does not remain valuable for a dead person. He says a dead person can be buried with gold. We can strew gold on his grave. We can provide all kinds of treasures in his grave, but these cannot help him if the dead person is a sinner. He would be punished for his crime. Gold can help us when we live on this earth, but after death, it cannot help us. It cannot reduce the anger of God. A soul of a sinner must be punished.
The seafarer believes that a person can receive God's mercy and forgiveness through hunger and thirst. The old man is actually seeking God’s mercy. He understood and realized that without suffering, he cannot receive the mercy of God. For this reason, he has chosen winter and separated him from his own land. He has led an isolated life and kept himself away from family. He believes for this suffering he would be able to receive mercy and forgiveness from God. He has decided that until death, he would endure every hardship of his life. He does not want to come back home. He has realized that death is near and before death, he wants to purify his soul.
Pagan believed in Fate. In Pagan religion, there was no concept of an afterlife in heaven or hell. For this reason, followers of the Pagan religion gave importance to Fame and Fate. Perhaps, at first, the seafarer was a pagan and in old age, he realized that fate does not allow him to stay forever. For this reason, he has converted to Christian and decided to keep faith in God.
Towards the end of the sixth century, Christian missionaries came from Rome. They converted people to Christianity. At that time, many Anglo-Saxons had been converted to Christianity. This is a contemporary image of Anglo-Saxon society that is presented in this poem.
At the end of the poem, there is a prayer in the poem. The Seafarer prays to God. He also praises God’s power. In this poem, the old seafarer not only shares his experiences but also gives us a message. He says that man is blessed who lives in truth. The person who lives with true grace shall come to him from heaven. He should be truthful to all people. He should treat equally to everyman. People whether they are friends or foe are equally judged by him. He also mentions Jesus Christ in his prayer. Jesus Christ is a Holy person. He sacrificed his life for human beings. He is the savior of human beings.
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