Journal 8: Comparison of Two Elegies

The Seafarer and The Wife’s Lament are two elegies that share similar components. Both of the speakers had their fate decided by God. For example, in The Seafarer, the sailor describes all the rough experiences he has been through.
 He talks about how the rough sea has been harsh, but he continues to go back over and over again. He was sad about having to go to sea because of the lack of heroes on land. He preferred the sea over the comfort of land for this reason. His trips to sea are his way of mourning because of the passing of Anglo-Saxon values and traditions, but at the same time, he is excited at going to sea during the spring and summer. In The Wife’s Lament, the speaker is sad and distraught at the way her husband’s family is treating her. Her tone during the whole poem is sad and distressed. She also feels anger at how her husband’s family is treating her. She wails with grief as she is banished to the forest, but in the end, she calms herself. She tells herself that her husband is feeling just as much grief as she is. Both elegies share a similar tone, but the first one has some excitement and joy in it. Overall, both are sad and depressed tones.