The Sea in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems Essay -- Epic of Beow

The Sea in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems Is the sea mentioned only in Beowulf or is it a common element in all Anglo-Saxon poetry? Is the sea described the same way as in Beowulf? In Beowulf there is one reference after another to the sea. When Scyld died, his people caried him to the sea, which was his last request, where he drifted out into the beyond on a death ship. In the Geat let down Beowulf, a crafty sailor, and his men shoved the well-braced ship out on the journey theyd dreamed of, to rescue the Danes from Grendel. From far everyplace the seas expanse, the Geats came, intrepid men who come over the sea swells. In his welcoming speech Hrothgar recalls that the wizards father sought us Danes over the rolling waves, and his warrior Unferth remembers that the hero struggled with Brecca youthful companion in the broad sea in a swimming contest risked his life in the deep water hugged the sea, gliding through the boiling waves toiled septet nights in the se a. A Dane was tending to every courtesy for Beowulf, for such in those days could a seafarer expect. King Hrothgar and Queen Welhtheow gave rich gifts to those on the mead-bench who make the sea-journey. In the Finnburh Episode, Hengest had to spend the winter months with Finn because he could not steer his ring-prowed ship on the cold sea. Guthlaf and Oslaf spoke of their grief after the sea-journey. The Danes carried Hildeburh, the queen of Danish ancestry, over the sea. The surging waters received Beowulf as he swam in pursuit of Grendels mother. During the battle Hrothgar and his retinue stared down at the turbulent water. Finally Beowulf returned, withstander of sailors, strong swimmer, to land. Hrothgar, i... ... beat across wastes of water far warmer to me are the Lords kindnesses than this life of death lent us on land. . . . The diddly-squat concludes with a rather lengthy prose exhortation to his heareres to fix their hopes on heaven. The characters in the Ol d English poem Beowulf certainly delighted in the seas. From this essay it loafer be appreciated that their attitude toward the sea is both conflictingg with and comparable with that expressed in other Old English poems. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexander, Michael, translator. The Earliest English Poems. New York Penguin Books, 1991. Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York Anchor Books, 1977. TheSeafarer. In The Earliest English Poems, translated by Michael Alexander. New York Penguin Books, 1991.