Life, Love, and Everything In Between

An excerpt from my latest essay

I'm working on an essay right now about the Old English Poem, 'The Wanderer'. Its proving to be quite difficult, but thats my own fault as i decieded to choose my own topic, and had it okay'd by the prof. Here is part of it:

Before a proper analysis of the poem may be complete, a full explanation of the terms elegy and stoic, and how they apply to Chrisitanity, are in order. The Oxford English Dictionary defines elegy as a "a mournful poem, typically a lament for the dead", Fulk and Cain seem to define elegy as needing to secularity (p. 181). This is in response to the question of why Dream of the Rood is not considered an elegy, as The Wanderer usually is. Obviously Dream of the Rood is not an elegy because, although there is an element of sadness to it, it is a symbollic narrative describing Christ's death on the cross. Is it possible that The Wanderer is very similar in that aspect? There are examples of elegiac thought throughout the psalms, for instance Psalm 84 when the authour laments with "My heart and flesh cry out for the living God" Is this an elegy, or possibly just a cry for God? Perphaps, in The Wanderer the authour uses the device of lamentation to bring about an emotional relationship with the Solitary One? Anglo-Saxon's were very familiar with the role of a lord and servant, and how they related to each other. Many OE texts deal with service to an earthly lord, so Anglo-Saxons would be aware of the feeling of loss resultant at the death and burial of ones lord. The "Anahaga" laments for a fallen earthy lord "freomægum feor / feterum sælan, siþþan geara iu / goldwine minne / hrusan heolstre biwrah, / ond ic hean þonan / wod wintercearig / ofer waþema gebind" as well as reflects on the days of old. The authour uses this to build familiarity between reader and "Anhaga". One of the largest influences on the text is stoicism. Stoicism is a philosophy originally from ancient greece and, as far as stoics believe, is a way of life and not just a meer philosophy. Richard Tarnas defines Stocism in this way: " In the Stoic view, all reality was pervaded by an intelligent divine force, the logos or universal reason which ordered all things. Man could achieve genuine happiness only by attuning his life and character to this all-powerful providential wisdom. To be free was to live in conformity with God's will, and what mattered finally in life was the virtuous state of the soul, not the circumstances of the outer life. The Stoic sage, marked by inner serenity, sternness in self-discipline, and conscientious performance of duty, was indifferent to the vagaries of external events. [sic]" From this definition it is clear to see that Stoicism lives quite atuned with the Christian life. The reason attention should be payed to Stoicism is because it had great effect on much of early Christianity. Thomas Hill explains that "Both Anlgo-Saxon culture, as well as traditional Germanic culture, which informed the ideals of the warrior-elite, were profoundly influenced by what we may loosely call Stoicism". This can be easily be seen because the Solitary One continually seeks to be emotionally unmoved from his current postion, evidence of this exists when he says "Wita sceal geþyldig, / ne sceal no to hatheort / ne to hrædwyrde, / ne to wac wiga / ne to wanhydig, / ne to forht ne to fægen, / ne to feohgifre / ne næfre gielpes to georn, / ær he geare cunne". This could possibly be the "Anhaga" reasuring himself with his previous teachings, teachings that are quite similar to that of Stoicism. He reminds himself to never become too emotional or let his life become effected by outside means, like money, or to become reckless in his pursuits. But how does Stoicism relate to Christianity? In Matthew 10:37 Jesus says "Anyone who loves his mother or father more than me is not worthy of me", this is the subordination of aspects of life that naturally effect people. In the book of Romans, Paul argues that "The 'law of the mind' is at war with 'the law of the members'", or that our minds are constantly fighting what we want to actually do. In 1st Corinthians 9:27 Paul continues to show Stoic teachings when he says "No, I beat my body and make it a slave so that after i have preached to others, I myself may not be disqualified for the prize", he is demonstrating that the desires of the body must be kept in check with the mind, or a warning against arrogance, which the "Anhaga" echos when he speaks of becoming too reckless in line 67. Therefore, with the examples listed previously it can be confirmed that the use of stoicism and elegiac lamentation are evident in The Wanderer and that they do not clash with a Christian doctrine.

Let me know what you think

posted by That Canadian Guy @ 3:35 p.m.