"The Seafarer" is an Anglo-Saxon poem which is narrated by a seafaring man who tries to explain why why he loves the sea despite the horrible hardships he has to endure there.
The opening lines of the poem make it clear that life at sea is a miserable thing. He experiences "sorrow and fear and pain" on every ship and in every port (which is many), and he has experienced the "smashing surf" as he
sweated in the cold
Of an anxious watch, perched in the bow
As it dashed under cliffs.
As he keeps watch, his
feet were cast
In icy bands, bound with frost,
With frozen chains, and hardship groaned
Around my heart.
As difficult as the...
(The entire section contains 348 words.)
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