Symbols & Motifs
Winter
The poem is set in the forbidding cold of midwinter: “A blanket of frost binds the earth” (Line 102). Winter, however, symbolizes one thing to the pagan Wanderer and something different to the framing Christian speaker.
For the Wanderer, as he walks along the frozen wastes of the sea with its black swells, the dead of winter symbolizes the dead end of his hopes, dreams, and joy. Winter embodies his dark interiority, anxieties, and despair. In turn, the cold suggests his “freezing heart” (Line 32), his isolation and loneliness, how he must live without the rewards of camaraderie and the support of his lord.
From the Wanderer’s pagan perspective, the winter symbolizes the harsh energy of fate and his helplessness (Richardson 1988) (See: Further Reading & Resources). His fortunes have risen and collapsed without his control, much as the seasons move one to the next.
For the Christian speaker, however, winter symbolizes the Wanderer’s last, best hope. Winter is a season. It is not permanent. And, although the actual movement of the seasons is beyond the control or understanding of humanity, move they do. Within the Christian perspective introduced in the poem’s frame, winter represents the hope of Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
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