TRAVELLING AS A THERAPY: THE SEAFARER

 ANAGHA V

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIBg0wdqCag

During these tough times, it’s hard to find a ray of hope. World is immersed in uncertainties, and we are standing helpless. The relevance of a poem like ‘The Seafarer’ never goes out of place at any time. A major theme in the poem is alienation. We are social beings. We need other people in our life. Socializing is the essence of our survival. Therefore, living alone is not easy. In the poem, The Seafarer is taking up new journeys. He loves sailing. This journey can be a journey within or may be to ease his pain.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”

  Every human being has different reasons to travel. For some, it is a source of enjoyment, others it is stress relief. Some people travel to gain experiences while for some to learn new things. Change of atmosphere, meeting new people, making friends clearly has a positive impact on people.

The Seafarer is a poem that has the power to invoke the explorer in us. Travelling is a therapy for the seafarer. It is an escape from his inner turmoil. Reality is always painful. The readers are unaware of the real reason for his endless journey. What is he afraid of, which, makes him run like a vagabond? He is afraid of reality, loneliness. Loneliness does not always mean having no company. Sometimes one can feel lonely even in a crowd. Travel is a medium he chose to get away from the reality, to conceal his loneliness. Travelling is an escape for him from sorrows and disappointments.

     Throughout the poem, we notice his urge to travel. He even knows when it is time for him to depart on a new journey. During the springtime, when the flowers bloom, his desire to travel also blooms. When the cuckoo forbodes summer along with coming sorrows, he cannot help but move on from them. He says that his mind and heart is in constant desire to travel. Travelling is a relaxation to mind. A great journey can wipe out the miseries of human mind. It rejuvenates our soul and spirit.

source: http://www.findartinfo.com/english/0/1/art-pictures/page/278649.html

In the poem we see, diverse forms of agony the seafarer face. He endured so much pain during his time on sea. His feet were frozen, and he suffered hunger. When we are stranded in an island without the essentials, life turns hell. Food, water, air and shelter are our basic needs. When human beings are deprived of basic needs, they find it hard to survive. The seafarer was also in lack of all the needs for survival. But these sufferings didn’t robe his enthusiasm for exploring. He loves sailing despite the hardships he faced. Sailing heals his pain. For seafarer, travelling is not just a fun or a hobby, but an escape from everything that distresses him.

Loneliness was eating the seafarer alive. He was alone without any company. This prompts him to not stay in a particular place for long. He says, no one can comprehend the pain of living alone in a desolate place without any companion. Loneliness is like a virus that infects people in different ways. It destroys every organ in our body leaving us exhausted. The solution for the problems varies according to people. Some tend to turn their attention to movies, books or games while some go for a trip. So here seafarer took the latter option. He was feeling lonely in the sea. He was craving for a human contact. “Sometimes he would pretend that the calls of birds were actually the sounds of fellow sailors, drinking mead and singing songs”. This clearly reflects his degree of alienation. Therefore, he never stops wandering. If he stops somewhere, he is afraid that loneliness may kill him. He slips away before it can hold him.

 Towards the end of the poem, we come to know, he was also in a journey towards God. He believes in God and wants others to believe and love God. He reminds humankind that nothing is permanent. Everything is temporary and perishes one day. So, the only thing people can do is to do good, fight against evil, respect and believe in God.