One of the most famous poems about adventure is the oldest surviving epic of ancient British literature: "Beowulf." Written in Old English between A.D. 675 and A.D. 1000, "Beowulf" tells of the heroic adventures of the title character, a sixth century Scandinavian warrior. His adventures include slaying a monster, called Grendel, ruling as king and, lastly, dying in the defense of his people from a dragon. Only one original manuscript of this famous poem, whose author is unknown, has survived several adventures of its own, including book burnings and a severe fire that destroyed the library of Sir Robert Bruce Cotton; it currently is housed at the British Library in London.
"Invictus" is a short poem penned by William Ernest Henley of England in 1875 while he was confined to a hospital bed as a young man. "Invictus," which is the Latin word for "unconquered," glorifies the Victorian concept of stoicism in the face of known and unknown dangers. The last two lines ("I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul") are a testament to the author's idea of taking on all of life's adventures and hardships head-on, unafraid and unconquered.
In 1874, when he was 42 years old, Lewis Carroll wrote the famous nonsensical poem "The Hunting of the Snark: an Agony in Eight Fits." Through colorful language and by putting his characters in humorous, seemingly impossible circumstances, Carroll tells the story of the adventurous voyage a crew makes to find a mysterious creature. "The Hunting of the Snark" is a classic example of how a poem centered around a whimsical adventure can captivate the hearts of children and adults alike for generations.
According to the Myth Encyclopedia, the most popular adventurer in Middle Eastern mythology was the Sumerian king Gilgamesh, who appears in several stories and legends in addition to the famous poem "The Epic of Gilgamesh." This long, epic poem was written more than 3,000 years ago, making it the world's oldest piece of surviving literature. It tells of the adventures and heroic acts Gilgamesh accomplished in pursuit of immortality. The famous poem weaves several tales of Gilgamesh's adventures together to explore human nature and his values as he pursues his heart's desire.