The 10th-Century Mirror
Lines in Old English texts mirror modern issues of the human side.
Everywhere in our life there is weariness, misery, and decay of the body
(Ælfric’s homilies from around 990–1000 AD.)
Common themes from the timeless human.
And then, the 10th century elegy "The Wanderer" from the Exeter Book (Codex Exoniensis) tries on the relation of wisdom and experience.
So this middle-earth each of all days declines and falls; therefore a man can not become wise, before he has a portion of winters in the kingdom of the world.