What does the poem's speaker describe in the first stanza of "The Seafarer"?

The Seafarer, written by Ezra Pound, describes the physical and emotional struggles of being out at sea. The speaker describes having to endure the loneliness of sea-travel as well as the difficult winter weather. He says that the cold numbed his feet. Ice and hail pounded the ship. The only thing he could hear was the rush of waves and occasionally a bird's call.

The speaker remembers feeling quite isolated, describing himself as a "wretched outcast." He envied the lives of those who stay on dry land and longed to return to the warmth and family he might have there. The speaker describes having to sit up on a night-watch to ensure the security of the ship. His hunger, the physical discomfort of the winter sea, and his loneliness were compounded in these dark moments.