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Saxon Gold: Finding the Hoard

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BBC Documentary: "The Seven Ages of Britain: The Age of Conquest"

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BBC Documentary: "The Seven Ages of Britain: The Age of Conquest"

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From the Roman invasion to the Norman Conquest in 1066

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BBC - Seven Ages of Britain 1/7 Age of Conquest

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Seamus Heaney reading his translation of Beowulf (Part 2)

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Seamus Heaney reading his translation of Beowulf (Part 2)

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Seamus Heaney reading his translation of Beowulf (Part I)

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Seamus Heaney reading his translation of Beowulf (Part I)

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Irreverent but rather thorough guide to the Anglo-Saxon epic

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Use our free chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis of Beowulf. It helps middle and high school students understand Unknown's literary masterpiece.

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Definition and examples

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© 2019 Shmoop University, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Definition and examples

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You can create pauses in a lot of ways, but the most obvious is to use punctuation like a period, comma, or semicolon. So if you see one of those smack dab in the middle of a line of poetry, chances are you're looking at a caesura.

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More Information on "The Dream of the Rood"

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More Information on "The Dream of the Rood"

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More background information that might be useful as you read this beautiful poem

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The Dream of the Rood is one of the earliest Christian poems in the corpus of Old English literature and an example of the genre of dream poetry. Like most Old English poetry, it is written in alliterative verse. Rood is from the Old English word rod 'pole', or more specifically 'crucifix'. Preserved in the 10th century Vercelli Book, the poem may be considerably older, even one of the oldest works of Old English literature.

Background information

A part of The Dream of the Rood can be found on the 8th century Ruthwell Cross, which was an 18 feet (5.5 m), free standing Anglo-Saxon cross that was perhaps intended as a 'conversion tool'. At each side of the vine-tracery are carved runes. On the cross there is an excerpt that was written in runes along with scenes of Jesus healing the blind, the Annunciation and the story of Egypt. Although it was torn down and destroyed during a Protestant revolt, it was reconstructed as much as possible after the fear of iconography passed. Fortunately during that time of religious unrest, those words that were in the runes were still protected in the Vercelli Book, so called because the book is kept in the Italian city of Vercelli. The Vercelli Book, which can be dated to the 10th century, includes twenty-three homilies interspersed with six poems: The Dream of the Rood, Andreas, The Fates of the Apostles, Soul and Body, Elene and a poetic, homiletic fragment.

Possible authorship

The author of Dream of the Rood is unknown, but by knowing the approximate date of the Ruthwell Cross, scholars have been able to suggest possible authors. These include the Anglo-Saxon poets Cædmon and Cynewulf.

The poem is set up with the narrator having a dream. In this dream or vision he is speaking to the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. The poem itself is divided up into three separate sections: the first part (ll. 1-27), the second part (ll. 28-121) and the third part (ll. 122-156). In section one, the narrator has a vision of the Cross. Initially when the dreamer sees the Cross, he notes how it is covered with gems. He is aware of how wretched he is compared to how glorious the tree is. However, he comes to see that amidst the beautiful stones it is stained with blood. In section two, the Cross shares its account of Jesus' death. The Crucifixion story is told from the perspective of the Cross. It begins with the enemy coming to cut the tree down and carrying it away. The tree learns that it is not to be the bearer of a criminal, but instead Christ crucified. The Lord and the Cross become one, and they stand together as victors, refusing to fall, taking on insurmountable pain for the sake of mankind. It is not just Christ, but the Cross as well that is pierced with nails. Adelhied L. J. Thieme remarks, "The cross itself is portrayed as his lord's retainer whose most outstanding characteristic is that of unwavering loyalty". The Rood and Christ are one in the portrayal of the Passion-they are both pierced with nails, mocked and tortured. Then, just as with Christ, the Cross is resurrected, and adorned with gold and silver. It is honoured above all trees just as Jesus is honoured above all men. The Cross then charges the visionary to share all that he has seen with others. In section three, the author gives his reflections about this vision. The vision ends, and the man is left with his thoughts. He gives praise to God for what he has seen and is filled with hope for eternal life and his desire to once again be near the glorious Cross.

Additional information on "Dream of the Rood" can be found here.

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The Dream of the Rood is one of the earliest Christian poems in the corpus of Old English literature and an example of the genre of dream poetry. Like most Old English poetry, it is written in alliterative verse. Rood is from the Old English word rod 'pole', or more specifically 'crucifix'.

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This video provides a brief introduction and features the 7th Century Ruthwell Cross on which the "Dream of the Rood" is carved. The audio provides the Old English while the modern English translation is shown on the screen--an effective presentation.

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The Dream of the Rood - Anglo-Saxon Old English poem - Ruthwell Cross

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Video Introductory Lecture to Anglo-Saxon Period

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Video Introductory Lecture to Anglo-Saxon Period

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If you feel you need some more historical background...

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Irreverent but useful look at the Anglo-Saxon poem

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The Wife's Lament by . The Wife's Lament Learning Guide by PhD students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley

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Audio translation of the Anglo-Saxon poem

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Irreverent but useful guide to the Anglo-Saxon poem

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The Seafarer by Anonymous. The Seafarer Learning Guide by PhD students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley

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"The Seafarer" --Ezra Pound's Translation

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"The Seafarer" --Ezra Pound's Translation

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This video contains Ezra Pound's translation of the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Seafarer." It is a bit different from the translation you have in the module, but you can certainly follow along and get a feel for how different translators recreate the poem.

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The Seafarer - Ezra Pound Translation of Old English Anglo-Saxon Poem

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An irreverent but useful look at the poem from Shmoop

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The Wanderer by Anonymous. The Wanderer Learning Guide by PhD students from Stanford, Harvard, Berkeley

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A taste of the Old English flavor of this beautiful Anglo-Saxon elegy...

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The Wanderer (Anglo-Saxon poem, Old English)

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An audio of an English translation of the Anglo-Saxon elegy