30 pages 1 hour read

Anonymous

The Dream of the Rood

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1996

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Further Reading & Resources

Related Poems

The Dream of the Rood” by Anonymous (circa eighth century)

Even though the original Old English reads very differently to the translation, it is useful to study the original to get a sense of the layout and structure of the verse. The caesura or mid-line pause is indicated by several spaces, and readers can see the original contains no stanzaic break. The power of the alliterative verse is also apparent in the Old English original.

Pearl” by Anonymous (circa 14th century)

“The Pearl” is considered one of the most important works of medieval English verse, and like “Dream of the Rood” is structured as a dream-vision. However, in “The Pearl”—composed roughly six centuries after “Dream of the Rood”—the allegory is more complex, and the Christian subtext is better established. “Pearl” assumes its reader is familiar with the New Testament and includes many deep biblical allusions. The English used in “Pearl,” though still different from the contemporary, is already vastly removed from the Old English of “Dream of the Rood.”

The Crosse” by George Herbert (1633)

Writing almost 800 years after the anonymous author/s of the “Dream of the Rood,” the great metaphysical poet George Herbert also grapples with the contradictions presented by the symbol of the Christian cross.

Related Titles

By Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Arden of Faversham

Anonymous

Arden of Faversham

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

A Woman in Berlin

Anonymous

A Woman in Berlin

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Bible (New Testament)

Anonymous

Bible (New Testament): English Standard Version

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Bible: Old Testament

Anonymous

Bible: Old Testament: English Standard Version

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

Anonymous

Diary of an Oxygen Thief

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Anonymous

Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Homeric Hymns

Anonymous

Homeric Hymns

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Lazarillo De Tormes

Anonymous

Lazarillo De Tormes

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

Nibelungenlied

Anonymous

Nibelungenlied

Anonymous

Study Guide

logo

One Thousand and One Nights

Anonymous

One Thousand and One Nights

Anonymous