The Dream Of The Rood Theme

“The Dream of the Rood” is a Christian dream poem written by an unknown author around the 8th century. In the dream, the cross, or rood on which Christ died, visits the poet. It tells its story of the crucifixion of Christ from its point of view. The effect of making the cross a character with its own voice in the “Dream of the Rood,” allows the author to express the cross’s heroism throughout the poem. In the biblical story of the crucifixion, Jesus is the sole protagonist and savior who died for the sins of others. Making the cross a character allows it to be the protagonist of the story, as well as the hero, alongside Jesus. Simultaneously, the poem’s style and composition suggests it is a tribute to Jesus.

Making the cross a character allows

In the original story, Jesus is the savior because he died for our sins, the style of the poem suggests that the cross was actually a hero as well, alongside Jesus. He speaks of himself and Jesus as heroes in the poem. The narrator describes the cross as beautiful and majestic.

The cross explains how it was produced, and dictates the hardships it went through. This struggle and beauty makes him a hero as well. In the first few lines of the poem, the narrator say the cross appears to him “born aloft, wound round by light,” as if it is holy. In the next line, it is “sprinkled with gold,” so not only was the cross up in the air and surrounded by light, it was sprinkled with gold, making it extraordinary. Before the cross begins to speak, the narrator describes the cross as the “best wood,” adding to the magnificent appearance of the cross. The narrator describes himself as “I stained with sins, wounded with disgrace,” which enhances the purity and majesty of the cross in comparison. The cross is so magnificent that the narrator feels stained standing near it in his dream. According to line 20, through all of the gold, the narrator could still the blood on the cross. This shows that the cross has a past, and naturally, we the readers are curious as to why the cross is bloody. Additionally, when he sees the blood, a symbol of pain and struggle, the narrator feels

On lines 45-47, the cross describes the marks on him from being nailed, because not only was Jesus nailed, the cross was, as well. Enduring this pain makes him a hero, as well. On line 47, “they mocked us both, we two together,” uniting the lord and the cross together. To honor it as heroic, on line 76, friends learned of it and adorned him in silver and gold, bringing the story full circle, an explanation to the appearance of the cross in the beginning of the narrator’s story. On line 80, “now the time has come where they will honor me far and wide,” while coming from anyone or anything else this phrase would seem a bit arrogant, what the cross is saying that this story will be told over and over again and that people will honor it forever. On line 122, the dreamer awakens and vows to pray to the rood and be faithful so that he could go to heaven. It seems like, in this poem, heaven is the best place you can go. So after everything the cross and Jesus went through, they won the “battle” because they ended up in