My analysis of “The Dream of Rood”

In this poem, there are three sections that depict different aspects of the cross, or rood, that Christ was crucified upon. The first bit of the poem seems to be written from the perspective of that very cross, or at least the tree that the cross was constructed out of. The cross it speaking directly to the person that is having the dream, giving him/her/them a unique perspective on what it was like to have Christ be crucified on it.

Since I am a business major, I enjoy viewing all types of marketing and seeing how they try and be effective to their intended audience, so reading this poem from the view of a 10th century pagan gave me a unique perspective on this poem. The way that Christ is presented throughout the poem is put in a way that is very persuasive to someone that has never heard the story of Christ before. The brilliant use of pathos and the personification of the cross is the perfect blend of emotion that would and could convince a pagan to join the Christian faith. The poem also explains the whole gospel, which most would say is a required understanding if one is going to join the faith.