Introduction
In ‘The Dream of the Rood’, Cynewulf (possibly the 8th century bishop of Lindisfarne) imagines the Cross of Christ finding voice and recounting the experiences that great Friday. Here, the Cross speaks of the Day of Judgment and the comfort and assurance the very thought of it brings to mankind even at that late hour.
NOW I bid thee, dear braveheart, tell this vision unto all men, spread the word that this is that glorious tree on which Almighty God suffered for the manifold sins of men, and for what Adam did long ago. Death he tasted there; yet afterwards the Lord arose to give men his mighty aid. Then he ascended into heaven.
Hither shall he, the Lord himself, Almighty God with his angels, haste again, to this Middle Earth on the Day of Doom, seeking out mankind, that he who wieldeth doom might declare it upon each and every one as he in this fleeting life hath earned it.
No man should feel unafraid at the doom that the Wielder shall declare. For he shall inquire who among that company would for his Lord’s name taste bitter death, as he once did upon that tree? And they shall tremble with fear, and few shall think of any answer they could give to Christ.
Yet no man there need feel afraid if he bear in his breast this best of beacons; and every soul that thinketh to dwell with the Wielder must seek the heavenly realm through that Rood, forsaking the paths of earth.
Freely translated from the Old English
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Earth. Feel. Once.
2 Earn. Realm. There.
3 Himself. Suffer. Tell.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Bid. 2. Breast. 3. Man. 4. Taste. 5. Earth. 6. Company. 7. Death. 8. Middle. 9. Day.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
tms (8+2)
atoms. items. tames. teams. teems. times. tomes. toms.
itemise. tums.
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