‘Dream of the Rood’ is a religious poem that presents a dream in which the cross talks about its journey from a tree to the crucifixion.
This alliterative verse of the Old English canon of literature is one of the oldest surviving works of Anglo-Saxon literature. “Rood” originated from the Old English word, “rōd” meaning pole. It is a reference to the “crucifix” on which Christ accepted his glorious death.