103 - 129

Question 1

What happens in this passage?

Answer 1

This passage continues the explanation of the theological consequences of the crucifixion, and dramatises the ascension to heaven, enabled by the previous imitation of Christ’s behaviour

Question 2

He ða on heofenas astag. / Hider eft fundaþ?

Answer 2

he ascended into heaven. He will hurry back
Enormity of journey emphasised by unusually long and involved sentence. Change from past to future tense alliteratively linked
Verb astag creates a parallel between the ascension into heaven and the ascending cross, spotlighting the importance of this icon of the rood as a symbol of Jesus, who was said to rule from the cross.

Question 3

þysne middangeard?

Answer 3

this world
Variation on hider

Question 4

Dryhten sylfa?

Answer 4

the lord himself
the delayed subject of the main clause is a variation on ‘almihtig God’, which is expanded on by the prepositional phrase ‘his englas mid’ (with his angels). These characteristic redundancies maintain the complexity of the sentence

Question 5

on þyssum lænan / life geearnaþ

Answer 5

previously earned in this transitory life
the latter phrase is pushed past the normal half line break which is typical of alliterative poetry. This allows the poet to develop the enormity of the ascension to heaven and the judgement of humanity,

Question 6

life geearnaþ?

Answer 6

transitory life
intertextual allusion as is a common theme in other Old English prose and poetry
This emphasises the impermanence of life on earth, foregrounding the importance of reaching heaven in order to receive eternal life

Question 7

hwær se man sie?

Answer 7

where the men might be
Switch to present tense
the subjunctive is dramatised, placing the reader in that scene

Question 8

deaðes wolde // biteres onbyrigan?

Answer 8

would taste bitter death
gustatory imagery recalls earlier use of the metaphor in line 100-01
the metaphor has a biblical origin, occurring once in each of the four Gospels and once in Hebrews.
preposition aer shows the importance of previous events as men are encouraged to emulate the behaviour of Christ

Question 9

Ne þearf ðær þonne ænig / anforht wesan?

Answer 9

There will not be any need to be afraid
Acts as antithesis to line 110, which it syntactically parallels
Acts as reassurance to man for their fears and hopes on judgment day, as long as they emulate the behaviour of Christ

Question 10

þe him ær in breostum bereð

Answer 10

who will bear him in the breast
which has multiple interpretations, as it could be a representation of the cross on the chest of man as an outward support of Christ, as well as an acceptance of Him in their hearts
followed by a superlative

Question 11

eorðwege?

Answer 11

earthly way
compound occurs in two other works - religious imagery of a pilgrimage of the soul suggests that life is a journey

Question 12

Gebaed ic me pa to pam beame?

Answer 12

I prayed to the tree
Line 122 switches back to the frame narrative, creating a stylistic disjunction

Question 13

elne mycle?

Answer 13

great valour
prepositional phrase is a repetition of previous descriptions in lines 34 and 60, which were used to portray Christ and the cross respectively. This creates a sense of progression within the poem and unites man with Christ and the cross

Question 14

maete werede?

Answer 14

with moderate company
litotes is a variation on ic ana waes

Question 15

langunghwila?

Answer 15

longing
can also be translated as grief or something much stronger

Question 16

wæs modsefa // afysed on forðwega?

Answer 16

my spirit was impelled to depart
the final poetic word highlights the strong desire to move to the next life as it is a locution for death, as well as the importance of the spiritual journey of the soul on Judgement Day. The desire for a religious journey is reinforced by the intertextuality of the noun, as it occurs in The Wanderer and twice in Exodus, emphasising how important this theme is in Old English poetry

Question 17

ana oftor / þonne ealle men?

Answer 17

once more often than all men
the dreamer is important as he has been put in a unique position to honour the cross, which he describes with the positive compound ‘sigebeam’

Question 18

How is the homiletic epilogue viewed?

Answer 18

This could be viewed as a homiletic epilogue with little poetic value due to the drop off of extravagant poetic techniques, however this extends the discourse surrounding the Cross itself, asserting the icon as a symbol of victory and a metaphorical retainer for Christ.