Another name for this poem might be "A Vision of the Cross." It is a dream-vision poem, in which the narrator falls asleep and has a dream, always allegorical, and then awakens.
The poem may be one of the earliest poems in OE (Old English), datable because parts of it are quoted, in runic letters, on the Ruthwell Cross, which is dated by its features to the middle of the 7th century CE.
However, some scholars think that the runic quotations from "The Dream of the Rood" were added much later, and that the poem is also much later, perhaps the 10th century (900 - 1000 CE).
Read the poem carefully, pp. 49-52 in our textbook. Also read the short introductory material on p. 49.
The Old English test of the poem is here. It's useful to be able to consult it.
Read the Wikipedia page on the Dream of the Rood.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of the poem is the intertwining of Germanic heroic and, presumably, pre-Christian elements with the Christian elements. Bear in mind that this poem too was composed by some unknown Christian monk as a pious and godly act, as specified by the Rule of St. Benedict. The Franks Casket is an example of the combining of Germanic, Roman, and Christian stories in a work that is ultimately Christian but clearly meant to instruct the "reader" (viewer) that the Germanic and Roman elements are to be read as allegories of Christian truths. Something like Beowulf, perhaps?
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Assignment: Write 300 words on how traditional, pre-Christian, heroic elements are combined with the Christian elements.