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The article discusses the inscriptions on the Ruthwell Cross, which forms part of what has come to be called "The Ruthwell Crucifixion Poem," which was the subject of research by scholar John M. Kemble. The similarities between this poem and "The Dream of the Rood." It is noted that in a paper written in 1840, Kemble failed to identify the speaker of the Ruthwell poem as the Cross. Scholar Pamela O'Neill and her rejection of the idea that the Cross speaks to the dreamer in the Ruthwell poem is discussed.

The Exeter Book poem, “The Wonder of Creation”, named in the standard edition “The Order of the World”, is at the centre of the paper. It is a much-neglected Old English poem, yet interesting intellectually, and often difficult. Vanity is important in it, idle lustas “vain desires”, are central to it. There is more in it than the negative teaching that all life is vanity, for there is hope of a better realm. The temptation of Vainglory, the seventh Capital Sin, worthless glory, is a theme in Old English homiletic literature: the wish for false joys is a vanity. That is a theme in Cynewulf's poetry and in the prose of the Blickling Homilies. That a life of prayer and fasting enables man to fight the devil is a serious homiletic message. Our First Parents experienced unprofitable desires. Original Sin is mentioned in this paper, but not every healthy, hearty meal shares in that fundamental theological concept. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper I apply current ecologically centred methodologies in the humanities to explore the familiar image of the bird-soul in The Seafarer in close relation to the real seabirds that are one of the most striking aspects of the maritime environment of the poem. Far from appearing as mere background incidentals, the poet's treatment of the seabirds we first encounter resonates with contemporary ornithological knowledge, and suggests that they feature specifically as species that best convey the ascetic trials and endeavours of the sea-going speaker who observes, listens to and names seabirds. The curious essence of seabirds as creatures that are always at home on the seas, and yet journeying to a home elsewhere, establishes them as what I term "native foreigners", a paradox that highlights the seafarer's conflicting yearnings and reflects the difficult earthly/celestial dynamic in the poem's perceptions of the soul's journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A criticism is provided of the Old English poem "Against a Wen," with a particular focus on its alliterative metrical form and rhyming. An overview of the cultural aspects of alliterative Old English verse in the 12th century is provided.

The article presents an in-depth analysis of the translation and literary elements of the anonymous Old English poem "The Descent into Hell," found within the Exeter Book. Introductory details are given describing the unpopularity of the work among scholastic circles. Topics then addressed include a listing of different epithets for God in the work, the poem's theme of God's love for mankind, and the translation of the adjective reþe.

The article presents an analysis of lines 2105-2114 of the old English epic "Beowulf," focusing on the depiction of entertainment within the royal court of Heorot. Alternating interpretations of the compound term "fela fricgende" are highlighted, pointing out their different thematic consequences. Further discussion is offered identifying the reference to "gomela Scilding."

A literary criticism is presented of the Old English poem "The Dream of the Rood." Of particular interest is the idea that Anglo-Saxon poets believed the human mind was contained. In this poem and others, including "Juliana" and the "Homiletic Fragment II," a treasure motif is used to associate wisdom and the mind with holy relics like the True Cross in the poem. The religious significance of dreams according to the Anglo-Saxons is also considered.

The article discusses the Old English poem "Juliana" by Cynewulf, with particular focus given to its use of rhetoric and the assertion of critics including Rosemary Woolf that it is an inferior, shallow work compared to the poet's earlier output. The poem's religious and cultural themes are also commented on.

The article offers poetry criticism of the anonymous poem "Andreas and the Fates of the Apostles," noting the meaning of the Old English phrase ēst ahwette in line 339. The author argues that the phrase means to make incisively effective, which is contrary to Germanic grammars and dictionaries as related by critic Kenneth R. Brooks.

The article reviews the book "The Aesthetics of Nostalgia: Historical Representation in Old English," by Renée R. Trilling.

The article offers poetry criticism of the Old English poem "Beowulf." The author examines the poem's depiction of two halls: Heorot hall and the hall belonging to the character of Grendel. He examines a problematic passage in which Grendel has displaced the inhabitants of Heorot hall and focuses on the main features of Grendel's hall, including light, space, treasures, and dryness.

The author presents a literary criticism of the Old English poem "Exodus." He discusses two sections of the poem, commenting on the Old English verb "hyrde" in one section, and the problem of an uneven meter in the other section.