Whether the first poem of the Exeter Book is in fact one with three sections or rather three individual poems has been the subject of much dispute, as has the question of the author. Even though Cynewulf solves this question for the second part with his signature, this does not necessarily prove that all three parts stem from this author.
But these questions are not as important for the interpretation as they may seem. "Most [scholars] agree at least that the poem is close to Cynewulf". And E.V.K. Dobbie states, "the question whether we have here three separate poems on somewhat related topics or three parts of a single poem approached from several angles, is a distinction with very little difference."