William Langland wird als mutmaßlicher Autor eines der größten Werke mittelenglischer Dichtung angesehen, eines allegorischen Werks mit einer komplexen Vielfalt religiöser Themen. Eine der Hauptleistungen seiner Dichtung besteht darin, die Sprache und Konzepte des Klosterlebens in Symbole und Bilder zu übersetzen, die für Laien verständlich sind. Obwohl die Sprache des Gedichts im Allgemeinen einfach und umgangssprachlich ist, sind einige der Bilder des Autors kraftvoll und direkt. Langland zeigte ein tiefes Verständnis der mittelalterlichen Theologie und eine volle Verpflichtung zur christlichen Lehre, wobei seine Kommentare zu den Mängeln von Kirchenmännern und Ordensleuten seiner Zeit mit seiner Orthodoxie vereinbar sind.
Ein Mann träumt von personifizierten Eigenschaften und Institutionen des menschlichen Verhaltens und fragt nach dem Sinn des Guten. Er trifft auf den guten Peter den Pflüger und korrupte Vertreter der Kirche und Justiz. Die Erkenntnis am Ende besagt, dass die Wahrheit das Beste ist, solange die Menschheit existiert.
The magnificent heritage of English poetry before Chaucer is often neglected because of difficulties with unfamiliar dialect. These translations reveal what we are missing if we ignore it. Piers Plowman belongs to the tradition of medieval allegory, but without any of the stuffiness that label suggests. It paints a vivid picture of everyday life in the 14th century with a vigour and detail which anticipates The Canterbury Tales. However, the jewel in the crown of Middle English verse is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, here presented in the classic version by JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings (currently being filmed). A wonderfully told story which combines suspense, fantasy, exquisite domestic detail and sensuality.
The book offers a contemporary English translation of the 14th-century Middle English poem "Piers Plowman," focusing on the A version, recognized as the shortest and most authentic. It includes comprehensive annotations to enhance understanding and is accompanied by an introduction that provides essential historical and literary context, enriching the reader's experience of this classic work.
Written by a fourteenth-century cleric, this spiritual allegory explores man in relation to his ultimate destiny against the background of teeming, colorful medieval life.
The first of its kind in Piers Plowman studies, this edition aims to establish the archetypal text of the B-version of the poem. The editors claim that this can be determined with certainty in the majority of lines by examining the relationship between the best copies of the alpha and beta families of the B-version stemma.
This book presents the classic work of William Langland, The Vision of Piers the Plowman, in a modern English translation by Walter W. Skeat. The Vision of Piers the Plowman is one of the most important works of medieval English literature, blending religious allegory and social satire with vignettes of everyday life. Skeat's translation makes this seminal work accessible to modern readers.
This book presents three parallel editions of William Langland's poem Piers Plowman, a landmark in medieval English literature. Edited by Walter W. Skeat, a leading scholar of Middle English, it provides valuable insights into the language, style, and themes of the poem, as well as its historical and cultural context.
The Vision of William Concerning Piers Plowman is a 14th-century Middle English allegory about the quest for a true Christian life. The Vernon Text is one of the three surviving versions of the poem, and contains vivid imagery and thoughtful reflections on the nature of social and religious life in medieval England. This edition features modern English translations alongside the original text, and provides valuable insights into the social, political, and religious landscape of the time. It is a must-read for scholars and literature enthusiasts alike.