Authors: William Langland


"William Langland," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Langland at

Langland at Harvard

Electronic Piers Plowman (PPEA);
International Piers Plowman Society.

Images from Piers Plowman, C Text.

William Langland (1329–1390) wrote and rewrote The Vision of Piers the Plowman in at least three distinct versions. They are called the A Text, B Text, and C Text. They exist in 57 manuscript copies.

Piers Plowman is a dream vision. The genre is an ancient one. The dreamer steps through a landscape, meeting allegorical figures. As he progresses, he gains wisdom. The dreamer is seeking knowledge about leading a good life.


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