William Langland es el presunto autor de una obra cumbre de la poesía en inglés medio, un trabajo alegórico que explora un rico tapiz de temas religiosos. Un logro significativo de su escritura es su capacidad para traducir el lenguaje y los conceptos del claustro a símbolos e imágenes accesibles para el común de la gente. Si bien el lenguaje general del poema es simple y coloquial, Langland emplea imágenes que son a la vez poderosas y directas. Su obra demuestra una profunda comprensión de la teología medieval y un profundo compromiso con la doctrina cristiana, incluso mientras observa críticamente las fallas de los clérigos y las figuras religiosas de su tiempo.
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.
Piers Plowman is one of the most significant works of medieval literature. Astonishing in its cultural and theological scope, William Langland’s iconoclastic masterpiece is at once a historical relic and a deeply spiritual vision, probing not only the social and religious aristocracy but also the day-to-day realities of a largely voiceless proletariat class. E. Talbot Donaldson’s translation of the text has been selected for this Norton Critical Edition because of its skillful emulation of the original poem’s distinct alliterative verse. Selections of the authoritative Middle English text are also included for comparative analysis. "Sources and Backgrounds" includes a large collection of contemporary religious and historical documents pertaining to the poem, including selections from the Douai Bible, accounts of the plague, and legal statutes. "Criticism" includes twenty interpretive essays by leading medievalists, among them E. Talbot Donaldson, George Kane, Jill Mann, Derek Pearsall, C. David Benson, and Elizabeth D. Kirk. A Glossary and Selected Bibliography are also included.
This fourth edition offers a faithful reprint of the 1886 original, showcasing the enduring significance of William Langland's allegorical poem, "Piers the Plowman." The work delves into themes of social justice, morality, and the human condition through a series of dream visions. Readers can expect a rich exploration of medieval thought and spirituality, presented in a high-quality format that preserves the text's historical integrity.