Piers Plowman

E11707

Piers Plowman is a major Middle English allegorical poem, attributed to William Langland, that explores social justice and Christian spirituality through a series of dream visions.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Middle English poem
allegorical poem
dream vision poem
approximateCompositionDate late 14th century
associatedWith Lollardy
author William Langland
canonicalStatus major work of Middle English literature
comparedWith The Canterbury Tales
containsCharacter Conscience
Lady Holy Church
Reason
countryOfOrigin England
criticizes abuses in the medieval Church
corrupt clergy
social inequality
explores relationship between work and faith
role of the laity in Christian life
focusesOn search for Dowel, Dobet, Dobest
form alliterative verse
genre allegory
religious literature
visionary literature
hasVersion A-text
B-text
C-text
influenced English religious reform movements
William Morris
modern social Christianity
language Middle English
literaryPeriod Middle English literature
linked to: Middle English
literaryTradition alliterative revival
mainCharacter Piers the Plowman
linked to: Piers Plowman

Will
manuscriptTradition complex and variable
meter alliterative long line
narrativeVoice first-person dreamer
originalVerseForm unrhymed alliterative verse
setting medieval England
linked to: Middle Ages
structure series of dream visions
studiedIn medieval English literature courses
theme Christian spirituality
church corruption
grace
salvation
sin
social justice
true Christian life

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (20)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Middle English hasNotableWork Piers Plowman
William Langland knownFor Piers Plowman
William Langland notableWork Piers Plowman
William Langland probableAuthorOf Piers Plowman
William Langland portraysCharacter Piers the Plowman
linked to: Piers Plowman
Piers Plowman mainCharacter Piers the Plowman
linked to: Piers Plowman
Ricardian poets associatedWithWork Piers Plowman
A-text isVersionOf Piers Plowman
A-text associatedWork Piers Plowman
C-text partOf Piers Plowman textual tradition
linked to: Piers Plowman
C-text workTitle Piers Plowman
C-text hasAlternativeName C-text of Piers Plowman
linked to: Piers Plowman
C-text isPrincipalVersionOf Piers Plowman
Lady Holy Church appearsIn Piers Plowman
Lady Holy Church workTitleFull The Vision of Piers Plowman
linked to: Piers Plowman
Conscience (Piers Plowman) appearsIn Piers Plowman
subject linked to: Conscience
Conscience (Piers Plowman) allegoricalRoleIn Piers Plowman
subject linked to: Conscience
Alliterative Revival producedWork Piers Plowman
Book V (Vox Clamantis) relatedWork Piers Plowman
subject linked to: Book V
Winner and Waster comparedTo Piers Plowman