Piers Plowman: an introduction to the B-text

Abstract

Introduction: the poem and its author Langland's immediate poetic context Discourse schematic structure of the poem. Part 1 The first vision - prologue and passus I: literary Truthe theological Truthe social Truthe. Part 2 The first vision - passus II-IV: personification allegory mede and social Truthe mede and legal Truthe. Part 3 The second vision: passus V-VII: ecclesiastical satire theological themes - the reward of works, a wage or a gift? conclusion - the crisis of justice. Part 4 The third vision - passus VIII-XII: structure as determined by psychology style theme the inner dream - fortune, lewtee, scripture, Trajan deconstruction imaginatyf. Part 5 The fourth vision - passus XIII-XIV: educational transitions poetic transitions social transitions. Part 6 The fifth vision - passus XV-XVIII: Anima - the whole soul Anima and the Church Anima and charity - Langland's historical sense of the self and of charity the inner dream. Part 7 Visions six, seven, and eight - passus XVIII-XX: the sixth vision, passus XVIII the seventh vision, passus XIX - Will's Biblical Reading and the liturgy, the Apostolic Church and its crafts the eighth vision, passus XX.