William Langland, a cleric who probably hails…
1377 CE
William Langland, a cleric who probably hails from the West Midlands, perhaps Ledbury in Shropshire, is the probable author of the great religious poem The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman, written in 1377.
Piers Plowman, as the work is known, takes the form of a series of dream visions described in the first person by the Dreamer, whom the reader identifies with the poet.
The poem, displaying a great emotional and technical range, concerns the poet's quest for Truth, the true nature of Christ's love, and the human relationship with God.
Included in the work is a spiritual history of humanity that provides a brilliant satire on the society of the age.