William Langland
William Langland (* approx. 1330 ; † 1387 ) was one of the most important Middle English poets .
Life
Little is known about Langland's life; his name can only be derived from the work Piers Plowman , which is ascribed to him . Along with the works of Geoffrey Chaucer , Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Layamon's Brut, this is one of the most important works of Middle English poetry.
It is widely believed that Langland was born in the western Midlands in the early 1330s . The regional origin of Langland can be derived from the dialect of one of his manuscripts. The text also contains allusions to the Malvern Hills , a landscape in south-west Worcestershire . The year of death can only be determined indirectly. A manuscript copy by a certain John But from 1387 contains an allusion to the author's recent death.
All in all, however, all information about Langland's life in the manuscripts of Piers Plowman must be taken with caution, since this work is an interpretation of dreams and it is not possible to clearly distinguish between the figure of Plowman and the author.
The earliest mention of Robin Hood by name can be found in one of the manuscripts of Pier Plowman .
literature
- Willi Erzgräber : William Langlands "Piers Plowman" - (an interpretation of the C-text) . Winter, Heidelberg 1957.
- Kathleen M. Hewett-Smith (Ed.): William Langland's Piers Plowman. A book of essays . Routledge, New York [et. a.] 2001, ISBN 0-8153-2804-4 , 261 pp. → Collection of articles.
- William Langland: Piers Plowman. New Translation of the B-text . Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-19-283646-3 .
- William Langland: Piers Plowman . Kessinger Publishing, 2004, 180 pages, ISBN 1-4191-4162-7 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Langland, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English poet |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1330 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1387 |