The Vision of Piers the Plowman (Warren translation)

William Langland’s Vision of Piers the Plowman is one of the Early English poems that may well appeal to many other readers than the professed student of literature. It will ever be attractive to those who care for a vivid account of certain phases of life in England at one of the important periods of her social history ; but, beyond this, Langland's work touches some of the keenest interests of our own day. In its picture of the life of the labourer, and its protest against the oppression of the poor by the rich and powerful, it connects itself with that impelling desire for social reform which, in many and various ways, is now striving to express itself, not only in England, but all over Europe. Again, the plain moral purpose of the poem ---to uphold the value of the good life, and the evil of its opposite -- links it somewhat to the modem interest in ethics, while the realistic treatment of certain portions of its subject matter may commend it to the prevailing taste of the day in literature. Moreover, the deep humanity and living earnestness of Langland's work cannot fail to be felt by every reader. (from the Introduction by Kate. M. Warren)

Ms. Warren translates the poem's Prologue and first Vision from Middle English into modern English prose, while retaining the original's freshness, vigor, and alliterative charm.
- Summary by Patrick Randall (4 hr 37 min)