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Langland

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

English poet attributed with "Piers Plowman," an allegorical critique of 14th-century society

Detailed Definition
William Langland’s dream vision blended social satire, theology, and calls for reform. He influenced Lollard thought. Poets cite him as a voice of moral urgency, the plowman-prophet, and the poetic conscience of a corrupt age seeking truth.
Example
Example in poetry:
Langland’s “Piers Plowman” dreams through medieval schemes of sin and grace; Poets study his alliterative verse, where Truth and Dowel converse; In allegorical fields, Piers tills soil where virtue slowly foils; Langland’s vision of Do-well, Do-better, Do-best inspires moral quest; His critique of clergy and court fuels stanzas of reform’s support; Though obscure, his meter lives in poets who seek truth through rhythmic gifts.
Additional Notes
William Langland (c. 1330–1400), author of “Piers Plowman,” wrote an alliterative dream vision critiquing social and ecclesiastical corruption; in poetry, Langland represents medieval allegory, moral urgency, and vernacular dissent—his work contrasts with Chaucer’s secularism; essential for understanding allusions to Dowel, Dobet, Dobest, or the quest for truth in Middle English and later reformist poetry.
Also Known As
William Langland
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