William Langland

Not much is known about William Langland, the supposed author of Piers Plowman. In fact, even his name is just a speculation, hailing from passus XV, line 152 of Piers Plowman: “‘I have lived in land,’ said I, ‘my name is Long Will.’” Many critics consider this line to be a play on the name William Langland, though it can’t be considered solid proof. Langland was probably born around 1325 and died sometime after 1388. Based on the form and content of Piers Plowman, Langland likely lived in the western Midlands, near the Malvern Hills, though he was also familiar with London. Langland was likely well educated, considering his intimate knowledge of a myriad of topics, spanning from law to politics to religion. He probably was a cleric, although if he was married (like the narrator and dreamer, Will, in Piers Plowman), Langland likely served in minor orders. Alongside the unknown author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (known as the Pearl Poet), Langland is considered one of the greatest alliterative poets and a catalyst for the alliterative revival—an influx of works written in English alliterative verse in the mid- to late-fourteenth century. In his work, Langland explores some of the most pressing religious, political, and social issues of fourteenth-century English life.