Approaches to Teaching Langland's Piers Plowman

by Thomas A. Goodmann (Editor)

Overview

A series of dream visions, Piers Plowman is a moral reckoning of the whole of medieval England, in which every part of society—from church and king to every sort of "folk"—is considered in the light of the narrator's interpretation of Christian revelation. The Middle English poem, rich and beautiful, is a particular challenge to teach: it exists in three versions, lacks a continuous narrative, is written in a West Midlands dialect, weaves a complex allegory, and treats complicated social and political issues, such as labor, Lollardy, and popular uprising.

Part 1 of this volume, "Materials," discusses the different versions, critical and classroom editions, and translations of the poem, as well as the many secondary sources. Part 2, "Approaches," helps students engage with the poem's versification, understand its protagonist and its treatment of poverty and equity, and discern connections to the work of other medieval poets, such as Dante and Chaucer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603293419
Publisher:	Modern Language Association
Publication date:	12/01/2018
Series:	Approaches to Teaching World Literature , #151
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	4 MB

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface xi

Part 1 Materials

Introduction 3

Editions and Facsimiles 4

Recommended Reading for Undergraduates 12

Recommended Reading for Advanced Undergraduates and Graduate Students 14

Aids to Teaching and Advanced Study 16

The Instructor's Library 19

Part 2 Approaches

Introduction Thomas A. Goodmann 31

Unliterary Langland? David Lawton 39

Practices of Reading

The Subject of Piers Plowman / Piers Plowman and the Discursive Ralph Hanna 46

"Lewed" Langland and the Delights of Difficulty C. David Benson 54

Versification Ian Cornelius 60

Repeating Our Agonies: An Approach to Teaching Langland William E. Rogers 67

History and Historicism: Contexts Then and Now

Postsecular Piers Thomas A. Prendergast 73

Piers Plowman as Theology: Pedagogy, Politics, Pastness Nicholas Watson 79

Hunger Bites: Medieval Malnutrition and a Pedagogy for the Overfed Madonna J. Hettinger 88

Super(Plow)man Gina Brandolino 96

Piers Plowman in Literary Dialogue

Teaching Langland and Dante Lawrence Warner 104

Teaching Langland's and Chaucer's Prologues Lawrence M. Clapper 112

The Early Modern Plowman in the Classroom Sarah A. Kelen 120

Langland and Allegory Judith H. Anderson 126

Topics and Tropes

Poetic Anxiety and Popular Culture in Piers Plowman Stephanie Trigg 132

Piers Plowman and Community Emily Steiner 143

"Mede Overmaistreth Lawe": Gendered Personification and the Imaginative Power of the Feminine in Piers Plowman Elizabeth Robertson 151

Translation Matters Thomas A. Goodmann 162

Curricular Contexts

Falling in Love with Piers Plowman Mary Clemente Davlin 171

Teaching Piers Plowman in Interdisciplinary Courses Richard K. Emmerson 180

Teaching the Play of Piers Plowman Andrew Galloway 187

Going Forth in the World: Piers Plowman and Service Learning Kate Crassons 197

Beyond the B Text

Giving Priority to the A Version of Piers Plowman Míceál F. Vaughan 209

The Pedagogy of an Oppressed Text: The C Version of Piers Plowman Kathryn Kerby-Fulton 217

Appendixes

Appendix 1 A Student Introduction to the Language of the C Text Axton Crolley 223

Appendix 2 A Sketch of the Clerical Orders Lawrence M. Clopper 227

Notes on Contributors 233

Works Cited 237

Index 261

Editorial Reviews

"As a whole, the volume is a very welcome addition to the resources available for would-be teachers and students of Piers Plowman, and a testament to the versatility and pedagogical creativity of the poem's many devotees." —Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies

"This volume offers an exceptionally rich variety of approaches and . . . has the potential to open [Piers Plowman] to many different audiences." —Sarah Powrie, St. Thomas More College

From the Publisher