Piers Plowman the A Version: Passus 1, lines 149-183

Abstract

Through the close reading of Piers Plowman in its original Middle English, I gained a stronger grasp of the material that helped me develop a translation that reflected my own views and beliefs while using language and vernacular that honors who I am and who I come from. This assignment was engaging and confidence building for me personally, but it also emphasized an important lesson in rhetorical writing that can be implemented in how we navigate everyday life: do things with purpose and be able to articulate why, whether it invites scrutiny or not. The scene from Piers Plowman that I chose to translate features the allegorical character, Holy Church, imparting the last of her nuggets of wisdom and knowledge to Will, the protagonist whose dream visions guide us through the epic poem’s deliberations on virtue, sin, and the pursuit of a righteous life. An imperative of my translation was to incorporate a specific dialect and tone that could resonate with audiences of different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences while maintaining the ideals of the original work that are just as relatable, over 600 years later.