Episode 1 of 3 in the Series
Scenes from Piers Ploughman
Introduction
William Langland’s ‘Book of Piers the Ploughman’ is a late fourteenth-century dream sequence that tumbles together Christian reflection with social commentary much as John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ would later do. In Passus 18, Will has fallen asleep during Lent, and his dream takes him confusedly to Palm Sunday, a week before Easter.
LONG time I slept;
Rested there and snored hard till Palm-branch Day.*
Long I dreamt, of children and of ‘Glory, Laud [and Honour]’*
Of how old folks sang ‘Hosanna’* with the organ,
And of Christ’s passion and atonement* that rescued the people.
One like to the Samaritan,* and somewhat like to Piers the Ploughman,*
Barefoot and bootless came riding upon an ass, urging it on
Without spur or spear; sprightly he seemed,
Like the kind of knight that comes to be dubbed,
To get him golden spurs on cut-away shoes.*
Faith was sitting in a high window, and cried ‘Hail thou son of David!’
As does a herald-at-arms, when a bold man comes to the joust.
Old Jews of Jerusalem sang for joy,
‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!’
So I asked Faith what all this stir meant,
And who should joust in Jerusalem. ‘Jesus,’ said he,
‘And he fetches what the Fiend lays claim to — the Fruit of Piers
the Ploughman!’*
Précis
William Langland tells how he fell into a dream on
Palm Sunday, and seemed to see a large crowd welcoming a knight
riding barefoot into Jerusalem on a donkey. Will called out to Faith,
sitting high in a window, to ask what was going on, and was told that
Jesus had come to fetch the children of Piers the Ploughman.
(60 / 60 words)
William Langland tells how he fell into a dream on
Palm Sunday, and seemed to see a large crowd welcoming a knight
riding barefoot into Jerusalem on a donkey. Will called out to Faith,
sitting high in a window, to ask what was going on, and was told that
Jesus had come to fetch the children of Piers the Ploughman.
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1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words.
2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words.
3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, besides, if, must, since, until, who.
Word Games
Suggest answers to this question. See
if you can limit one answer to exactly
seven words.
Variations:
1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words.
2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words.
3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
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