'Piers Plowman' and the Medieval Discourse of Desire (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature) [Paperback]

Nicolette Zeeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2009 | Series: Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature (Book 59)

This ambitious work links William Langland's great poem Piers Plowman to wider medieval enquiries into the nature of intellectual and spiritual desire. Nicolette Zeeman traces the history of psychology and its iconography in medieval devotional and theological literature, stretching back to St Augustine and Gregory the Great, and shows how an understanding of these traditions opens up a fresh reading of Piers Plowman. She challenges the consensus according to which the poem narrates an essentially positive 'education' of the will, and reveals instead a narrative of desire emerging from rebuke, loss and denial. This radical reading revolutionises our thinking about Piers Plowman, and sheds light on the history of medieval psychology, devotion, pastoral care, medieval textual theory and literary history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers one of the most stimulating contributions in years to Piers as philosophical poetry." -- Choice

Book Description

This ambitious study links William Langland's great poem Piers Plowman to wider medieval enquiries into the nature of intellectual and spiritual desire. Zeeman's radical approach opens up a completely fresh reading of Piers Plowman and sheds light on the history of medieval psychology.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (November 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521122988
• ISBN-13: 978-0521122986
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,379,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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