The book, Piers Plowman, and the poem, The Last Election, both use allegorical figures to teach readers morals and values. William Langland, the author of Piers Plowman, utilizes various strategies in the first chapter, or Passus I, to convey these teachings. Similarly, John Haines employs strategies in The Last Election to depict the concept of truth.
The aim of this essay is to compare and contrast the formal strategies employed by William Langland in Passus I from Piers Plowman and by John Haines in The Last Election. The chosen strategies may impact the intended meaning of their works. Can Langland’s use of language be connected to Haines’ themes or ideas? How do Haines and Langland define “truth”? Passus I incorporates various formal strategies to depict the concept of truth.
Piers Plowman, being a poem, undoubtedly includes various literary techniques that are worth pointing out. One such technique is the abundant use of alliteration, as exemplified in the following quote from Passus I, lines 109-111: “Taught them through the Trinity how Truth may be know, and to be obedient to his bidding – he bade nothing else.” This alliteration not only enhances the vividness of the phrase but also highlights the intensity of the emotion being conveyed. Additionally, Langland employs another technique called allegory to depict the concept of truth.
In Passus I, lines 85-91, Langland quotes: “When all treasures are tried, Truth is the best. I call on Deus caritas to declare the truth. It’s as glorious a love-gift as dear God himself. For whoever is true of his tongue, tells nothing untrue, does his work with truth, wishes no man ill, he is a god by the Gospel, on ground and aloft, and also like our Lord by Saint Luke’s words.” (Passus I, Lines 85-91) Throughout the book, Langland uses this method multiple times through the dreams of Piers Plowman. However, in Passus I, Langland showcases the authenticity of the truth allegory.
Langland utilizes the theme of Christianity as a literary vehicle in his portrayal of Piers Plowman’s dream. With each vision, Langland guides us through an actuality that Piers Plowman must traverse in order to discover the ultimate ideals. The paramount ideal presented is truth, which is exalted above all else. Langland firmly believes that truth should be embraced as a way of life, encompassing integrity while eschewing deceit. This emphasis on truth resonates throughout Passus I, as Langland employs various literary techniques to communicate its significance and its embodiment of an ideal way of living.
Langland emphasizes the importance of truth in the face of opposition, such as Lucifer and falsehood. He repeatedly asserts that truth is the most valuable treasure on earth, a concept that is known by both learned and unlearned individuals. This repetition of the term truth echoes the dreamer’s encounter with the Tower of Truth in the opening lines of Passus I. While Langland employs literary techniques and language to shape his definition of truth, it remains to be explored how it aligns with Haines’ themes and ideas.
Do the two meanings correlate in some way or another? Haines’ definition of truth is similar to Langland’s in the way that the truth is in opposition with a corrupt system that demands for lies, and slander. Haines’ is very direct in this poem. He suggests things we should do in order to keep truth intact in our lives. For example, in the final stanza of the poem, he writes “Each subdued and thoughtful citizen closes his door, turns off the news. He opens a book, speaks quietly to his children, begins to live once more. (The Last Election, stanza five, lines 21-25). It’s very clear that Haines’ is telling us to ignore the propaganda, or falsehood, we hear on the news. The politicians he talks about are false reflections of what we want to hear. Throughout the poem, Haines’ is repeating the word “no”. He keeps repeating this because he wants to show the readers that there is something wrong. “No more conventions, no donors, no more hats in the ring; no ghost-written speeches, no promises we always knew were never meant to be kept.” (The Last Election, Stanza Three, Lines 10-15).
Haines is emphasizing his campaign to eradicate dishonesty and defamation from the world of politics through repetition. The entire poem centers around the pursuit of truth, not just by politicians, but by society as a whole. In stanza five, he encourages us to disregard propaganda. However, in stanzas one through four, he asserts that politicians too must adhere to a realm of truth. Haines directly communicates with his audience by stating, “Even the president admits he has nothing new to say; it is best to be silent now” (The Last Election, Stanza Two, lines 8-10).
Langland’s language is direct and straightforward, revealing how both authors convey their beliefs about truth in their own works. Although their ideas are fundamentally similar, they are expressed within distinct contexts. Langland’s concepts stem from a Christian viewpoint, urging the dreamer to embrace Christianity in order to attain enlightenment and discover the truth. In contrast, Haines encourages readers to disregard falsehoods and uncover the truth independently, without any need for conformity to external influences.
Bibliography:
Langland, William. Piers Plowman. New York: Norton & Company, 2006.
John Haines’s book The Last Election can be found on the web.
