Keyword: «the doctrine of poverty»

The object of the study is the allegorical poem by W. Langland "Visions of Peter the Plowman" as a reflection of the socio-cultural life of the modern era of the author. The key historical events are analyzed, as well as the activities of historical figures and representatives of philosophical and spiritual thought who had a decisive influence on the originality of the state structure of England in the XIV century, the structure of the church, the development of culture, religious thought and literature. It is concluded that the historical and cultural situation that developed in England in the XIV century contributed to the beginning and formation of the process of ethno-cultural self-identification, which led to the flourishing of fiction in English. It is noted that the development of poetry has reached a colossal level, which has a huge impact on the formation of national poetic traditions that embodied the religious and philosophical ideas of the time, in the formation of which Langland actively participated.