English major finds timely meaning, timeless themes in 14th-century poem

“I wanted to feel like I was in the 14th century.”

For Eric Sican, a UCLA English major, that mindset was a key component of a sophisticated research project on a Middle English poem called “Earthe Upon Earthe.”

The poem, whose original author is unknown, explores the relationship between humans and the planet, both as a source of life and as their eventual resting place in death. Over time, “Earthe Upon Earthe” came to exist in multiple versions — with verses likely added by many different authors, each with subtle variations in wording and meaning.

Read the complete story by Sean Brenner.