Paper 1: English 125 In an essay of approximately 1500 words, compare and contrast "I syng of a mayden" (Haskell, p. 343) with "Now springs the spray" (Haskell, p. 349). Before you begin this essay, you might want to consult the section in Norton Anthology of English Literature that discusses Middle English (pp. 10-14) or the introduction to the Riverside Chaucer (pp. xxix-xliv) to help you understand the language. You might also want to look up any words you don't understand in the Middle English Dictionary, which can be found in the library.

Answer the following questions in your journal to help you generate ideas for the essay:

What ideas, images or other elements do these lyrics share? In other words, what is the common ground that allows you to compare them?

In what ways do these poems differ?

What are their formal structures?

Do they use any figures of speech? If so, what are these? (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, etc.)

What is the poet's attitude toward the subject matter of the poem? How do you know?

Your essay should have a clear thesis that asserts more than these poems are alike in some ways and different in others. Don't wait until the night before this paper is due to begin this essay. If you want to bring a draft to office hours, I'd be more than glad to discuss it with you.