John Milton
John Milton was blind throughout much of the poem; that is why the poem is written in blank verse. His eyesight had deteriorated over the years, and he supervised a second edition of Paradise Lost telling the readers why it is "unrhymed."
Remember that the Neoclassical Age imitated others. Milton wanted to follow in the footsteps of other great epic poets such as Homer, Virgil, and Dante.
Listen to an NPR podcast about "John Milton, 400 years of 'Justifying God to Man.'"
Literary Devices
You have read a few epics in this class thus far. You won't read all of Paradise Lost just like in the other works, but you will, rather, get a sampling of Milton's writing and the 18th Century epic. The epic's definition hasn't changed from century to century. It is a long poem, typically derived from oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of.
An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. The characters, actions, and setting stand for something beyond themselves or they could represent abstract ideas of moral qualities.
An allegory can be literal or symbolic. Allegories are intended to teach a lesson to its readers. Poems, plays, short stories, and novels can all be allegorical. The allegories can be a single sentence or the entire book. Fables and parables are types of allegory. Think of Aesop's fables and Bible stories. Do they have a lesson for the readers? Yes!
An allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly but rather as an indirect or passing reference. This can be a reference to literature, pop culture, religion, history or something else to make a point. Allusions serve as a metaphor to get the particular point across.
There are several different types of
allusion:
- literary
- historical
- religious
- classical
- modern
The three most popularly alluded to works are the Bible, Shakespeare, and Greek and Roman Mythology.
Milton's poem has many allusions and allegorical references.
The theme of the poem is of a religious conflict; the poem is about temptation and the fall of Adam and Eve, along with God and Lucifer.
Paradise Lost
Read and listen to Book I of Paradise Lost.
Read Paradise Lost Listen Paradise Lost
You will want to explore the New Arts Library Paradise Lost Study Guide that consists of translations, summaries, illustrations, biblical passages, and many other informative readings about the epic poem.
Book I, Paradise Lost
The first book in the epic Paradise Lost begins with an overview with a few questions: "How could Adam and Eve not obey God? Who first seduced them?" The narrator asks the Heavenly Muse to help him tell the story of the fall of man. According to Milton, Satan's motive for "seducing" Adam and Eve was so that he could be above his peers. He is cast down to hell, where he talks to Beelzebub. Beelzebub implies that God has deliberately left devils their strength so they could carry out "his errands in the gloomy deep." Satan then goes to the burning lake and calls other devils to assemble around him.
The devils assemble around Satan.
- Moloch (crude, warlike, blustering)
- Chemos (associated with demon worship, idolatry)
- Astarte (female equivalent of Chemos)
- Thammuz (fertility god, believed to die and rise to life every year)
- Dagon (god of the PhilÂistines, referred to in Biblical book of Judges and Samuel)
- Rimmon (referred to in Biblical book of Kings)
- Osiris, Isis, Orus (gods of Egyptian mythology)
- Belial (deceitful, lustful, lewd)
Satan begins by praising them. He tells about the new world that is being created, and that they should explore it as "celestial spirits."
Reading comprehension involves numerous thinking skills. Comparing and contrasting are two skills that will help with comprehending what you read. A reader who can compare and contrast events, characters, places, and facts will enrich his understanding of the text.
Apples and oranges are alike and different. Well, that's an easy statement. How are they alike?
Signal Words/Phrases
Compare:
As well as, also, too, like, much as, similarly, similar to, both, equal, resemble
Contrast:
However, different than, but, on the other hand, while, although, less than, unlike, on the contrary, despite
Use these traditional words when writing a compare/contrast paragraph or essay.
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