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Not a lot people know that 'Paradise Lost' has as a much lesser known companion piece 'Paradise Regained'; of course, it was true during Milton's time as it is today that the more harrowing and juicy the story, the better it will likely be remembered and received.
This is not to cast ... Read review
Beautifully produced, printed in two colours throughout, illustrated with twelve ... more
engravings from the first illustrated edition published in 1688 with ribbon marker. Philip Pullman introduces the book that inspired His Dark Materials. (courtesy Bertrams)
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Advantages: A great English epic Disadvantages: none
...as it is today) and Paradise Lost attained an almost instant acclaim.
John Milton was an English cleric, a protestant who nonetheless had a great affinity for catholic Italy, and this duality of interests shows in much of his creative writing as well as his religious tracts. Milton was nicknamed 'the divorcer' in his early career for writing a pamphlet that supported various civil liberties, including the right to obtain a civil divorce ... ...bad king.
Paradise Lost has a certain oral-epic quality to it, and for good reason. Milton lost his eyesight in 1652, and thus had to dictate the poem to several different assistants. Though influenced heavily by the likes of Virgil, Homer, and Dante, he differentiated himself in style and substance by concentrating on more humanist elements.
Say first -- for Heaven hides nothing from thy view,
Nor the deep tract ... more
Of Man's first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste Brought death into the world and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till on greater Man Restore us and regain the blissful seat Sing, Heavenly Muse...
Not a lot people know that 'Paradise Lost' has as a much lesser known companion piece 'Paradise Regained'; of course, it was true during Milton's time as it is today that the more harrowing and juicy the story, the better it will likely be remembered and received.
This is not to cast any aspersion on this great poem, however. It has been called, with some justification, the greatest English epic poem. The line above, the first lines of the first book of the poem, is typical of the style throughout the epic, in vocabulary and syntax, in allusiveness. The word order tends toward the Latinate, with the object coming first and the verb coming after.
Milton follows many classical examples by personifying characters such as Death, Chaos, Mammon, and Sin. These characters interact with the more traditional Christian characters of Adam, Eve, Satan, various angels, and God. He takes as his basis the basic biblical text of the creation and fall of humanity (thus, 'Paradise Lost'), which has taken such hold in the English-speaking world that many images have attained in the popular mind an almost biblical truth to them (in much the same way that popular images of Hell owe much to Dante's Inferno). The text of Genesis was very much in vogue in the mid-1600s (much as it is today) and Paradise Lost attained an almost instant acclaim.
John Milton was an English cleric, a protestant who nonetheless had a great affinity for catholic Italy, and this duality of interests shows in much of his creative writing as well as his religious tracts. Milton was nicknamed 'the divorcer' in his early career for writing a pamphlet that supported various civil liberties, including the right to obtain a civil divorce on the grounds of incompatibility, a very unpopular view for the day. Milton held a diplomatic post under the Commonwealth, and wrote defenses of the governments action, including the right of people to depose and dispose of a bad king.
Paradise Lost has a certain oral-epic quality to it, and for good reason. Milton lost his eyesight in 1652, and thus had to dictate the poem to several different assistants. Though influenced heavily by the likes of Virgil, Homer, and Dante, he differentiated himself in style and substance by concentrating on more humanist elements.
Say first -- for Heaven hides nothing from thy view, Nor the deep tract of Hell -- say first what cause Moved our grand Parents, in that happy state, Favoured of Heaven so highly, to fall off From their Creator and transgress his will, For one restraint, lords of the world besides?
Milton drops us from the beginning into the midst of the action, for the story is well known already, and proceeds during the course of the books (Milton's original had 10, but the traditional epic had 12 books, so some editions broke books VII and X into two books each) to both push the action forward and to give developing background -- how Satan came to be in Hell, after the war in heaven a description that includes perhaps the currently-most-famous line:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choice To reign is worth ambition though in hell: Better to reign in hell, that serve in heav'n.
(Impress your friends by knowing that this comes from Book I, lines 261-263 of Paradise Lost, rather than a Star Trek episode!)
The imagery of warfare and ambition in the angels, God's wisdom and power and wrath, the very human characterisations of Adam and Eve, and the development beyond Eden make a very compelling story, done with such grace of language that makes this a true classic for the ages. The magnificence of creation, the darkness and empty despair of hell, the manipulativeness of evil and the corruptible innocence of humanity all come through as classic themes. The final books of the epic recount a history of humanity, now sinful, as Paradise has been lost, a history in tune with typical Renaissance renderings, which also, in Milton's religious convictions, will lead to the eventual destruction of this world and a new creation.
A great work that takes some effort to comprehend, but yields great rewards for those who stay the course.
...admits he finds John Milton's Paradise Lost heavy going.
"I think Milton is just as boring as you do," he tells blank-faced students during a lecture. "Mrs Milton thought he was boring too."
It's a scene which neatly sums up John Milton's popular reputation today - dull and unreadable. In part it's a cross of his own making as a strait-laced Puritan who seemingly knew everything except how to have fun.
Saying that, his life did have its moments; ... ...mirrored in his epic work Paradise Lost, though. Instead it is a kind of Songs of Praise for the mind- worthy but dull.
In 10 chapters Milton tries "to justify the ways of God to man" by detailing "man's first disobedience" or how Adam and Eve came to munch that apple. It's the Book of Genesis when Genesis today = rock band to most people.
If the subject is old hat, so too is the way the book is written. Mile after mile of blank verse, it's like ...
castlebinn 04.06.2002 (09.03.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton
Advantages: Classic literature; challenging Disadvantages: Difficult to grasp; Lengthy
...William Shakespeare play, than read Paradise Lost. If you’ve read or seen a Shakespeare play, do you remember the first time? A Shakespeare virgin, trying to make sense of what the idiot was going on about. Then after the first act, it began to sink in, you suddenly realised what Shakespeare was going on about when he talked of the “the Black Ram is tupping your white ewe” (Othello, incidentally). Even the Elizabethans were sex ... ...in 17th Century Britain.
Paradise Lost is a retelling of the Creation story from the Bible: the creation of earth, Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. Instead though it is isn’t just a brief re-hash of the Book of Genesis version, but an epic poem which goes into great detail about God’s justifications, the role of Satan, and in the process Milton created a few new words for the English language (Pandemonium, the name of Satan’s ...
HappyBunny 12.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton
Advantages: You know the story so can enjoy the prose Disadvantages: Elizabethan English so not user friendly
Milton's Paradise Lost is a great poem. Unlike many retellings of the fall of man it is not overly moralistic and does not seem to cast Satan in a particularly bad light. Milton's prose is superb and the fact that many of his phrases are now in common use is a testament to his durability. Some readers may find the Elizabethan English difficult but this becomes less of a problem the more you read. The poem is very much like Homer's Ilyiad in that ... ...pieces. It is split into smaller chapters (books) and this makes it more managable. A vague idea of christian theology and ancient myths also helps, although the footnotes of most editions should explain most of the references. Milton's descrption is great and the sympathy he arouses for both man and the fallen angels is remarkable. This is a poem everyone should read once and I heartly recommend it to anyone who wants to discover poetry or theology ...
Telute 18.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton
Advantages: It's classic makes you feel intelligent Disadvantages: It's a bit hard
This is a review of the first two books of the epic poem. Most people would shout at me at not reading the other ten, but can you blame me?
I had to study this at A-level and I found it rather boring especially the 1st book. The setting the story to come and Milton proving himself to be a greater writer than Homer or Virgil.
The 2nd book I found much more entertaining, adventure, the supernatural and much more fun all around.
The poem tells us ... ...making of hell.
The book is full of epic similes; mini-stories to help keep our attention, which are fun and makes us learn more. Fantastic imagery and some of his own inventions Miltonic verse and Miltonic expression. Not that interesting.
All sounds complicated, the studing of it is, but the reading once you have got over the language is quite straight forward and entertaining.
I have been told that the books (which were not originally seperated) ...
matthew.l2 17.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton
Advantages: An all time classic Disadvantages: A heavy read
I didn't read this as a student but through choice which gave me the advantage of being able to read at my own leisure. It is hard going to read but the rewards are worth it. It gives a great insight into the thoughts, language and beliefs of people in the 17th century. Although it is an epic poem it reads more as a story than a poem. So there's no need to be put off by the fact it is a poem. As I said it is a fairly tough read but once you get used ... ...is that of satan's fall from heaven and the creation of our planet and of Adam and Eve. The religious points can be taken or left and in some places seem to put god in a rather cruel light. Don't let it being a religious poem disuade you from reading it as it is in itself thoroughly good and fantastical read. ...
llf360 14.08.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton
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The first things that came were the Shakespeare?s and the free Graves.
I wasn?t happy?and so began niggle number two?
One of the Shakespeare volumes had gold lettering on the spine which had faded to virtually nothing ? it was hardly legible. Now given the supposed high standards of the very covers of these books I was very surprised. I did what any conscientious shopper would do and phoned The Folio Society all ready to be what my grandmother used to call ?mardy?. Having been charmed immediately by a very apologetic telephone-answerer my mard disappeared. I was told that they would send out a new ...
