Paradise Lost - John Milton

...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 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 ...

frkurt 10.06.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

...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) · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

...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 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

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 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

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 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

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 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton

...casting out of Eden, hence Paradise Lost. His version of 1st book of The Bible, Genesis. It is entertaining and thought provoking, bringing a fascinating chain of events into a story accesible by the people of his time. I really enjoyed reading (grafting :P) through it. It was tough but extremely fullfilling, to have found it entertaining to the last and to be able to say i've read one of the all time great pieces of English literature. It is ...
...of it was based around Paradise Lost. If you like fantasy (or perhaps reality?), were prepared to get a grasp on the language and, in all seriousness, were prepared to spend the next few years of your life reading it then read this book. Otherwise stick to modern day novels. Be warned, this is a heavy piece of English, not for the faint hearted. It's deep, long and hard to read. You have to really want to read it. I did and i enjoyed it. Hopefully ...

joejanman 26.04.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Paradise Lost - John Milton