John Milton Life and Paradise Lost

8/6/2019 John Milton Life and Paradise Lost

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John Milton

Life John Milton was born on December 9, 1608, in London, as thesecond child of John and Sara (ne Jere!" #he famil li$ed on

%read Street in &hea'side, near St" a)l*s &athedral" John Milton Sr"

wor+ed as a scri$ener, a leal secretar whose d)ties incl)ded

're'aration and notari-ation of doc)ments , as well as real estate

transactions and monelendin" Milton*s father was also a

com'oser of ch)rch m)sic, and Milton himself e.'erienced a

lifelon deliht in m)sic" #he famil*s /nancial 'ros'erit aorded

Milton to be ta)ht classical lan)aes, /rst b 'ri$ate t)tors at

home, followed b entrance to St" a)l*s School at ae twel$e, in

160"

n 162, Milton was admitted to &hrist*s &ollee, &ambride" 3hile

Milton was a hardwor+in st)dent, he was also ar)mentati$e to

the e.tent that onl a ear later, in 166, he ot s)s'ended after a dis')te with his t)tor,

3illiam &ha''ell" D)rin his tem'orar ret)rn to London, Milton attended 'las, and 'erha's

bean his /rst foras into 'oetr" 4t his ret)rn to &ambride, Milton was assined a new t)tor,

5athaniel #o$e" Life at &ambride was still not eas on Milton he felt he was disli+ed b

man of his fellow st)dents and he was dissatis/ed with the c)rric)l)m" t was at &ambride

that he com'osed 7n the Mornin of &hrist*s 5ati$it7 on December 2, 169"

n 16, Milton too+ his M"4" c)m la)de at &ambride, after which he retired to the famil

homes in London and :orton, %)c+inhamshire, for ears of 'ri$ate st)d and literar

com'osition" :is 'oem, 7n Sha+es'eare7, was ')blished in the same ear in the Second

;olio" ;rom this 'eriod hail also his 7L*4llero7 and 7l enseroso"7 Milton*s &om)s, a mas, m)sic b

the famed co)rt com'oser :enr Lawes" n 4'ril 16>, Milton was nearin the end of his

st)dies when his mother died and was b)ried at :orton" nl a few months later, in 4))st,

Milton*s friend ?dward @in died as well, b drownin" n 5o$ember, )'on his memor, Milton

com'osed the bea)tif)l ele, Lcidas" t was ')blished in a memorial $ol)me at &ambridein 168"

4s c)stomar for o)n entlemen of means, Milton set o)t for a to)r of ?)ro'e in the s'rin

of 168" :e met famed scholar :)o Aroti)s in aris, where he staed brieB before

contin)in on to tal" Milton arri$ed in ;lorence in the a)t)mn, where he 'robabl met with

Aalileo, who was then )nder ho)se arrest b order of the n


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Milton settled down in London, where he bean schoolin his two ne'hews, later also ta+in in

children of the better families" #he &i$il 3ar was brewin F @in &harles in$aded Scotland

in 169, and the Lon arliament was con$ened in 16=0" Milton bean writin 'am'hlets on

'olitical and reliio)s matters f Ceformation, 4nimad$ersions, and f relatical ?'isco'ac

were ')blished in 16=1, #he Ceason for &h)rch Ao$ernment in ;ebr)ar, 16="

n the s'rin of 16=, Milton married Mar owell, 1> ears old to his =, b)t the relationshi'was an )nha'' one, and Mar left him to $isit the famil home brieB thereafter, and did not

ret)rn" Matters were not im'ro$ed when the owells declared for the @in in the &i$il 3ar

which bro+e o)t in 4))st" #his 'rom'ted Milton to write his soGcalled *Di$orce #racts*

s'ea+in for di$orce on the ro)nds of incom'atibilit" n 16=, Milton ')blished the Doctrine

and Disci'line of Di$orce, which had its second, loner edition in earl 16==" n 16==, Milton

also ')blished #he J)dement of Martin %)cer &oncernin Di$orce" #he *Di$orce #racts*

ca)sed an )'roar both in 'arliament and amidst the cler, as well as with the eneral

'o')lace, which earned him the nic+name 7Milton the Di$orcer"7 t is in reference to the

attem'ted censorshi' of the same b the Stationers* &om'an, that Milton ')blished his

elo saw the death of both Milton*s father and his fatherGinGlaw" #he owells

e$ent)all mo$ed o)t and the Miltons mo$ed to the neihborhood of :ih :olborn, where

their da)hter Mar was born in 16=8"

t is 'robable that Milton witnessed the ')blic e.ec)tion of &harles on Jan)ar 0, 16=9"

#en)re of @ins and Maistrates was ')blished two wee+s later" n March, the &romwellian

o$ernment a''ointed Milton Secretar for ;orein #on)es and ordered him to write an

answer to &harles *s ')r'orted ?i+on %asili+e (7Coal mae7!" 4fter ')blishin bser$ations

on the 4rticles of eace, Milton ')blished ?i+ono+lastes (7mae %rea+er7! in ctober, 16=9"

n 1620, the &o)ncil of State ordered Milton to write a res'onse to Salmasi)s* Defensio Ceia

F the &ontinental o)tcr aainst the ?nlish action (7Defense of @inshi'7!" Defensio 'ro

'o')lo 4nlicano was ')blished in ;ebr)ar, 1621" Milton*s /rst son, John, was born in March

and the Miltons mo$ed to 3estminster"

#he ear 162 was one of man 'ersonal losses for Milton" n ;ebr)ar, Milton lost his siht"

#his 'rom'ted him to write the sonnet 73hen &onsider :ow M Liht is S'ent"7 n Ma,

162, Mar a$e birth to a da)hter, Deborah, and died a few das later" n J)ne, one earGold

John died"

n 162=, Milton ')blished Defensio Sec)nda, the res'onse he had been ordered to write for

ierre d) Mo)lin*s Ceii san)inis clamor (7&lamor of the @in*s %lood7!" 4ndrew Mar$ell had

become his assistant, and he had aides to ta+e dictation, to facilitate the carrin o)t of his

d)ties as Secretar" n 1622, Defensio ro Se (7Defense of :imself7! was ')blished" n 1626,

Milton married @atherine 3oodcoc+, b)t the ha''iness was shortGli$ed" Milton*s da)hter

@atherine was born in late 162>, b)t b earl 1628, both mother and da)hter had 'assed

awa" t is to the memor of @atherine 3oodcoc+ that Milton wrote the sonnet 7Metho)ht

saw m late es'o)sHd saint"7


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Lord rotector li$er &romwell died in ctober, 1628, and the das of the &ommonwealth

were comin to a close" n earl 1629, Milton ')blished 4 #reatise of &i$il ower and Cead

and ?as 3a #o ?stablish a ;ree &ommonwealth" ;or his 'ro'aanda writins, Milton had to

o into hidin, for fear of retrib)tion from the followers of @in &harles " n J)ne, 1629, both

Defensio 'ro 'o')lo 4nlicano and ?i+ono+lastes were ')blicl b)rned" n earl a)t)mn,

Milton was arrested and thrown in 'rison, to be released b order of arliament before

&hristmas" @in &harles was restored to the throne on Ma 0, 1660"

n 166, Milton remarried aain, to ?li-abeth Minsh)ll, a match his da)hters o''osed" :e

s'ent his time t)torin st)dents and /nishin his life*s wor+, the e'ic, aradise Lost" 4mon

the reatest wor+s e$er to be written in ?nlish, the feat is all the more remar+able for

Milton*s blindness F he wo)ld com'ose $erse )'on $erse at niht in his head and then dictate

them from memor to his aides in the mornin" aradise Lost /nall saw ')blication in 166>,

in ten boo+s" t was reiss)ed in 1668 with a new titleG'ae and additional materials" #he boo+

was met with instant s)ccess and ama-ement e$en Drden is re'orted to ha$e said, 7#his

man c)ts )s all o)t, and the ancients too"7

:istor of %ritain was ')blished in 16>0 aradise Ceain*d and Samson 4onistes were

')blished toether in 16>1" f #r)e Celiion and oems, Ic" )'on Se$eral ccasions were

')blished in 16>" n s)mmer 16>=, the second edition of aradise Lost was ')blished, in

twel$e boo+s" Milton died 'eacef)ll of o)t in 5o$ember, 16>=, and was b)ried in the ch)rch

of St" Ailes, &ri''leate" :is f)neral was attended b 7his learned and reat ;riends in London,

not witho)t a friendl conco)rse of the )lar"7 4 mon)ment to Milton rests in oets* &orner at

3estminster 4bbe"

3or+s oems Sonnets

rose

&om)s

4reo'aitica

aradise Lost

aradise Ceained

Samson 4onistes

:istor of %ritain

Di$orce #racts

aradise Lost"lot

#'e of 3or+

aradise Lost is an e'ic 'oem whichFli+e the e'ic 'oems

of :omer, Dante, eril, and AoetheFtells a stor abo)t

momento)s e$ents while incor'oratin rand themes that

are timeless and )ni$ersal"

Date &om'leted


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Milton com'leted the /rst $ersion of aradise Lost in 166>" t consisted of 10 boo+s" n

1668 and 1669, he added an introd)ctor comment abo)t the $erse form and a s'ecial

section with s)mmaries of each boo+" n 16>=, he ')blished the /nal $ersion of the

e'ic, in which he di$ided %oo+s > and 10 into two boo+s each" #he com'leted wor+ th)s

had 1 boo+s instead of 10" :e also 'laced each s)mmar at the beinnin of the boo+

it s)mmari-ed"

#he n$ocation of the M)seMilton o'ens aradise Lost b as+in a m)se to ins'ire his writin" n ancient Areece

and Come, 'oets had alwas re


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5inefold, and ates of b)rnin 4damant

%arred o$er )s 'rohibit all eress" (%oo+ , lines ===G==>!

%)t if an of them manaes to brea+ free, Satan sas, he will enco)nter a dar+ $oid

beond which are )n+nown reions and )n+nown daners" 5e$ertheless, Satan, as

leader, sas he will $ent)re forth and 7#hro)h all the coasts of dar+ destr)ction see+ R

Deli$erance for )s allQ this enter'rise R 5one shall 'arta+e with me"7 :is 7enter'rise,7 of

co)rse is to wor+ his dece'ti$e charms aainst the new creat)res" :e will s)b$ert AodOs'lan and i$e hell a reason to cheer" 5one in the assemblae s'o+e aainst this 'lan"

nstead, all rose with a th)ndero)s noise to i$e assentQ

"""""""""""""""""#owards him the bend

3ith awf)l re$erence 'rone and as a Aod

?.tol him e


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"""""""Later, when the are aslee', Satan whis'ers e$il tho)hts into ?$eOs earFof $ain

ho'esK and inordinate desires"K 3hen the archanel Aabriel learns of SatanOs

'resence in ?den, he sends two anels to e.'el him" 3hen the confront him, Satan

de/antl scorns them and 're'ares for a /ht" 4n anelic s


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"&haracters

""

God the Father, God the SonQ #wo of the three di$ine 'ersons ma+in )' the allG

'owerf)l Aodhead, the sinle deit that created and r)les all that e.ists o)tside of

itself" #he third di$ine 'erson, the :ol S'irit, does not 'la a role in aradise Lost" Aod

the ;ather is 'ortraed as P)st b)t mercif)l, condemnin the de/ant and )nre'entantrebel anels b)t 'ermittin redem'tion of the re'entant 4dam and ?$e" Aod the Son

$ol)nteers to redeem them b becomin h)man and end)rin s)erin and death"

Satan (Lucifer, Archend):owerf)l and 'ridef)l anel who, with leions of s)''orters,

leads an )ns)ccessf)l rebellion aainst Aod and s)ers eternal damnation" #o ain

re$ene, he de$ises a 'lan to corr)'t Aod*s newl created beins, 4dam and ?$e,

thro)h deceit" Modern readers often admire him for his steel de/ance" :e wo)ld

rather r)le in hell, he sas, than ser$e in hea$en" t was not Milton*s intent, howe$er, to

create an admirable character rather his intent was to create a character of colossal

hatredFloathsome, e.ecrable, inc)rabl remorseless"

Satan Analysis

robabl the most famo)s


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with 'ower that is ranted him b his foe" Aod sim'l tos with Satan in battle" Satan

is, in fact, cartoonish when he and %elial loat o$er the s)ccess of their infernal cannon

in %oo+ " Satan and %elial stand la)hin at the disorder the ha$e ca)sed, b)t the

are )naware of the mo)ntains and bo)lders P)st abo)t to land on their heads"

f all of aradise Lost were on the le$el of the battle scene, the 'oem wo)ld be comic"

%)t Satan*s tem'tation of 4dam and ?$e mo$es the demon closer to traed" Satan*s

moti$es in destroin the h)man co)'le ma be ar)able, b)t the eect and itsim'lications are not" Satan brins the h)mans down and ca)ses their remo$al from

?den" n so doin, he also 'ro$ides the wa to sal$ation for those h)mans who choose

freel to obe Aod" :owe$er, Satan 'ro$ides nothin for himself" :ell is where Satan is

beca)se he has no wa to rePoin Aod" Enli+e h)manit, Satan and the other fallen

anels ha$e alread sealed their fates" #he li$e alwas with the +nowlede of :ell"

n the end, Satan calls to mind the Macbeth of Sha+es'eare" %oth characters are

mani/cent creations of e$il" %oth are heroic after a fashion, b)t both are doomed"

%oth are fatalistic abo)t the afterlife" Satan +nows that he m)st remain in :ell Macbeth

sas that he wo)ld 7P)m' the life to come,7 if he co)ld +ill D)ncan with no conse


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Milton )sed the %ible, :omer*s liad and dsse, eril*s 4eneid, and the stories in

ArecoGComan mtholo as so)rces of information and as writin models" #he %ible*s

%oo+ of Aenesis is the main so)rce for his retellin of the stor of creation and the /rst

h)mans, 4dam and ?$e"

"Stle

Milton wrote aradise Lost in dini/ed, loft, melodic ?nlish free of an collo


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Dramatic iron a''ears fre


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RepentanceQ ?$en tho)h 4dam and ?$e ha$e disobeed Aod, their re'entance ma+es

them eliible for e$ent)al sal$ation"

opeQ 4t the end of aradise Lost, 4dam and ?$e enter the im'erfect world with ho'e

the can et attain eternal sal$ation"

RedemptionQ #hro)h the s)erin and death of the Son of Aod, sinf)l man can

reconcile himself with Aod if he is sincerel sorr for his sins"

"maes

Dor

;)seli

%la+e

John Milton Life and Paradise Lost

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