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Milton: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained & Samson Agonistes
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395 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1969
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38 people want to read
About the author
John Milton
3,790 books2,246 followersPeople best know John Milton, English scholar, for
Paradise Lost
, the epic poem of 1667 and an account of fall of humanity from grace.
Beelzebub, one fallen angel in Paradise Lost, of John Milton, lay in power next to Satan.
Belial, one fallen angel, rebelled against God in Paradise Lost of John Milton.
John Milton, polemicist, man of letters, served the civil Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote in blank verse at a time of religious flux and political upheaval.
Prose of John Milton reflects deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. He wrote in Latin, Greek, and Italian and achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644) in condemnation of censorship before publication among most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and the press of history.
William Hayley in biography of 1796 called and generally regarded John Milton, the "greatest ... author," "as one of the preeminent writers in the ... language," though since his death, critical reception oscillated often on his republicanism in the centuries. Samuel Johnson praised, "with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the ... mind," though he, a Tory and recipient of royal patronage, described politics of Milton, an "acrimonious and surly republican."
Because of his republicanism, centuries of British partisanship subjected John Milton.
Beelzebub, one fallen angel in Paradise Lost, of John Milton, lay in power next to Satan.
Belial, one fallen angel, rebelled against God in Paradise Lost of John Milton.
John Milton, polemicist, man of letters, served the civil Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote in blank verse at a time of religious flux and political upheaval.
Prose of John Milton reflects deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. He wrote in Latin, Greek, and Italian and achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644) in condemnation of censorship before publication among most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and the press of history.
William Hayley in biography of 1796 called and generally regarded John Milton, the "greatest ... author," "as one of the preeminent writers in the ... language," though since his death, critical reception oscillated often on his republicanism in the centuries. Samuel Johnson praised, "with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the ... mind," though he, a Tory and recipient of royal patronage, described politics of Milton, an "acrimonious and surly republican."
Because of his republicanism, centuries of British partisanship subjected John Milton.
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September 13, 2016From PARADISE LOST
Holy War in Heaven, or the birth of Consciousness, as unconscious content violently begins the process of breaking itself into component parts, the blackening of the alchemical nigredo:
And clamour such as heard in Heav'n till now
Was never, Arms on Armour clashing bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding Wheeles
Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss
Of fiery Darts in flaming volies flew,
And flying vaulted either Host with fire.
So under fierie Cope together rush'd
Both, Battels maine, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heav'n
Resounded, and had Earth bin then, all Earth
Had to her Center shook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either side, the least of whom could weild
These Elements, and arm him with the force
Of all thir Regions: how much more of Power
Armie against Armie numberless to raise
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, thir happie Native seat;
....
.... no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argu'd fear; each on himself reli'd,
As onely in his arm the moment lay
Of victorie; deed of eternal fame
Were don, but infinite: for wide was spred
That Warr and various; sometime on firm ground
A standing fight, then soaring on main wing
Tormented all the Air; all Air seemd then
Conflicting Fire: ....
from PARADISE REGAINED
God proclaims His Son, Jesus, the second Job, given over completely to Satan for testing:
.... This Man [Jesus], born and now upgrown,
To shew him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt, and now assay
His utmost subtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng
Of his Apostasy. He might have learnt
Less overweening, since he failed in Job,
Whose constant perseverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.
He now shall know I can produce a man,
Of female seed, far abler to resist
All his solicitation, and at length
All his vast forece, and drive him back to Hell -
Winning by conquest what the first man [Adam] lost
By fallacy surprised....
PARADISE REGAINED:
Satan is frustrated with Jesus, who is not tempted by any element of physical life … tells Jesus, since he doesn’t want any of the benefits of consciousness, why did he bother to “irrupt” out of it? Jesus might as well sink back into unconsciousness and bypass the whole experience of differentiation.
"Since neither wealth nor honour, arms nor arts,
Kingdom nor empire, pleases thee, nor aught
By me proposed in life contemplative
Or active, tended on by glory or fame,
What dost thou in this world? The Wilderness
For thee is fittest place:...."
Holy War in Heaven, or the birth of Consciousness, as unconscious content violently begins the process of breaking itself into component parts, the blackening of the alchemical nigredo:
And clamour such as heard in Heav'n till now
Was never, Arms on Armour clashing bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding Wheeles
Of brazen Chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over head the dismal hiss
Of fiery Darts in flaming volies flew,
And flying vaulted either Host with fire.
So under fierie Cope together rush'd
Both, Battels maine, with ruinous assault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heav'n
Resounded, and had Earth bin then, all Earth
Had to her Center shook. What wonder? when
Millions of fierce encountring Angels fought
On either side, the least of whom could weild
These Elements, and arm him with the force
Of all thir Regions: how much more of Power
Armie against Armie numberless to raise
Dreadful combustion warring, and disturb,
Though not destroy, thir happie Native seat;
....
.... no thought of flight,
None of retreat, no unbecoming deed
That argu'd fear; each on himself reli'd,
As onely in his arm the moment lay
Of victorie; deed of eternal fame
Were don, but infinite: for wide was spred
That Warr and various; sometime on firm ground
A standing fight, then soaring on main wing
Tormented all the Air; all Air seemd then
Conflicting Fire: ....
from PARADISE REGAINED
God proclaims His Son, Jesus, the second Job, given over completely to Satan for testing:
.... This Man [Jesus], born and now upgrown,
To shew him worthy of his birth divine
And high prediction, henceforth I expose
To Satan; let him tempt, and now assay
His utmost subtlety, because he boasts
And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng
Of his Apostasy. He might have learnt
Less overweening, since he failed in Job,
Whose constant perseverance overcame
Whate'er his cruel malice could invent.
He now shall know I can produce a man,
Of female seed, far abler to resist
All his solicitation, and at length
All his vast forece, and drive him back to Hell -
Winning by conquest what the first man [Adam] lost
By fallacy surprised....
PARADISE REGAINED:
Satan is frustrated with Jesus, who is not tempted by any element of physical life … tells Jesus, since he doesn’t want any of the benefits of consciousness, why did he bother to “irrupt” out of it? Jesus might as well sink back into unconsciousness and bypass the whole experience of differentiation.
"Since neither wealth nor honour, arms nor arts,
Kingdom nor empire, pleases thee, nor aught
By me proposed in life contemplative
Or active, tended on by glory or fame,
What dost thou in this world? The Wilderness
For thee is fittest place:...."
December 4, 2021
Sometimes, when you pick up a classic, you wonder why in the world it ever became one. Other times, it smacks you deliciously in the face, and you regret waiting so long to discover it. Paradise Lost is most definitely the latter. More than four centuries old at this point, it wears its age with fierce grace. Theologically, it is spot on, so plus one for the Puritans. Additionally, it provoked me to look at the story of Adam and Eve with entirely new eyes. Milton brings out so many things I had never thought about. Linguistically, it is sheer brilliance. I read the entire 288 page poem outloud, as I always with do with poetry (and the King James Version). Its flights of fancy spun out seemingly endlessly paint an accurately devastating picture of the events of the Fall. Emotionally, it moved me to tears a dozen times.
Too long. I let it set on the shelf for far too long. If it is not on yours, put it there. If it is, pull it down, brew a cup of tea, and settle in. You will find the aching beauty of sorrow and grace.
Too long. I let it set on the shelf for far too long. If it is not on yours, put it there. If it is, pull it down, brew a cup of tea, and settle in. You will find the aching beauty of sorrow and grace.
February 10, 2018
Milton is not so much an English Dante as he is a Protestant Tolkien. His re-imagining of Satan's rebellion and Man's fall from grace ("Paradise Lost"), Christ's temptation in the desert ("Paradise Regained"), and Samson's final victory over The Philistines ("Samson Agonistes") easily rival and faraway surpass the best of modern epic fantasy fiction - though with some notable 17th century Cromwellian anti-Catholic bias (note especially the nasty digs directed against The Church in Book III, pp. 78-79 of this edition and in Book XII, pp. 287-289). Entertaining and thought provoking.
November 20, 2019
This was my second time through Paradise Lost, but the first time through for Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.
Paradise Lost is almost inutterably magnificent.
Paradise Regained is good, but it doesn't have the epic heft of Paradise Lost.
Samson Agonistes is very good. It's very much in keeping with the perspective of Hebrews 11.
Keep an eye on this Milton fellow, kids. He's going places.
Paradise Lost is almost inutterably magnificent.
Paradise Regained is good, but it doesn't have the epic heft of Paradise Lost.
Samson Agonistes is very good. It's very much in keeping with the perspective of Hebrews 11.
Keep an eye on this Milton fellow, kids. He's going places.
May 21, 2013
I should state up front that I am probably not one for epic poetry, so all that is written below should be considered through that lens.
I came to "Paradise Lost" more out of a sense of obligation and curiosity than any great desire. It was a long slog, overall. At first, it did not not appear it would be so. As is often the case, the most engaging character is the villain of the piece (Satan). In the early lines, the hubris of the fallen angel positively shines. We see him in defeat, but one would hardly gather that from his prideful declarations to his beaten army. However the poem becomes a more difficult read whenever the scene drifts from the villain, the story becoming less engaging and less interesting. The final books slow to a crawl once Adam and Eve are introduced and even the return of Satan never succeeds in re-capturing my attention as each step away from his place near the battlefield seems to render Satan more ineffectual, incompetent, and almost whiny. For me, the poem is moments of beautiful verse punctuating long stretches of tedium. I'm glad I read, but if I return to the poem it will have to be with a thoroughly annotated version to see that possibly deeper meanings of eacyh line of verse.
While I think I derived from benefit from "Paradise Lost", I do not have the same sense about "Paradise Regained". The weaker of three, "Paradise Regained" tells the story of the temptation of Christ by Satan in desert before beginning his ministry. Except, of course, it doesn't real. For there to be a temptation, there needed to be the possibility of internal conflict. This is completely lacking, as Milton's Jesus appears only to be of a divine nature and thus diffuses any dramatic tension.
The last in the book is "Samson Agonistes", a dramatic poem about the blinded Samson in captivity amongst the Philistines. Of the three, this is the most accessible, taking place entirely in dialogue. One can't help but hear (correctly or not) Milton's own lamentations in Samson, as both lost their vision and lived in a time when the world seemed to turn against them (for Milton it was the Restoration). I would recommend starting here before proceeding to "Paradise Lost". "Samons Agonistes" is not his deepest work, but an easier entry point to assess if the longer, more famous poem, is achievable.
May 17
Finally finished the long slog that has been Milton's "Paradise Lost", "Paradise Regained" and "Samson Agonistes".
Quick thoughts: "Paradise Lost" is only really interesting in the scenes where Satan features (reminds of what they say about Dante's Inferno being an easier read than Paradiso), "Paradise Regained" lacks any dramatic tension whatsoever, and "Samson Agonistes" was the most accessible of the three. So, brief moments of brilliant verse punctuating long stretches of tedium. I may not be cut out for epic poetry.
I came to "Paradise Lost" more out of a sense of obligation and curiosity than any great desire. It was a long slog, overall. At first, it did not not appear it would be so. As is often the case, the most engaging character is the villain of the piece (Satan). In the early lines, the hubris of the fallen angel positively shines. We see him in defeat, but one would hardly gather that from his prideful declarations to his beaten army. However the poem becomes a more difficult read whenever the scene drifts from the villain, the story becoming less engaging and less interesting. The final books slow to a crawl once Adam and Eve are introduced and even the return of Satan never succeeds in re-capturing my attention as each step away from his place near the battlefield seems to render Satan more ineffectual, incompetent, and almost whiny. For me, the poem is moments of beautiful verse punctuating long stretches of tedium. I'm glad I read, but if I return to the poem it will have to be with a thoroughly annotated version to see that possibly deeper meanings of eacyh line of verse.
While I think I derived from benefit from "Paradise Lost", I do not have the same sense about "Paradise Regained". The weaker of three, "Paradise Regained" tells the story of the temptation of Christ by Satan in desert before beginning his ministry. Except, of course, it doesn't real. For there to be a temptation, there needed to be the possibility of internal conflict. This is completely lacking, as Milton's Jesus appears only to be of a divine nature and thus diffuses any dramatic tension.
The last in the book is "Samson Agonistes", a dramatic poem about the blinded Samson in captivity amongst the Philistines. Of the three, this is the most accessible, taking place entirely in dialogue. One can't help but hear (correctly or not) Milton's own lamentations in Samson, as both lost their vision and lived in a time when the world seemed to turn against them (for Milton it was the Restoration). I would recommend starting here before proceeding to "Paradise Lost". "Samons Agonistes" is not his deepest work, but an easier entry point to assess if the longer, more famous poem, is achievable.
May 17
Finally finished the long slog that has been Milton's "Paradise Lost", "Paradise Regained" and "Samson Agonistes".
Quick thoughts: "Paradise Lost" is only really interesting in the scenes where Satan features (reminds of what they say about Dante's Inferno being an easier read than Paradiso), "Paradise Regained" lacks any dramatic tension whatsoever, and "Samson Agonistes" was the most accessible of the three. So, brief moments of brilliant verse punctuating long stretches of tedium. I may not be cut out for epic poetry.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews