The Portable Milton

by John Milton, Douglas Bush (Editor)

"The Portable Milton" is an authoritative grand tour through the imagination of this prodigal genius. In the course of his forty-year career, John Milton evolved from a prodigy to a blind prophet, from a philosophical aesthete to a Puritan rebel, and from a poet who proclaimed the triumph of reason to one obsessed with the intractability of sin. Throughout these transformations, he conceived his work as a form of prayer, written in the service of the supreme being.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Literature, Classics, Collections, Essays, Religion

693 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

People 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.

Reviews

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd read many "shorter" pieces by Milton - Samson Agonistes, Lycidas, etc. - but never ventured into Paradise Lost and i have to say, those other pieces really only very remotely give you an idea of the coolness of Paradise Lost. It's a fascinating piece of work - the geographies Milton creates, the characters he brings to life (yeah, Satan's the most interesting, and yeah some of the others seem a bit doltish), the language, all of it. really remarkable.

and then when you overlay his lifestory - the midcentury revolution, the restoration, his hiding and penury - you have to start wondering, well, really, who's side is he on? and then when you consider that he dictated the whole thing to his daughters because he was blind - man, i'm telling you, it's amazing.

i know - big shock. milton is amazing. tune in tomorrow when i tell you that the sky is blue.

the rest of the volume - which includes paradise regained (feh), samson agonistes (eh) and many of the more important shorter pieces and even some prose - is a great overview of milton's work. and bush's introduction to the whole piece is one you'll want to go back to time and again for insight and context.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I debated adding Milton to the list because this book is not in any way an easy read but for some reason, I have a girl-chubby for Paradise Lost and anyone that's willing to take this on, should. It deals with many complex religious themes such as fate and the oh-so-important free will. Even more shocking, Satan is portrayed in a sympathetic light with Satan being as charismatic as modern politicians with such rah-rah phrases such as ""Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven". Have a guide and a highlighter with you first time you attempt this poem because if I remember correctly, it took him over ten years to write this and this is a s-l-o-w read. Epic is the word.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise Lost is amazing and epic, despite pushing an obnoxious and misogynist worldview.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read but one of my favorites. Tis better to rule in hell than serve in heaven.

[gaverne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic of a classic.

[Nomax]

Yeah it's not all Harry Potter for me.

[Michael Leonard]

Great anthology of his work. I will continue to refer to it.