nalysis and survey of the structure, organization and content of the epic

written by John Milton entitled "Paradise Lost"

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linguaggio inglese

numero di parole 11797 (ca. 33 pagine)

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bibliografia 6

Sommario

Title Page 1

Outline Contents 2

Introduction 3

The Work’s Historical Background 3

Milton’s Sources of the Paradise Lost 6

A Critical Survey of Paradise Lost 7

A Look Into the Structure of the Paradise Lost 20

Some Points of Consideration in Analyzing the Paradise Lost 22

Sources 26

Anteprima della tesi: A Critical Analysis of John Milton's Paradise Lost

Milton’s Paradise Lost has long been regarded as the great epic poem of the
English language. It has had an immense influence on the writing of English
poetry. The stature and influence of his work are no accident. Its author set
out to write a poem that would rival the ancient epics of Homer and Virgil,
adorn his native tongue, and be a work for future ages. This poem is not the
product of youthful ardor, of a momentary burst of creative power, or of
sudden “inspiration.” Paradise Lost is the work of decades---“long choosing,
and beginning late”---and its author gave to it all that had he had and was.

John Milton was no ordinary man or writer. He was a man of great learning,
intimate with ancient and modern literatures, versed in secular and sacred
writings, erudite both in new sciences and in traditional religious learning. He
was also an active participant in the religious and political struggles of his
time, writing vigorous pamphlets in favor of popular rule and liberty in church
and state. At that time he wrote this poem he was living in danger and
disgrace, for the monarchical rule and the ecclesiastical government he had
long fought had been restored to power.

It was this dark period---literally dark, ...

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... emotional and psychological consequences of the new knowledge in

Milton’s portrayal?

It can be remembered in Milton’s Areopagitica that he stated: “Good and evil

we know in the field of this world grew up together almost inseparably….” Do
you conclude from this passage that Milton did or did not believe that man
could know good without knowing evil? Did he consider Adam’s virtue before
the Fall “a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that
never sallies out and sees her adversary”? What kind of knowledge of evil
does he advocate in this passage---knowledge through seeing or knowledge
through doing? If Adam had been tempted but had abstained, would he have
attained the full human virtue Milton points to? Or is the journey through a
world where moral choices loom at every turn necessary to achieve real
human virtue?

Does Milton really consider the Fall a horrible doom, as he frequently says in
Paradise Lost, or does he consider it a glorious opportunity for the moral
education of man, for the perfection of man’s humanity? Is it Adam in Eden
really perfect, virtuous, rational and free? Or must he attain these virtues
through effort and experience in the everyday world.

Technology in Milton's Epic Poem Paradise Lost - Danilo Rizzuti

A critical analysis of the presentation of technology in Paradise Lost 6. 469-

678, paying attention to language and its significance to the poem as a
whole.

In Paradise Lost, John Milton uses the presentation of technology to illustrate

the themes of the text, namely the gulf between natural and man-made
environments, and the moral perspectives with which these are associated.

In book six Satan prepares his ranks for battle, confident that his ‘invention’
(Milton 2003:138, L.498), the cannon, will bring victory. In a speech to his
followers, Satan asserts that ‘such implements of mischief… shall dash to
pieces, and o’erwhelm whatever stands adverse’ (Milton 2003:138, L.488-
490). However, later in the poem, Milton reminds readers of God’s infallibility.
Satan finds not only that his soldiers are defeated, but that God had ‘forseen’
(Milton 2003:142, L.673) the entire event, and was aware of his predestined
victory.

This foolhardiness on Satan’s part is reflected in Milton’s use of language. The

fallen angels light the tapers on their cannons with ‘nicest’ (Milton 2003:140,
L.584) touch, a word not usually associated with war, until its etymological
significance is considered. Nice originates from the Latin, ‘nescius’, meaning
ignorant. Here Milton is condemning Satan’s defiance of God, as well as the
desecration of his creation.

To obtain the materials used to assemble his mechanical weaponry, Satan

overturned the surface of God’s earth, in other words mining and extracting
that which he needed from the planet’s innards. The cannons were crafted
from the same materials as God’s ‘continent of spacious Heav’n’, and are
therefore imbued with the same celestial power, albeit ‘dark and crude’
(Milton 2003:137, L.474-478).

Before his defeat, Satan believes he has harnessed the might of God, and
disarmed ‘The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt’ (Milton 2003:138, L.491).
This may be a warning to Milton’s contemporaries, as the modern attitude to
mining was changing, becoming more agreeable, and he saw this as a
violation of the Earth, drilling its ‘part-hidden veins…[and]…entrails’ (Milton
2003:138, L.516-7). Mankind is possibly setting itself up for a precipitous
moral fall.

The narrator, Raphael, asserts that ‘riches grow in hell’ (Milton 2003:20,
L691), an idea which was conducive to the puritanical society of Milton’s day,
and as Matthew Jordan states, in Milton‘s world, ‘while mining gold has led to
avarice, extracting iron is the source of human cruelty in the form of war’
(Jordan 2001:127).

As Heidegger offers, when mankind begins using the land for its hidden
resources, ‘a tract of land is challenged into the putting out of coal and ore.
The earth now reveals itself as a coal mining district, the soil as a mineral
deposit’ (Jordan 2001:120). Society in Milton’s day was beginning to utilise
the materials beneath the earth’s surface, and is urged by the text to remain
in a state of ‘wholeness’, when man accepted that which was present and
freely available, ‘when all experience was holy, and when to care for a field
was in itself an act of praise’ (Jordan 2001:121).

Read on

* Gender in the Works of John Milton

* John Milton

* Paradise Lost by Symphony X

The cannons themselves are personified in Paradise Lost, with ‘hideous

orifice’, ‘hollow’ and ‘deep-throated’. The hollowness of his creations serves
to represent the hollowness of Satan’s words, and he himself, when faced
with a divine world of which he is no part. The theme of mirroring is present
here, with the cannons expelling their ‘entrails’, ‘disgorging foul their devilish
glut’ (Milton 2003:140, L.588-589), and reminding readers of the way in
which mother earth had her entrails forcibly removed. There is a sense of
divine retribution, and an appropriate punishment for their sins, when Satan’s
followers have their weapons reduced to obsoleteness by nature, the very
force against which they were so confident.
The serpent has a firm place in Eden before its corruption, even appearing
alongside Adam and Eve in one of their more blissful moments, ‘close the
serpent… wove with Gordian twine his braided train’. Although even here
there is a clue to his complexity and ‘guile’ (Milton 2003:82, L.347-349). With
reference to a Gordian knot, (The famed knot of rope belonging to King
Gordius in the sixteenth century, which was to be loosened only by the future
ruler of Asia), Milton is presenting the serpent instantly as something of a
problem. In book nine, when Satan has taken possession of the creature, it
graduates from a mere problem to ‘the enemy of mankind’ (Milton 2003:198,
L. 494), Adam referring to it disapprovingly as ‘that false worm’ (Milton
2003:213, L.1068).

Throughout the poem it becomes apparent that Satan is indeed false - in his
speech, as well as his obvious preoccupation with that which is false, or
unnatural. Raphael refers to him as ‘the fraud’ (Milton 2003:139, L.555)
preceding battle, and use of the definite article ‘the’ implies that Satan is the
original fraud, similar to the way that he is the original enemy of mankind, or
the original fallen angel, and not simply a participant in these sinful activities.

In this poem, Milton presents technology as something which is not to be

taken lightly, and warns the society of his day against relying too heavily on
these advancements, while neglecting the mother earth which has provided
so plentifully humanity's every need. There may be power in mining facilities
and weapons, but Milton reminds in Paradise Lost that none are even
remotely as powerful or majestic as the natural, God-given universe in which
the Earth resides.

ritical Analysis of Milton's "Paradise Lost"

It was a time of turmoil, confusion, and frustration. The people were without a
leader, they had no direction, and the country was in a state of confusion.
The Parliament had rebelled against King Charles I. England blamed God and
did not understand why God would put the country in such a state of misery
and be the cause of much suffering. The people turned to one of the greatest
writers of their time, John Milton, for answers. Milton says that Satan is the
true cause of our earthly pain and suffering. In his epic poem, Paradise Lost,
Milton attempts to reveal the truth about the character of Satan and "justify
the ways of God to men" by showing Satan’s fall from glory, his loathing for
the Garden of Eden, and the effect he had on it’s human inhabitants.

In Heaven, Satan swelled with pride and envy. He tried to raise a war against
the monarchy of God with his host of rebel angels but all was in vain. God
cast him down to dwell in a fiery inferno where "rest can never dwell, hope
never comes, and torture is without end". Doomed to live with the knowledge
of both a "lost happiness and lasting pain." This fallen angle was haunted by
the memory of a once better like and also of an eternal physical pain.
Although he was surrounded but such a constant agony, Gods grace was still
readily available to him. But Satan was swallowed up buy his pride and lust
for glory. How could he go groveling back now? And with his whole host of
rebel angles behind him? Satan choose himself.

Calling together his host of angles he tells them, "Consult how we may
henceforth most offend Our Enemy." To do aught good never will be our task,
But ever to do evil our sole delight. Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,
Our labor must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of
evil. Satan knew that he would eventually lose the battle with God. Therefore,
to get revenge, he vowed to take down as many as he could with him. He
chose to make a hell for himself wherever he went. The mind it it’s own
place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. Freedom
from authority and revenge were two of his beliefs. "To reign in heaven is
better than to serve in hell. With rallied arms to try what may be yet regained
in Heaven, or what more lost in Hell?

As with the cause of the war in heaven, when Satan was jealous of God, so
Satan’s jealousy towards humans grows. His blood truly begins to boil and his
fury to ready to revenged on man. He is jealous that humans do not fell that
horror and doubt that he experiences. Mankind does not cringe to look upon
the sun as he says as he does, " O sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance form what state I fell, how glorious once
above thy sphere. He fury grew and " Satan, now first inflamed with rage,
came down. The tempter ere th’ accuse of mankind. To wreak on the
innocent frail man his loss."

He comes upon Eden, a paradise laden "fairest fruit, blossoms and fruits
grown at the golden hue. Access denied, the garden was filled garden and
trees of all kinds.. The beauty and splendor of the garden about him torment
him and come for a hateful siege. "For only in destroying I find ease. "He
forged with way, "pensive and slow to find a spot to view all the people
exposed. He wants to do anything he can to take revenge on the human race.
Satan cried out, " For whom all this was made, all this will soon follow, as to
him linked in weal or woe. One day to have marred what he, Almighty styled,
six night and days continued making. Satan’s temptation plan began to form.

Deceitfulness was the key. Satan crept about and “With narrow search, and
with inspection deep considered every creature, which of all most opportune
might serve his wiles and found the serpent subtlest beast of all the field. He
chose to enter, and his dark suggestion hide from the sharpest sight , for he
was very wily. Satan’s boasted, “the serpent sleeping in whose many folds to
hide me, and the dark intent I bring. Revenge, at first thought sweet, bitter
ere long back on itself recoils. Since higher I fall short, on him who next
provokes my envy, this new favorite?

His hatred toward Eden and man kind, carried over to his actions involving
the inhabitants. Satan was able to convince Eve to want to leave her
husbands side. This was the first step toward sin. In doing so, Satan broke
that strong bond of trust between man and wife that God had sanctified. He
lures Eve with all his cunning and convinces her to eat from the tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil thus temporarily separating she and her husband
from God.

This was merely a foreshadowing of a lifelong task that continues to do.

Satan ultimate wants us to choose ourselves over God as he did so that we
might also suffer. By Adam and Eve eating the fruit, they were both punished
and experienced pain and earthly torment that Satan faces on a daily bases.
From that point on Satan continues his mission to confuse people about the
truth, cause pain, and trick them into doing something that will cause them
pain. However God wants to give us salvation from these earthly trials. Gods
ways are justified. Milton showed that God is not the instigator of pain but
rather Satan in all his longing and bitterness for revenge is the one who
brings the world much strife

By analyzing John Milton's Paradise Lost, it is plain to see it is a fine example

of epic poetry. For the most part, John Milton follows the three main
guidelines that construct

an epic poem. By beginning in a formal way, having supernatural warfare,

and engaging a character in a dark voyage, John Milton clearly uses classical
epic characteristics.

In traditional epic poetry, the poet asks a muse to speak through him. In the
very beginning, Milton invokes a muse to inspire and instruct him. "I thence
invoke thy aid to my adventurous song/…instruct me, for Thou know'st"
(Book 1 ll 13-19). Though the muse gives him his motivation, it is not only the
muse that distinguishes his knowledge of the supernatural world. There is a
separate affiliation between the poet and the muse. Instead of the heavenly
muse speaking through Milton, he uses her more as guidance. It is plain to
see that the muse was Milton's divine inspiration that made Paradise Lost the
creation it became.

The question of the dark voyage is easily answered by Satan's many

journeys. The vast scopes of settings range from Heaven to Hell to Earth. As
a punishment for Satan's disloyalty to God, he is banished to the fiery flames
of Hell. To receive his revenge, he escapes Hell in the search of Earth. There
he can hurt God through His human creations which he has heard about.
"Since the first break of dawn, the Fiend,/ Mere serpent in appearance, forth
was come,/ And on his quest, where likeliest he might find the only two of
mankind, but in them/ The whole included race, his purposed prey" (Book 9 ll
1-5). Because Satan embarks on this journey, it is evident to see the
connection to the epic element of a dark voyage.

In Paradise Lost, the epic characteristic of warfare is a main event. There is a

supernatural war fought between the forces Satan and the forces of God.
Satan is willing to give up all peace, love, joy, and beauty to overcome God
and gain all His power. Because of Satan's involvement in this war, he and his
followers will be surrounded by war, violence, hate and rage for eternity.
Satan loses the first battle as he challenges God's sovereign rule and his
punishment is banishment to Hell along with all his followers. Since Satan
first began the war, he will be forced to continue in it for all time.
Unmistakably there is a continuous battle between good and evil as should
be in epic poetry.

John Milton writes Paradise Lost as a well written epic poem. The technique in
his writing illustrates the main elements of epic literature. Obviously, John
Milton uses the key elements throughout his poem to convey an epic poem.