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Paradise Lost
An old cover edition of this ISBN can be found HERE
Gordon Teskey's freshly edited text of Milton's masterpiece is accompanied by a new introduction and substantial explanatory annotations. Spelling and punctuation have been modernized, the latter, importantly, within the limits imposed by Milton's syntax. "Sources and Backgrounds" collects relevant passages from the Bible and Milton's prose writings, including selections from The Reason of Church Government and the full text of Areopagitica. "Criticism" brings together classic interpretations by Andrew Marvell, John Dryden, Victor Hugo, and T. S. Eliot, among others, and the most important recent criticism and scholarship surrounding the epic, including essays by Northrop Frye, Barbara Lewalski, Christopher Ricks, and Helen Vendler. A Glossary and Selected Bibliography are also included.
Gordon Teskey's freshly edited text of Milton's masterpiece is accompanied by a new introduction and substantial explanatory annotations. Spelling and punctuation have been modernized, the latter, importantly, within the limits imposed by Milton's syntax. "Sources and Backgrounds" collects relevant passages from the Bible and Milton's prose writings, including selections from The Reason of Church Government and the full text of Areopagitica. "Criticism" brings together classic interpretations by Andrew Marvell, John Dryden, Victor Hugo, and T. S. Eliot, among others, and the most important recent criticism and scholarship surrounding the epic, including essays by Northrop Frye, Barbara Lewalski, Christopher Ricks, and Helen Vendler. A Glossary and Selected Bibliography are also included.
590 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1667
20.5k people are currently reading
342k people want to read
About the author
John Milton
2,875听books2,155听followersJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), written in blank verse.
Milton's poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. Writing in English, Latin, Greek, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644)鈥攚ritten in condemnation of pre-publication censorship鈥攊s among history's most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and freedom of the press.
William Hayley's 1796 biography called him the "greatest English author," and he remains generally regarded "as one of the preeminent writers in the English language," though critical reception has oscillated in the centuries since his death (often on account of his republicanism). Samuel Johnson praised Paradise Lost as "a poem which...with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the human mind," though he (a Tory and recipient of royal patronage) described Milton's politics as those of an "acrimonious and surly republican".
Because of his republicanism, Milton has been the subject of centuries of British partisanship.
Milton's poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. Writing in English, Latin, Greek, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644)鈥攚ritten in condemnation of pre-publication censorship鈥攊s among history's most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and freedom of the press.
William Hayley's 1796 biography called him the "greatest English author," and he remains generally regarded "as one of the preeminent writers in the English language," though critical reception has oscillated in the centuries since his death (often on account of his republicanism). Samuel Johnson praised Paradise Lost as "a poem which...with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the human mind," though he (a Tory and recipient of royal patronage) described Milton's politics as those of an "acrimonious and surly republican".
Because of his republicanism, Milton has been the subject of centuries of British partisanship.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,617 reviews
January 2, 2015
There's all this debate over why Satan is so appealing in Paradise Lost. Did Milton screw up? Is he being cynical, or a double-secret atheist? And why is God such a dick?
But no one asks whether, say, Shakespeare screwed up in making Iago so much fun; they just give him credit for writing an awesome villain. And that's all Milton's doing. Satan is tempting for us because Satan is tempting for us. That's the point of Satan! If Milton didn't make him as appealing as possible, he'd be doing Satan a disservice. And Eve, for that matter.
Similarly, God's a dick because God's a dick. You've read the Old Testament. He's not exactly all flowers and hugs there either. Again, Milton's just being true to his characters, and writing a great story while he's at it.
There鈥檚 slightly more to it than that, yeah. For example: it's hinted a little that God sets Satan up to fall. He gives a stern warning that anyone who disobeys him or his son will be cast out of Heaven. But since there's no sin or evil at the time of his speech, why give the warning? Isn't that like saying "Don't touch these cookies while I'm gone" to a kid who didn't realize there were cookies until you pointed them out?
Here鈥檚 my advice to people considering reading Paradise Lost: read the first two books. It starts with a bang, and it鈥檚 pretty amazing for a while. It slows down a bit in books III - VII, so if you鈥檙e not totally sold in the first two books (I was), you can either quit altogether with a fair idea of what Milton sounds like, or skip to books IX and X. IX is the actual temptation and fall (especially fun if you鈥檙e a misogynist), and X is an astonishing sequence where Adam and Eve contemplate suicide:
"Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out
To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet
Mortality my sentence...
his dreadful voice no more
Would thunder in my ears." (Adam, X.774 - 780)
鈥淲e鈥檝e totally mucked this up, and our kids are gonna justifiably hate us because we got kicked out of Paradise, and maybe we should just quit while we鈥檙e behind.鈥�
But really, the whole thing is worth it. Took me a while 鈥� it鈥檚 intense stuff, so I found that I had to read a book and then chew on it for a while to process it before moving to the next one 鈥� but it鈥檚 cool.
In book VIII, if you鈥檙e cosmologically minded, Milton lays out the whole universe. Like Giordano Bruno, he understands that our earth is a tiny speck in the universe, and he gets that all the stars are suns like ours, and therefore could have planets like ours around them. He also thinks they might be inhabited; our species might not be God's only experiment. Elsewhere, other Adams and Eves may have faced the same test of the Tree of Knowledge - and they might have passed it. Isn't that an amazing thought?
In books XI and XII, Michael tells Adam sortof all the rest of the stories in the Old Testament, which of course boil down to:
鈥淪o shall the world go on,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning.鈥� (XII 537 鈥� 539)
That鈥檚 your fault there, Adam. Nice work.
He rushes through them though, and it makes me wonder whether Milton had originally intended to retell the entire Old Testament but got bored or intimidated or something. That would鈥檝e been remarkable. Certainly Paradise Lost is better literature than the Old Testament is, and significantly more coherent.
It's also better literature than almost everything else. Second-best poem by a blind guy ever.
But no one asks whether, say, Shakespeare screwed up in making Iago so much fun; they just give him credit for writing an awesome villain. And that's all Milton's doing. Satan is tempting for us because Satan is tempting for us. That's the point of Satan! If Milton didn't make him as appealing as possible, he'd be doing Satan a disservice. And Eve, for that matter.
Similarly, God's a dick because God's a dick. You've read the Old Testament. He's not exactly all flowers and hugs there either. Again, Milton's just being true to his characters, and writing a great story while he's at it.
There鈥檚 slightly more to it than that, yeah. For example: it's hinted a little that God sets Satan up to fall. He gives a stern warning that anyone who disobeys him or his son will be cast out of Heaven. But since there's no sin or evil at the time of his speech, why give the warning? Isn't that like saying "Don't touch these cookies while I'm gone" to a kid who didn't realize there were cookies until you pointed them out?
Here鈥檚 my advice to people considering reading Paradise Lost: read the first two books. It starts with a bang, and it鈥檚 pretty amazing for a while. It slows down a bit in books III - VII, so if you鈥檙e not totally sold in the first two books (I was), you can either quit altogether with a fair idea of what Milton sounds like, or skip to books IX and X. IX is the actual temptation and fall (especially fun if you鈥檙e a misogynist), and X is an astonishing sequence where Adam and Eve contemplate suicide:
"Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out
To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet
Mortality my sentence...
his dreadful voice no more
Would thunder in my ears." (Adam, X.774 - 780)
鈥淲e鈥檝e totally mucked this up, and our kids are gonna justifiably hate us because we got kicked out of Paradise, and maybe we should just quit while we鈥檙e behind.鈥�
But really, the whole thing is worth it. Took me a while 鈥� it鈥檚 intense stuff, so I found that I had to read a book and then chew on it for a while to process it before moving to the next one 鈥� but it鈥檚 cool.
In book VIII, if you鈥檙e cosmologically minded, Milton lays out the whole universe. Like Giordano Bruno, he understands that our earth is a tiny speck in the universe, and he gets that all the stars are suns like ours, and therefore could have planets like ours around them. He also thinks they might be inhabited; our species might not be God's only experiment. Elsewhere, other Adams and Eves may have faced the same test of the Tree of Knowledge - and they might have passed it. Isn't that an amazing thought?
In books XI and XII, Michael tells Adam sortof all the rest of the stories in the Old Testament, which of course boil down to:
鈥淪o shall the world go on,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning.鈥� (XII 537 鈥� 539)
That鈥檚 your fault there, Adam. Nice work.
He rushes through them though, and it makes me wonder whether Milton had originally intended to retell the entire Old Testament but got bored or intimidated or something. That would鈥檝e been remarkable. Certainly Paradise Lost is better literature than the Old Testament is, and significantly more coherent.
It's also better literature than almost everything else. Second-best poem by a blind guy ever.
December 4, 2013
in middle school i had seen this book lying around the house and for some reason it struck me as very impressive. i didn't ever want to read it but i wanted to give off the impression that i was the type of person who would read it. i did this with a few other books too (catcher in the rye, , ect.) i carried it to school so that teachers would see it in my possession and prominently displayed it on my bedside table to let friends and family know.
after actually reading the book for a brit-lit class i realized how wrong my thirteen-year-old self was with the image i assumed i was portraying. most likely people realized that i was desperate for attention and for some strange reason was using john milton to get it, but on the off chance they did believe i was 'into' paradise lost, i must have seemed like a total psycho. the book is about a war waged in hell after satan's fall into the underworld. all of the descriptions are completely graphic and grotesque. i think i blocked a lot out but i do remember a female demon who is repeatedly raped by her sons immediately after giving birth to them. yuck. thank god i realized later that the best way to get attention is through cigarettes and promiscuity not literature.
after actually reading the book for a brit-lit class i realized how wrong my thirteen-year-old self was with the image i assumed i was portraying. most likely people realized that i was desperate for attention and for some strange reason was using john milton to get it, but on the off chance they did believe i was 'into' paradise lost, i must have seemed like a total psycho. the book is about a war waged in hell after satan's fall into the underworld. all of the descriptions are completely graphic and grotesque. i think i blocked a lot out but i do remember a female demon who is repeatedly raped by her sons immediately after giving birth to them. yuck. thank god i realized later that the best way to get attention is through cigarettes and promiscuity not literature.
March 18, 2025
THE CONQUEST OF PRIDE.
The road winds in
Listlessness of ancient war,
Langour of broken steel,
Clamour of confused wrong, apt
In silence. Memory is strong
Beyond the bone. Pride snapped,
Shadow of pride is long....
T.S. ELIOT, RANNOCH AT GLENCOE
Which way I turn is Hell -
Myself am Hell.
SATAN, FROM 鈥楶ARADISE LOST鈥�
When T.S. Eliot visited the Scottish Highlands in his later years, he saw at first hand the site of the Glencoe Massacre at the time of the doomed Jacobite uprising of 1689.
As he mused, who knows if he also thought of his own earlier words on this poetry, poetry that was composed at a religiously fractious moment of British history in the same timeframe as Glencoe - Milton's Paradise Lost?
Perhaps he was remembering his comment that Milton could never endear himself to us readers.
But maybe also this great twentieth century poet called to mind, as he meditated on war and pride, his own opinion that "there is no wisdom beyond the wisdom of humility.鈥�
Pride begins and ends all wars, and pride can be the downfall of anyone鈥檚 religion.
But humility is grace.
And pride is the last enemy we must defeat on the road to self-knowledge.
John Milton was a proud man, and he was valiantly attempting to "work out (his) salvation with diligence" - as Eliot鈥榮 character of the psychiatrist says in The Cocktail Party - within the confines of a religion of Love, in which his own immense ego could barely fit.
A doomed enterprise.
As it was for me. My wounded heterosexual ego - for years - was crushed by the modern burden of sexual diversity.
And the crushed, blind Milton of the later Samson Agonistes was still smothered in the smoky remnants of a hellish pride, as is his Satan in this work - with whom Milton subconsciously sympathizes.
And that's the problem.
William Blake, in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, implies that Satan鈥檚 fall is in reality Jesus鈥� fall, which totally appalls me, but there, but for Grace, have gone I. Obviously with this revelation evidence is mounting that Milton was Gnostic.
What is a Gnostic? Someone who puts themselves first, over against God and goodness (more than guilty, your honour). So Gnosticism is the oldest cult of them all.
Again, that applies to my own dark past. For as John Milton was rooting for the puritanical underdogs over and against the 鈥渓icentious鈥� Stuarts, so did I, albeit in a more modern sexual context.
Which is it - the humility of the Lord or the pride of Satan? Get with the program, Fergus!
It seems that as long as we, like Milton, seek a separate transcendence from our fellows in our beliefs, those beliefs will be to some extent defined by pride.
Pride seeks transcendence; while humility abases itself to a state of immanence. There may be no religious faith other than the Pauline one which accepts the full weight of life鈥檚 inherent problematics.
Many outside of faith, similarly, seek transcendence - some in great power, though others through idealizing their ideas of sexuality and living those ideals through their acts.
If you take your life without those transcendent ideals you鈥檙e on the right path, though it hurts like all get out to do that. Yet that鈥檚 what Christian existentialists like Kierkegaard and Jaspers tell us to do. I must learn ever anew from them.
Milton lived in his poetic ideals as others among us live in their sexual ideals. And so life becomes for them a game to be won ever anew, until old age puts the kibosh to all that.
Yet, those who seek in resignation to live life in forever experiencing its problematic aspects, will be forever renewed in its vigour. Any form of escape will prove to be spiritual suicide.
The majestic, rumbling cadences of this great work inspire our awe, but the epic doesn't satisfy, because of this inherent duality of meaning and intent.
For the real meaning of Losing Paradise is found in the transcendence of pride.
So, to sum up: The epic battles are incredible, but they are filled with the "clamour of confused wrong."
The poetry floors us, but the ego of its author turns us off. (And I apologize for my identical behaviour here.)
The overall architecture is superb, but there is a crack in its cornerstone.
Five stars for an otherwise incredible masterpiece of literature.
A fractured masterpiece - to more objectively wary (and rightly so) modern eyes.
The road winds in
Listlessness of ancient war,
Langour of broken steel,
Clamour of confused wrong, apt
In silence. Memory is strong
Beyond the bone. Pride snapped,
Shadow of pride is long....
T.S. ELIOT, RANNOCH AT GLENCOE
Which way I turn is Hell -
Myself am Hell.
SATAN, FROM 鈥楶ARADISE LOST鈥�
When T.S. Eliot visited the Scottish Highlands in his later years, he saw at first hand the site of the Glencoe Massacre at the time of the doomed Jacobite uprising of 1689.
As he mused, who knows if he also thought of his own earlier words on this poetry, poetry that was composed at a religiously fractious moment of British history in the same timeframe as Glencoe - Milton's Paradise Lost?
Perhaps he was remembering his comment that Milton could never endear himself to us readers.
But maybe also this great twentieth century poet called to mind, as he meditated on war and pride, his own opinion that "there is no wisdom beyond the wisdom of humility.鈥�
Pride begins and ends all wars, and pride can be the downfall of anyone鈥檚 religion.
But humility is grace.
And pride is the last enemy we must defeat on the road to self-knowledge.
John Milton was a proud man, and he was valiantly attempting to "work out (his) salvation with diligence" - as Eliot鈥榮 character of the psychiatrist says in The Cocktail Party - within the confines of a religion of Love, in which his own immense ego could barely fit.
A doomed enterprise.
As it was for me. My wounded heterosexual ego - for years - was crushed by the modern burden of sexual diversity.
And the crushed, blind Milton of the later Samson Agonistes was still smothered in the smoky remnants of a hellish pride, as is his Satan in this work - with whom Milton subconsciously sympathizes.
And that's the problem.
William Blake, in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, implies that Satan鈥檚 fall is in reality Jesus鈥� fall, which totally appalls me, but there, but for Grace, have gone I. Obviously with this revelation evidence is mounting that Milton was Gnostic.
What is a Gnostic? Someone who puts themselves first, over against God and goodness (more than guilty, your honour). So Gnosticism is the oldest cult of them all.
Again, that applies to my own dark past. For as John Milton was rooting for the puritanical underdogs over and against the 鈥渓icentious鈥� Stuarts, so did I, albeit in a more modern sexual context.
Which is it - the humility of the Lord or the pride of Satan? Get with the program, Fergus!
It seems that as long as we, like Milton, seek a separate transcendence from our fellows in our beliefs, those beliefs will be to some extent defined by pride.
Pride seeks transcendence; while humility abases itself to a state of immanence. There may be no religious faith other than the Pauline one which accepts the full weight of life鈥檚 inherent problematics.
Many outside of faith, similarly, seek transcendence - some in great power, though others through idealizing their ideas of sexuality and living those ideals through their acts.
If you take your life without those transcendent ideals you鈥檙e on the right path, though it hurts like all get out to do that. Yet that鈥檚 what Christian existentialists like Kierkegaard and Jaspers tell us to do. I must learn ever anew from them.
Milton lived in his poetic ideals as others among us live in their sexual ideals. And so life becomes for them a game to be won ever anew, until old age puts the kibosh to all that.
Yet, those who seek in resignation to live life in forever experiencing its problematic aspects, will be forever renewed in its vigour. Any form of escape will prove to be spiritual suicide.
The majestic, rumbling cadences of this great work inspire our awe, but the epic doesn't satisfy, because of this inherent duality of meaning and intent.
For the real meaning of Losing Paradise is found in the transcendence of pride.
So, to sum up: The epic battles are incredible, but they are filled with the "clamour of confused wrong."
The poetry floors us, but the ego of its author turns us off. (And I apologize for my identical behaviour here.)
The overall architecture is superb, but there is a crack in its cornerstone.
Five stars for an otherwise incredible masterpiece of literature.
A fractured masterpiece - to more objectively wary (and rightly so) modern eyes.
September 9, 2018
Paradise Lost is the quintessential epic poem and its protagonist, Satan, is the quintessential anti-hero.
鈥淏etter to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.鈥�
It鈥檚 almost impossible to read this without, in some way, sympathising with him. Although he is vain, full of pride and evil, he is still a fallen angel. And that鈥檚 kind of important. In the early cantos he is powerful, persuasive and godly though he, ultimately, becomes corrupted by his own selfish desires and ruins himself. He is blinded by ambition and God鈥檚 glory. He is jealous and power hungry and reals over what he will never have. He deteriorates and festers, becoming more evil as his pain increases. The hell he feels at his separation from God is projected outwards and he looses himself in maelstrom of emotions that inflict his soul. He lives in denial and becomes demented that much so he is reduced to the form of a snake. The once magnificent angel, tall and proud, now slithers on the floor with the beasts.
Satan is fearless. Eternal damnation did not make him baulk. As a form of petty revenge for his perpetual banishment from heaven, Satan determines to corrupt mankind and prove that God鈥檚 creation is fallible, weak and debased. He creates Sin and Death, his children, the means of entering Earth through hell. Through temptation he has his victory, Eve eats the apple in the garden of eden because of his coercion. God punishes Adam and Eve, banishing them to Earth. Satan has achieved his goal, though his fate remains unchanged and his once noble intentions have become so distorted that he becomes the very personification of evil.
鈥淎bashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss鈥�
The poem interprets the idea of salvation and redemption present in the bible. Despite his crimes, Satan never attempts a reconciliation. Humanity, on the other hand, toils on earth, worships god, and seeks forgiveness. It displays the idea that obedience to God is the creed in which one should live by and that all hierarchies exist for a reason, to break them is to break the rule of God. As such, some critics see political arguments within the text, arguing that Satan represents Oliver Cromwell, the usurper, and that God represent Charles I, the lord and king of the lands. It鈥檚 an interesting reading, for sure.
Like all great poetry, Paradise Lost can be read in many different ways. The religious allegory and imagery is excellent. There鈥檚 so much to say about this poem, and it has influenced so many other writers in the centuries after its original publication. I wonder how much so though. I can think of numerous examples in modern literature that would not have existed if not for the influence and pertinence of the ideas presented here. Putting aside the beauty of the poetry, and the allegories, it's a fantastic story that has permeated so many others: it's legacy endures.
It鈥檚 a powerful piece, and the tragic story of Satan will always remain the most endearing aspect of it for me.
| | | |
鈥淏etter to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.鈥�
It鈥檚 almost impossible to read this without, in some way, sympathising with him. Although he is vain, full of pride and evil, he is still a fallen angel. And that鈥檚 kind of important. In the early cantos he is powerful, persuasive and godly though he, ultimately, becomes corrupted by his own selfish desires and ruins himself. He is blinded by ambition and God鈥檚 glory. He is jealous and power hungry and reals over what he will never have. He deteriorates and festers, becoming more evil as his pain increases. The hell he feels at his separation from God is projected outwards and he looses himself in maelstrom of emotions that inflict his soul. He lives in denial and becomes demented that much so he is reduced to the form of a snake. The once magnificent angel, tall and proud, now slithers on the floor with the beasts.
Satan is fearless. Eternal damnation did not make him baulk. As a form of petty revenge for his perpetual banishment from heaven, Satan determines to corrupt mankind and prove that God鈥檚 creation is fallible, weak and debased. He creates Sin and Death, his children, the means of entering Earth through hell. Through temptation he has his victory, Eve eats the apple in the garden of eden because of his coercion. God punishes Adam and Eve, banishing them to Earth. Satan has achieved his goal, though his fate remains unchanged and his once noble intentions have become so distorted that he becomes the very personification of evil.
鈥淎bashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss鈥�
The poem interprets the idea of salvation and redemption present in the bible. Despite his crimes, Satan never attempts a reconciliation. Humanity, on the other hand, toils on earth, worships god, and seeks forgiveness. It displays the idea that obedience to God is the creed in which one should live by and that all hierarchies exist for a reason, to break them is to break the rule of God. As such, some critics see political arguments within the text, arguing that Satan represents Oliver Cromwell, the usurper, and that God represent Charles I, the lord and king of the lands. It鈥檚 an interesting reading, for sure.
Like all great poetry, Paradise Lost can be read in many different ways. The religious allegory and imagery is excellent. There鈥檚 so much to say about this poem, and it has influenced so many other writers in the centuries after its original publication. I wonder how much so though. I can think of numerous examples in modern literature that would not have existed if not for the influence and pertinence of the ideas presented here. Putting aside the beauty of the poetry, and the allegories, it's a fantastic story that has permeated so many others: it's legacy endures.
It鈥檚 a powerful piece, and the tragic story of Satan will always remain the most endearing aspect of it for me.
| | | |
March 6, 2019
When I think of Milton's epic poem about Satan and his fall from grace, I most frequently think of two anecdotes apart from the actual work, brilliant and a foundation of modern literature as it is.
First, I recall the scene from Animal House, when Donald Sutherland begins a smarmy, condescendingly pretentious question to his class about Milton's intentions for introducing Satan as such an interesting character, punctuating the delivery with a crisp bite of his apple. As the bell rings and the class dutifully escapes from his lecture, he deflates and mutters about how boring it all is.
Secondly, I recall a misadventure I had in college. At the time I was an honors English student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, back in the post ice age times of the late eighties. I unslung my Civil War musket and headed to class, knowing that I had been guilty of aggravated student procrastination. Due that very morning was a paper (we actually used to physically write out essays back then, with pen or pencil and on an essay book) and my very ambitious subject was a comparison between the literary styles of epic and tragedy, and using as examples Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only was the paper not done, but I had not completely read either work!
I jaunted into class with the intention of asking for a couple of days extra, to "clean up my notes". My professor, who up to that time had been a model of undergraduate cool, now turned authoritarian and replied, "no" it was due no later than the end of the day. I could drop it off at her office by four pm.
Keeping my cool, I just had to tidy up the final draft after all, I walked out of class, down the hall, and then broke into a loping, lycanthropic run for my room. To this day, almost thirty years later, I can remember the soul crushing dread of sitting down and staring at my painfully scanty notes.
Well, sports fans, I turned in one for the ages, slinging more excrement than a West Texas cow rancher in springtime. Not only were Milton and Shakespeare comparable, they were best mates, tennis doubles partners and drinking buddies. The two works were like Forrest and Jenny, peas and carrots.
B minus.
First, I recall the scene from Animal House, when Donald Sutherland begins a smarmy, condescendingly pretentious question to his class about Milton's intentions for introducing Satan as such an interesting character, punctuating the delivery with a crisp bite of his apple. As the bell rings and the class dutifully escapes from his lecture, he deflates and mutters about how boring it all is.
Secondly, I recall a misadventure I had in college. At the time I was an honors English student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, back in the post ice age times of the late eighties. I unslung my Civil War musket and headed to class, knowing that I had been guilty of aggravated student procrastination. Due that very morning was a paper (we actually used to physically write out essays back then, with pen or pencil and on an essay book) and my very ambitious subject was a comparison between the literary styles of epic and tragedy, and using as examples Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's King Lear. Not only was the paper not done, but I had not completely read either work!
I jaunted into class with the intention of asking for a couple of days extra, to "clean up my notes". My professor, who up to that time had been a model of undergraduate cool, now turned authoritarian and replied, "no" it was due no later than the end of the day. I could drop it off at her office by four pm.
Keeping my cool, I just had to tidy up the final draft after all, I walked out of class, down the hall, and then broke into a loping, lycanthropic run for my room. To this day, almost thirty years later, I can remember the soul crushing dread of sitting down and staring at my painfully scanty notes.
Well, sports fans, I turned in one for the ages, slinging more excrement than a West Texas cow rancher in springtime. Not only were Milton and Shakespeare comparable, they were best mates, tennis doubles partners and drinking buddies. The two works were like Forrest and Jenny, peas and carrots.
B minus.
April 18, 2007
Portions of this book were assigned for my Brit Lit class. I read about half of the assigned portions. I was distracted at the time by various events in life and wasn't yet a very good student.
My professor had done his PhD work on Milton and taught with a contagious passion. So much passion that I decided, after the discussion was over, to buy the whole book. During our five day Fall break in my sophomore year I sat on the front lawn of my college and read Paradise Lost. Nonstop, getting up for meals and other important breaks but otherwise spending that whole break reading Milton. Hardly anyone else remained on campus. The weather was cool and breezy and beautiful. I sat under a tree and read lengthy portions out loud, which helped me get into the rhythm. Once in the rhythm of reading I tasted heaven itself. This book was an awakening for me, a trigger that opened up my soul and allowed me to understand a small portion of eternity. It was an epiphany weekend for me, one which transformed my soul, and remains in many ways an anchor for my faith. During the dark times of my soul I remembered those days and knew, knew, knew there was something to still hope for.
This is a hard read and one that likely requires a lot of space, quiet and time. It takes a while to get into his rhythm and finally dance with his words, but if you can, if you can get away from this world for a while and devote yourself to Milton's work you'll find a new reality opening up. The man saw heaven. The man knew God. His writing is genius and extraordinary, far beyond anything else I've ever read.
This book, literally, changed my soul and my life.
My professor had done his PhD work on Milton and taught with a contagious passion. So much passion that I decided, after the discussion was over, to buy the whole book. During our five day Fall break in my sophomore year I sat on the front lawn of my college and read Paradise Lost. Nonstop, getting up for meals and other important breaks but otherwise spending that whole break reading Milton. Hardly anyone else remained on campus. The weather was cool and breezy and beautiful. I sat under a tree and read lengthy portions out loud, which helped me get into the rhythm. Once in the rhythm of reading I tasted heaven itself. This book was an awakening for me, a trigger that opened up my soul and allowed me to understand a small portion of eternity. It was an epiphany weekend for me, one which transformed my soul, and remains in many ways an anchor for my faith. During the dark times of my soul I remembered those days and knew, knew, knew there was something to still hope for.
This is a hard read and one that likely requires a lot of space, quiet and time. It takes a while to get into his rhythm and finally dance with his words, but if you can, if you can get away from this world for a while and devote yourself to Milton's work you'll find a new reality opening up. The man saw heaven. The man knew God. His writing is genius and extraordinary, far beyond anything else I've ever read.
This book, literally, changed my soul and my life.
November 30, 2020
EDIT 26/12/2018: I'm not answering comments on this review anymore because I find that I have to constantly repeat myself. If you feel the need to point out Paradise Lost is a classic and was written during an era when women had few rights, please refer to the comment section. I'm fucking done.
The 50-word review that launched a thousand trolls:
Fuck your misogyny. Fuck your scorning Greek gods as false gods, then using its mythology left and right as metaphors. Fuck your punishing the serpent when You knew it was possessed by Satan. Fuck鈥擜h, forget it.
The 50-word review that launched a thousand trolls:
Fuck your misogyny. Fuck your scorning Greek gods as false gods, then using its mythology left and right as metaphors. Fuck your punishing the serpent when You knew it was possessed by Satan. Fuck鈥擜h, forget it.
October 8, 2021
Paradise Lost, John Milton
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608鈥�1674).
It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time.
It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.
The struggle rages across three worlds - heaven, hell, and earth - as Satan and his band of rebel angels plot their revenge against God. At the center of the conflict are Adam and Eve, who are motivated by all too human temptations but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love.
Marked by Milton's characteristic erudition, Paradise Lost is a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition.
For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 乇賵夭賴丕蹖 爻丕賱 2001賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 - 爻賴 讴鬲丕亘貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕貨 丿乇 爻賴 噩賱丿貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 17賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 - 爻賴 讴鬲丕亘貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賮乇蹖丿賴 賲賴丿賵蹖 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 鬲蹖乇貙 1379貨 丿乇 爻賴 噩賱丿貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1383貨 趩丕倬 爻賵賲 爻丕賱1385貨 卮丕亘讴 丿賵乇賴: 9646581455貨 趩丕倬 趩賴丕乇賲 1387貨 卮丕亘讴9786008817185貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 匕賴賳 丌賵蹖夭貙 1393貨 趩丕倬 倬賳噩賲 爻丕賱1396貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 17賲
賳賯賱 丕夭 氐 481貙 丿賮鬲乇 賳禺爻鬲 爻胤乇 20: (賳禺爻鬲 鬲賵 爻禺賳 诏賵蹖! 夭蹖乇丕 賳賴 丌爻賲丕賳貙 賳賴 诏爻鬲乇賴 蹖 跇乇賮賽 丿賵夭禺貙 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 乇丕貙 丕夭 亘乇丕亘乇 丿蹖丿诏丕賳鬲貙 倬賵卮蹖丿賴 賳賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿! 亘诏賵 趩賴 趩蹖夭蹖 賲賵噩亘 卮丿貙 讴賴 賳蹖丕讴丕賳 诏乇丕賲蹖 賲丕 乇丕貙 賴賲趩賳丕賳 讴賴 亘爻 賲賵乇丿 賱胤賮 賵 乇丨賲鬲 丕賱賴蹖貙 賯乇丕乇 丿丕卮鬲賳丿貙 賵 亘乇 爻乇丕爻乇 毓丕賱賲 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕 亘賵丿賳丿貙 丕夭 丌賳 賵胤賳貙 讴賴 爻乇丕爻乇 禺賵卮亘禺鬲蹖 亘賵丿貙 亘蹖乇賵賳 乇丕賳丿蹖貙 賵夭 丌賮乇蹖賳賳丿賴 蹖 禺賵丿 噩丿丕 賲丕賳丿賳丿責 丌蹖丕 鬲賳賴丕 亘丿丕賳 爻亘亘貙 讴賴 亘賴 丕乇丕丿賴 蹖 丕賵貙 丿乇 乇毓丕蹖鬲 賲賲賳賵毓蹖鬲 丌賳 賲蹖賵賴貙 爻乇 賳賳賴丕丿賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 賮乇賲丕賳 丕蹖卮丕賳 爻乇倬蹖趩蹖 讴乇丿賳丿責 ...貨 趩賴 讴爻蹖 丌賳丕賳 乇丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 卮賵乇卮 卮乇賲 丌賵乇貙 賵爻賵爻賴 讴乇丿責 賲丕乇 丿賵夭禺蹖 ....! 賴賲賵 亘賵丿 讴賴 卮乇丕乇鬲貙 讴賴 亘丕 丨爻丕丿鬲 賵 丕賳鬲賯丕賲噩賵蹖蹖 丕卮貙 噩丕賳 賲蹖诏乇賮鬲貙 賲丕丿乇 賳賵毓 亘卮乇 乇丕 賮乇蹖賮鬲貙 睾乇賵乇蹖 讴賴 賵蹖 乇丕貙 亘賴 賴賲乇丕賴 禺蹖賱 丕亘賱蹖爻蹖丕賳 賳丕賮乇賲丕賳 毓氐蹖丕賳诏乇卮貙 丕夭 賮乇丕夭 丌爻賲丕賳 亘賴 倬丕蹖蹖賳 丕賮讴賳丿賴 亘賵丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 26/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608鈥�1674).
It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time.
It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.
The struggle rages across three worlds - heaven, hell, and earth - as Satan and his band of rebel angels plot their revenge against God. At the center of the conflict are Adam and Eve, who are motivated by all too human temptations but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love.
Marked by Milton's characteristic erudition, Paradise Lost is a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition.
For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 乇賵夭賴丕蹖 爻丕賱 2001賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 - 爻賴 讴鬲丕亘貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕貨 丿乇 爻賴 噩賱丿貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 17賲
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 - 爻賴 讴鬲丕亘貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賮乇蹖丿賴 賲賴丿賵蹖 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 鬲蹖乇貙 1379貨 丿乇 爻賴 噩賱丿貨 趩丕倬 丿賵賲 1383貨 趩丕倬 爻賵賲 爻丕賱1385貨 卮丕亘讴 丿賵乇賴: 9646581455貨 趩丕倬 趩賴丕乇賲 1387貨 卮丕亘讴9786008817185貨 趩丕倬 丿蹖诏乇 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 匕賴賳 丌賵蹖夭貙 1393貨 趩丕倬 倬賳噩賲 爻丕賱1396貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 卮毓乇 卮丕毓乇丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 17賲
賳賯賱 丕夭 氐 481貙 丿賮鬲乇 賳禺爻鬲 爻胤乇 20: (賳禺爻鬲 鬲賵 爻禺賳 诏賵蹖! 夭蹖乇丕 賳賴 丌爻賲丕賳貙 賳賴 诏爻鬲乇賴 蹖 跇乇賮賽 丿賵夭禺貙 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 乇丕貙 丕夭 亘乇丕亘乇 丿蹖丿诏丕賳鬲貙 倬賵卮蹖丿賴 賳賲蹖丿丕乇賳丿! 亘诏賵 趩賴 趩蹖夭蹖 賲賵噩亘 卮丿貙 讴賴 賳蹖丕讴丕賳 诏乇丕賲蹖 賲丕 乇丕貙 賴賲趩賳丕賳 讴賴 亘爻 賲賵乇丿 賱胤賮 賵 乇丨賲鬲 丕賱賴蹖貙 賯乇丕乇 丿丕卮鬲賳丿貙 賵 亘乇 爻乇丕爻乇 毓丕賱賲 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕 亘賵丿賳丿貙 丕夭 丌賳 賵胤賳貙 讴賴 爻乇丕爻乇 禺賵卮亘禺鬲蹖 亘賵丿貙 亘蹖乇賵賳 乇丕賳丿蹖貙 賵夭 丌賮乇蹖賳賳丿賴 蹖 禺賵丿 噩丿丕 賲丕賳丿賳丿責 丌蹖丕 鬲賳賴丕 亘丿丕賳 爻亘亘貙 讴賴 亘賴 丕乇丕丿賴 蹖 丕賵貙 丿乇 乇毓丕蹖鬲 賲賲賳賵毓蹖鬲 丌賳 賲蹖賵賴貙 爻乇 賳賳賴丕丿賳丿貙 賵 丕夭 賮乇賲丕賳 丕蹖卮丕賳 爻乇倬蹖趩蹖 讴乇丿賳丿責 ...貨 趩賴 讴爻蹖 丌賳丕賳 乇丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 卮賵乇卮 卮乇賲 丌賵乇貙 賵爻賵爻賴 讴乇丿責 賲丕乇 丿賵夭禺蹖 ....! 賴賲賵 亘賵丿 讴賴 卮乇丕乇鬲貙 讴賴 亘丕 丨爻丕丿鬲 賵 丕賳鬲賯丕賲噩賵蹖蹖 丕卮貙 噩丕賳 賲蹖诏乇賮鬲貙 賲丕丿乇 賳賵毓 亘卮乇 乇丕 賮乇蹖賮鬲貙 睾乇賵乇蹖 讴賴 賵蹖 乇丕貙 亘賴 賴賲乇丕賴 禺蹖賱 丕亘賱蹖爻蹖丕賳 賳丕賮乇賲丕賳 毓氐蹖丕賳诏乇卮貙 丕夭 賮乇丕夭 丌爻賲丕賳 亘賴 倬丕蹖蹖賳 丕賮讴賳丿賴 亘賵丿)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 26/07/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 15/07/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Want to read
April 13, 2024Has a book ever gently nudged its way onto your path? Or maybe incessantly kept knocking on the door of your life?
My favorite author kept saying how Paradise Lost by John Milton had such a profound impact on his life.
Yeah yeah yeah. Then, when I came into The Archive bookstore, I saw a gorgeous copy of Paradise Lost from 1855 sitting on the shelf. A beautiful red book with the most intricate and breath-taking gold inlay, of a quality that no longer exists. The only problem--a chunk of the spine was dangling by a thread. So I didn't buy it.
For years, I kept my eye on this book. It called to me every time I was in the shop. Until one day, The Archive bookstore announced its closing. Everything was 50% off, and it was now or never. I couldn't leave my friend on the shelf any longer.
Of course, as if by magic, I just so happened to know of a library who has a person skilled at repairing books, and I asked if it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could glue the spine back together.
After 169 years, this book is back in its former state of glory, in the adoring hands of a book lover. My deepest thanks to Terry Meyer and the Baldwin Public Library for making this dream, so many years in the making, come true!
My favorite author kept saying how Paradise Lost by John Milton had such a profound impact on his life.
Yeah yeah yeah. Then, when I came into The Archive bookstore, I saw a gorgeous copy of Paradise Lost from 1855 sitting on the shelf. A beautiful red book with the most intricate and breath-taking gold inlay, of a quality that no longer exists. The only problem--a chunk of the spine was dangling by a thread. So I didn't buy it.
For years, I kept my eye on this book. It called to me every time I was in the shop. Until one day, The Archive bookstore announced its closing. Everything was 50% off, and it was now or never. I couldn't leave my friend on the shelf any longer.
Of course, as if by magic, I just so happened to know of a library who has a person skilled at repairing books, and I asked if it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could glue the spine back together.
After 169 years, this book is back in its former state of glory, in the adoring hands of a book lover. My deepest thanks to Terry Meyer and the Baldwin Public Library for making this dream, so many years in the making, come true!
August 30, 2016
Milton wrote this while blind, and claimed it was the result of divine inspiration which visited him nightly. There are few texts that could reasonably be added into the Bible, and this is certainly one of them (the Divine Comedy is another). Paradise Lost outlines portions of the Bible which, thanks to its haphazard combination of mythic stories, are never fully explored.
In fact, most of Paradise Lost has become tacitly accepted into the Christian mythos, even if most Christians do not recognize it as a source. It also updated not only the epic, but the heroic form, and its questioning of the devil is a great philosophical exploration, even if it may ultimately prove a failure, as I shall try to explain.
The question remains: even if the Vatican did not explicitly include it, why are there not smaller sects which so often spring up around such and inspiring and daring work? The answer is that one need not explicitly include something that has been included implicitly. Many readers accept Milton's view of events as accurate and that it was wholly derived from the Bible, when in fact, it is largely an original work.
Under Constantine, Hell and the Devil were re-conceptualized. The representation of Hell in the Bible is often metaphorical, and does not include 'fire and brimstone'. Hell is defined as 'absence from God' and nothing more. This is supposed to be a painful and unfulfilling experience, but not literal physical torture.
Much of the modern conceptualization of Hell is based upon Hellenic mythological influences and verses from Revelation taken out of context. The place of 'fire and brimstone' is where the Devil and the Antichrist are put after the apocalypse, and is never stated as being related to human afterlife.
Likewise, the Devil is most commonly depicted as . The only tempting he ever does Biblically is during Job, where he must first ask God if he is permitted to interfere. The concept of the Devil as a charming, rebellious trickster and genius is entirely Milton.
He portrays him this way to align Satan with the heroic figures of Epic Poetry. This is not because he thinks of the Devil as a hero, but rather so he can show that our heroes should not be rebellious murderers as they were in ancient stories, but humble, pious, simple men.
He gives the Devil philosophical and political motivations for rebelling, but has him fail to notice that God cannot be questioned or defeated. However, this requires that one absolutely believe this assertion without ever testing it. Anyone who accepts it unquestioningly (such as C.S. Lewis) is bound to believe that the Devil is foolish to question the natural order.
However, Milton himself states that the Devil had no choice but to doubt, and due to our own rational minds, man cannot help doubting either. In this case, we might fall in with Blake, and suggest that Milton was the Devil's man, not because he wanted to be, but because he carried biblical rhetoric to its rational conclusion.
This is illustrated in a rather shocking way in the creation of Eve: finding herself, utterly new to the world, she sees her own reflection in a puddle and, finding it beautiful, leans down naively and tries to kiss it. This amusing retelling of the myth of Narcissus indicates that God made women naturally autoerotic and bisexual.
Sadly, this never made it into modern Christianity, for some reason, but it does show the strength of Paradise Lost: Milton provides rhetorical support for every idea he explores, even those he did not side with. It is a great book of questions, and a book which demands the reader think and try to understand.
We are supposed to sympathize with the Devil because he is heroic and dangerous, but we also know he is the Devil. We know that to sympathize with him is wrong, and that he is supposed to be wrong. Milton here invented the concept of the Devil we cannot help but sympathize with, and who we must fight daily to overcome.
He defined sin as doubt, but without realizing that doubt will always deconstruct an old answer and suggest a new one. The fact remains that metaphysically, doubt can only injure us in a realm we cannot know exists. As the enemy of any tyranny--of men, of ideas--doubt is the helpmeet of all who struggle. The Devil is the father of doubt, and the final outcome of doubt is always accepting that we are fundamentally ignorant: either in our believing, or in our not believing.
He also uses the English language in an entirely idiomatic and masterful way, his is one of the few unique voices of English. Reading him sometimes proves a challenge for those without a background in Latin, since his sentence structure and particularly his verb use are stripped-down and multipurpose, taking the form of metaphysical poets to its logical conclusion.
He is also one of the most knowledgeable and allusive of writers, especially when it comes to the longer form. His encyclopedic exploration of myths, reinvention of scenes, and adoption of ideas make this work one of the most wide-reaching and interconnected in English.
This can make his work somewhat daunting for readers, who are often unwilling to read the books he references in preparation for tackling him, which I find rather ironic, since no one complains about having to read ten-thousand pages of Harry Potter before tackling the last book.
In fact, most of Paradise Lost has become tacitly accepted into the Christian mythos, even if most Christians do not recognize it as a source. It also updated not only the epic, but the heroic form, and its questioning of the devil is a great philosophical exploration, even if it may ultimately prove a failure, as I shall try to explain.
The question remains: even if the Vatican did not explicitly include it, why are there not smaller sects which so often spring up around such and inspiring and daring work? The answer is that one need not explicitly include something that has been included implicitly. Many readers accept Milton's view of events as accurate and that it was wholly derived from the Bible, when in fact, it is largely an original work.
Under Constantine, Hell and the Devil were re-conceptualized. The representation of Hell in the Bible is often metaphorical, and does not include 'fire and brimstone'. Hell is defined as 'absence from God' and nothing more. This is supposed to be a painful and unfulfilling experience, but not literal physical torture.
Much of the modern conceptualization of Hell is based upon Hellenic mythological influences and verses from Revelation taken out of context. The place of 'fire and brimstone' is where the Devil and the Antichrist are put after the apocalypse, and is never stated as being related to human afterlife.
Likewise, the Devil is most commonly depicted as . The only tempting he ever does Biblically is during Job, where he must first ask God if he is permitted to interfere. The concept of the Devil as a charming, rebellious trickster and genius is entirely Milton.
He portrays him this way to align Satan with the heroic figures of Epic Poetry. This is not because he thinks of the Devil as a hero, but rather so he can show that our heroes should not be rebellious murderers as they were in ancient stories, but humble, pious, simple men.
He gives the Devil philosophical and political motivations for rebelling, but has him fail to notice that God cannot be questioned or defeated. However, this requires that one absolutely believe this assertion without ever testing it. Anyone who accepts it unquestioningly (such as C.S. Lewis) is bound to believe that the Devil is foolish to question the natural order.
However, Milton himself states that the Devil had no choice but to doubt, and due to our own rational minds, man cannot help doubting either. In this case, we might fall in with Blake, and suggest that Milton was the Devil's man, not because he wanted to be, but because he carried biblical rhetoric to its rational conclusion.
This is illustrated in a rather shocking way in the creation of Eve: finding herself, utterly new to the world, she sees her own reflection in a puddle and, finding it beautiful, leans down naively and tries to kiss it. This amusing retelling of the myth of Narcissus indicates that God made women naturally autoerotic and bisexual.
Sadly, this never made it into modern Christianity, for some reason, but it does show the strength of Paradise Lost: Milton provides rhetorical support for every idea he explores, even those he did not side with. It is a great book of questions, and a book which demands the reader think and try to understand.
We are supposed to sympathize with the Devil because he is heroic and dangerous, but we also know he is the Devil. We know that to sympathize with him is wrong, and that he is supposed to be wrong. Milton here invented the concept of the Devil we cannot help but sympathize with, and who we must fight daily to overcome.
He defined sin as doubt, but without realizing that doubt will always deconstruct an old answer and suggest a new one. The fact remains that metaphysically, doubt can only injure us in a realm we cannot know exists. As the enemy of any tyranny--of men, of ideas--doubt is the helpmeet of all who struggle. The Devil is the father of doubt, and the final outcome of doubt is always accepting that we are fundamentally ignorant: either in our believing, or in our not believing.
He also uses the English language in an entirely idiomatic and masterful way, his is one of the few unique voices of English. Reading him sometimes proves a challenge for those without a background in Latin, since his sentence structure and particularly his verb use are stripped-down and multipurpose, taking the form of metaphysical poets to its logical conclusion.
He is also one of the most knowledgeable and allusive of writers, especially when it comes to the longer form. His encyclopedic exploration of myths, reinvention of scenes, and adoption of ideas make this work one of the most wide-reaching and interconnected in English.
This can make his work somewhat daunting for readers, who are often unwilling to read the books he references in preparation for tackling him, which I find rather ironic, since no one complains about having to read ten-thousand pages of Harry Potter before tackling the last book.
July 26, 2020
Is Satan coming? Are we in the End of Days?
Is the Earth heating, under the Sun's Rays?
Is it all make believe, manipulation, or true?
Why on this wonderful Earth, is everybody blue?
Are we in the Rapture? Impending Doom?
Lightning strikes, sink holes and thunderous sonic booms
Ebola and earth quakes, hurricanes and tornadoes too
Now I can see why we are feeling blue
Forest fires, tsunamis, land slides and Hail
Watching the mainstream news, it looks like Hell!
Fake news and propaganda, rhetoric , is it all that is seen
All this mayhem and misery, coming from the TV Screen
Terrorism, false flags, usury and greed
People living on top of each other, all race, and persuasion and creed
We would get along swimmingly, if we were not controlled, Lorded over by a few Elite, cabal, hidden
Knowledge kept esoteric, to us Forbidden
Is Satan Saturn? The father of time. Old Nick, as in the Nick of time
Are we trapped in a matrix, a primeval soup, dark matter, black slime?
So dense with materialism, constricting like a snake
Keeping up with this capitalism, something has to break
The serpent swallowing its tail, does capitalism work?
When the Elites own it all, people will go berserk
Orchestrated chaos, civil unrest, no food in the stores
Swallowed up like a black hole by Corporation Whores
Inflation going up but, no paid work for people
Replaced by Machines, useless eaters, Sheeple
Is the Earth a farm? Are we the characters in Orwell's animal farm?
All following the Pied Piper's musical charm
In the words of the Killers, are we dancer? following in Formation, to a tune
Like Lemmings, cartoon characters, loony toon
Is a policeman acting? As in acting police officer, is this all a game?
One is asked if we understand, or stand under, whilst having the point of blame
Look around, see what is really going on, ignore BBC, CNN and SKY
Make one's own decision, let them pass by
After all they are reading from a script, edited and photo shopped, they have the means to fake
Not some individual, who witnessed first hand, and managed to take
A picture with their mob phone, it must be real
Not according to MSM, its all fake, doctored and spiel
What is really going on in the skies?
Is the climate changing, geo engineering, or is it all lies?
Is Satan coming? Is it the End of Days?
Or is he already here? Been here always
Armageddon, Jihad, Ragnarok, it's all the same to me
Same story, different culture, that is History
So what is coming? What is going to happen? To Ye and Me?
One things for sure, you won't find out on the BBC
By Leo.馃惎馃憤
If he is already here, where does he reside?
Is he out in the open? Or does he hide?
Hmmm! Maybe it is both, hidden in plain sight
The only few that know, illuminated by the false light!馃惎馃憤
Maybe we are all Satan's children, Kids? Baby Goat of Mendes
When did Children suddenly become Kids? It is Madness
Yet parents call them thus
Am I unnecessarily causing a fuss?
Wake up and see, what words we use
Words that are there, only to confuse
Satan is androgynous! Both of Male and Female Sex
Our children, being indoctrinated, by a Witchcraft Hex
Nobody can see, this Paradigm changing fast
All rational debate, or thoughts, will be our last
As we move forward into this New World that is Abound
The opening of Hades, a Three Headed Hound
Return of the Old Ones, are we ready for this to begin?
A world where anything goes, a world of debauchery and sin. 馃憤馃惎馃憤
Is the Earth heating, under the Sun's Rays?
Is it all make believe, manipulation, or true?
Why on this wonderful Earth, is everybody blue?
Are we in the Rapture? Impending Doom?
Lightning strikes, sink holes and thunderous sonic booms
Ebola and earth quakes, hurricanes and tornadoes too
Now I can see why we are feeling blue
Forest fires, tsunamis, land slides and Hail
Watching the mainstream news, it looks like Hell!
Fake news and propaganda, rhetoric , is it all that is seen
All this mayhem and misery, coming from the TV Screen
Terrorism, false flags, usury and greed
People living on top of each other, all race, and persuasion and creed
We would get along swimmingly, if we were not controlled, Lorded over by a few Elite, cabal, hidden
Knowledge kept esoteric, to us Forbidden
Is Satan Saturn? The father of time. Old Nick, as in the Nick of time
Are we trapped in a matrix, a primeval soup, dark matter, black slime?
So dense with materialism, constricting like a snake
Keeping up with this capitalism, something has to break
The serpent swallowing its tail, does capitalism work?
When the Elites own it all, people will go berserk
Orchestrated chaos, civil unrest, no food in the stores
Swallowed up like a black hole by Corporation Whores
Inflation going up but, no paid work for people
Replaced by Machines, useless eaters, Sheeple
Is the Earth a farm? Are we the characters in Orwell's animal farm?
All following the Pied Piper's musical charm
In the words of the Killers, are we dancer? following in Formation, to a tune
Like Lemmings, cartoon characters, loony toon
Is a policeman acting? As in acting police officer, is this all a game?
One is asked if we understand, or stand under, whilst having the point of blame
Look around, see what is really going on, ignore BBC, CNN and SKY
Make one's own decision, let them pass by
After all they are reading from a script, edited and photo shopped, they have the means to fake
Not some individual, who witnessed first hand, and managed to take
A picture with their mob phone, it must be real
Not according to MSM, its all fake, doctored and spiel
What is really going on in the skies?
Is the climate changing, geo engineering, or is it all lies?
Is Satan coming? Is it the End of Days?
Or is he already here? Been here always
Armageddon, Jihad, Ragnarok, it's all the same to me
Same story, different culture, that is History
So what is coming? What is going to happen? To Ye and Me?
One things for sure, you won't find out on the BBC
By Leo.馃惎馃憤
If he is already here, where does he reside?
Is he out in the open? Or does he hide?
Hmmm! Maybe it is both, hidden in plain sight
The only few that know, illuminated by the false light!馃惎馃憤
Maybe we are all Satan's children, Kids? Baby Goat of Mendes
When did Children suddenly become Kids? It is Madness
Yet parents call them thus
Am I unnecessarily causing a fuss?
Wake up and see, what words we use
Words that are there, only to confuse
Satan is androgynous! Both of Male and Female Sex
Our children, being indoctrinated, by a Witchcraft Hex
Nobody can see, this Paradigm changing fast
All rational debate, or thoughts, will be our last
As we move forward into this New World that is Abound
The opening of Hades, a Three Headed Hound
Return of the Old Ones, are we ready for this to begin?
A world where anything goes, a world of debauchery and sin. 馃憤馃惎馃憤
February 25, 2023
deciding to read a classic because i found the penguin clothbound edition on sale again.
works every time.
this, again, like so many classics, made me so grateful that i live NOW and not in a time when everything i read would be somewhere on the spectrum of boring, not to mention incredibly holy...
but this was pretty!
bottom line: i love being a 21st century reader, but this would have been top tier for 1600s me.
3.5
works every time.
this, again, like so many classics, made me so grateful that i live NOW and not in a time when everything i read would be somewhere on the spectrum of boring, not to mention incredibly holy...
but this was pretty!
bottom line: i love being a 21st century reader, but this would have been top tier for 1600s me.
3.5
October 18, 2024
This book is magnificent; I like the writings on religion and this poem. From the fall of Lucifer to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, I browsed the pages with happiness. The writing is splendid and full of sensitivity.
I have great admiration for John Milton. If I remember correctly, he was already blind when he wrote Paradise Lost. Yet, this man found the light in his darkness and transmitted it to readers through the ages.
I loved.
One last word for the underlining in this book: the written text of this work could hardly be understood鈥攕till, an outstanding result.
I have great admiration for John Milton. If I remember correctly, he was already blind when he wrote Paradise Lost. Yet, this man found the light in his darkness and transmitted it to readers through the ages.
I loved.
One last word for the underlining in this book: the written text of this work could hardly be understood鈥攕till, an outstanding result.
March 25, 2024
Paradise Lost was a literary product that was born from the need for an English epic poem. Greeks had Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, and the Italians had Virgil's The Aeneid and Dante's The Divine Comedy (though not an epic in the strictest terms, has its characteristics). English literature was in want of such a work; and John Milton, from his early Cambridge days, was working on meeting this void. He was at first of the mind to write an epic, centering the story on their legendary King, Arthur. Milton saw this as an excellent subject to model his poem on the likes of The Iliad and The Aeneid. But such a poem never came to light, and by the time he was truly ready to write it, he has gone through many political, social, religious, and personal upheavals, so as to change his center theme from King Arthur to the biblical subjects. The result was the production of this epic poem, which is perhaps the only (I'm not certain as to this) and certainly the best epic poem of English literature.
Paradise Lost tells the biblical story of the creation of the world, from the time of rebellion and fall of Satan and his companion angels to the ultimate fall of man. However, throughout the poem, much was focused on the fall of man. The reason for this is that Milton's first and foremost purpose is to justify God's action towards man. God created Adam and Eve with free will. There was only one prohibition, and that was not to taste the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. They failed to adhere to this one subjection to which they were put. The act of tasting the apple was a blatant violation of their covenant with their divine maker. It was also an act of disobedience. And this disobedience is what made them fall from Divine grace and led to their ultimate banishment from Paradise.
Disobedience of God was seen by Milton as an act of cowardice. True heroism, according to him, was obedience to God as against the exercise of free will, and submission to life, whatever its condition may be, without losing faith. Obedience also leads to the question of superiority. There is a hierarchy in Heaven, Earth, and Hell with God being in the highest position. Man was superior to women, superior to beasts, so they top the hierarchy on earth. This hierarchical structure, however, questions the right of man to rule man. The kings of England always had an aura of divinity to their subjects. But Milton was of the view that kings, being men, cannot exercise divine power as they are in a lower position in the hierarchy and can govern their fellow men only if they are superior to their subjects. This explains why Milton supported the execution of King Charles I, whom he thought to be inferior and had no business in ruling men.
When one understands the themes of Paradise Lost, one can see that Milton was driving at moral actions rather than on military actions as the basis for the creation of nations. In this sense, his work resembles Dante's Divine Comedy. But that hadn't precluded Milton from drawing features from Homer's The Iliad. The battle scenes between Satan's army and Michael and Gabriel led heavenly forces resemble the battle between Greeks against the Trojans. Milton's knowledge of Greek and Italian had helped him to borrow the right characteristics from these great epics to add strength and beauty to his own poem.
Reading this epic poem wasn't daunting as I expected. Rather, from Book I, I was drawn in. The story and the setting fascinated me. Mastering the limitations of the English language, Milton has painted a beautiful picture through his words. They bring Heaven, Eden, Hell, and the biblical characters so vividly that one could almost visualize them. The story, though known, had a fresh and new appeal when reading it from Milton's words.
Paradise Lost had always been a must-read in my reading repertoire. Being finally able to read and finish it is like satisfying a long-awaited need. I truly enjoyed this masterpiece and can quite honestly say that it is the best epic poem that I've read after Dante's The Divine Comedy.
Paradise Lost tells the biblical story of the creation of the world, from the time of rebellion and fall of Satan and his companion angels to the ultimate fall of man. However, throughout the poem, much was focused on the fall of man. The reason for this is that Milton's first and foremost purpose is to justify God's action towards man. God created Adam and Eve with free will. There was only one prohibition, and that was not to taste the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. They failed to adhere to this one subjection to which they were put. The act of tasting the apple was a blatant violation of their covenant with their divine maker. It was also an act of disobedience. And this disobedience is what made them fall from Divine grace and led to their ultimate banishment from Paradise.
Disobedience of God was seen by Milton as an act of cowardice. True heroism, according to him, was obedience to God as against the exercise of free will, and submission to life, whatever its condition may be, without losing faith. Obedience also leads to the question of superiority. There is a hierarchy in Heaven, Earth, and Hell with God being in the highest position. Man was superior to women, superior to beasts, so they top the hierarchy on earth. This hierarchical structure, however, questions the right of man to rule man. The kings of England always had an aura of divinity to their subjects. But Milton was of the view that kings, being men, cannot exercise divine power as they are in a lower position in the hierarchy and can govern their fellow men only if they are superior to their subjects. This explains why Milton supported the execution of King Charles I, whom he thought to be inferior and had no business in ruling men.
When one understands the themes of Paradise Lost, one can see that Milton was driving at moral actions rather than on military actions as the basis for the creation of nations. In this sense, his work resembles Dante's Divine Comedy. But that hadn't precluded Milton from drawing features from Homer's The Iliad. The battle scenes between Satan's army and Michael and Gabriel led heavenly forces resemble the battle between Greeks against the Trojans. Milton's knowledge of Greek and Italian had helped him to borrow the right characteristics from these great epics to add strength and beauty to his own poem.
Reading this epic poem wasn't daunting as I expected. Rather, from Book I, I was drawn in. The story and the setting fascinated me. Mastering the limitations of the English language, Milton has painted a beautiful picture through his words. They bring Heaven, Eden, Hell, and the biblical characters so vividly that one could almost visualize them. The story, though known, had a fresh and new appeal when reading it from Milton's words.
Paradise Lost had always been a must-read in my reading repertoire. Being finally able to read and finish it is like satisfying a long-awaited need. I truly enjoyed this masterpiece and can quite honestly say that it is the best epic poem that I've read after Dante's The Divine Comedy.
June 29, 2017
鈥淲hat does the word 鈥楶aradise鈥� signifies to a human being?鈥� Is it the state of blissfulness which one acknowledges in life owing to the absence of all fears as can be experienced in this dwelling place of ours? Or is it an actual place somewhere in heaven which is the ultimate goal that humans wish to achieve?
As a child, I had a profound belief in the idea of God and heaven too. Yes, and perhaps the reason I wished to believe in him was the fact that world seemed a beautiful place, a place where everything was just as it should have been; Loving parents and siblings, affectionate neighbors, and an innocent belief, one which leads a child to trust even an unknown smiling stranger on the road. But that was a long time ago. Times have changed faster since then. Faster than I could get a chance to put everything together and analyze the reason why it changed. It changed almost everyday since I grew big enough to understand that not every stranger could be trusted. The affectionate neighbors or relatives were not that amiable so as to forgive an innocent childhood indulgence, that parents were not the super humans, perfect and devoid of all faults, and that, nobody was perfect, not even me. And then the whole world started to seem to be at disharmony. There were people belonging to different strata of society, people rich, and poor and in between, people belonging to different castes, creeds and countries, people fighting with each other over smaller issues like standing in a row to bigger issues like fighting for a territory in a country; Countries going at war, hatred and more hatred. Slowly the faith started to crumble and ultimately it shattered. My Paradise was lost forever.
At times it makes me shiver to consider that even my son, or for that matter any child, can go through the same experience.
I can personally relate to the title 鈥淧aradise Lost鈥� as being the loss of faith in God, faith that affirms the presence of a caring and loving spirit, inaccessible but still closer to the souls of believers, something which they can hold onto. It is also a loss in the idea of necessity of human existence and of life itself. For me, the title also signifies the loss of the world as seen from the eyes of a child. This is the reason why the work fascinated me and I picked it up.
鈥淧aradise lost鈥� is undoubtedly a great work. There isn鈥檛 much I can write to appreciate its significance as the work of an art. The book is a beautiful exploration into the biblical characters of Satan, Adam and Eve, their thoughts and conversations and their FALL. The title here signifies the loss of 鈥淧aradise鈥� or 鈥渉eaven鈥�, which is God鈥檚 abode, for them. It is shown as the loss for 鈥楽atan鈥� as well as for 鈥楢dam and eve鈥�, the loss due to their fall. Satan falls when he tries to become equal to GOD and Adam and Eve fall when they eat the prohibited fruit.
In the end, the angel says following words to Adam to let them redeem their paradise:
鈥淭his having learnt, thou hast attained the summe
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs
Thou knewst by name, and all th鈥� ethereal Powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,
Or works of God in Heav鈥檔, Air, Earth, or Sea,
And all the riches of this World enjoydst,
And all the rule, one Empire; onely add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
Add Vertue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
By name to come call鈥檇 Charitie, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A Paradise within thee, happier farr.鈥�
May we be able to find our own Paradises within ourselves!
As a child, I had a profound belief in the idea of God and heaven too. Yes, and perhaps the reason I wished to believe in him was the fact that world seemed a beautiful place, a place where everything was just as it should have been; Loving parents and siblings, affectionate neighbors, and an innocent belief, one which leads a child to trust even an unknown smiling stranger on the road. But that was a long time ago. Times have changed faster since then. Faster than I could get a chance to put everything together and analyze the reason why it changed. It changed almost everyday since I grew big enough to understand that not every stranger could be trusted. The affectionate neighbors or relatives were not that amiable so as to forgive an innocent childhood indulgence, that parents were not the super humans, perfect and devoid of all faults, and that, nobody was perfect, not even me. And then the whole world started to seem to be at disharmony. There were people belonging to different strata of society, people rich, and poor and in between, people belonging to different castes, creeds and countries, people fighting with each other over smaller issues like standing in a row to bigger issues like fighting for a territory in a country; Countries going at war, hatred and more hatred. Slowly the faith started to crumble and ultimately it shattered. My Paradise was lost forever.
At times it makes me shiver to consider that even my son, or for that matter any child, can go through the same experience.
I can personally relate to the title 鈥淧aradise Lost鈥� as being the loss of faith in God, faith that affirms the presence of a caring and loving spirit, inaccessible but still closer to the souls of believers, something which they can hold onto. It is also a loss in the idea of necessity of human existence and of life itself. For me, the title also signifies the loss of the world as seen from the eyes of a child. This is the reason why the work fascinated me and I picked it up.
鈥淧aradise lost鈥� is undoubtedly a great work. There isn鈥檛 much I can write to appreciate its significance as the work of an art. The book is a beautiful exploration into the biblical characters of Satan, Adam and Eve, their thoughts and conversations and their FALL. The title here signifies the loss of 鈥淧aradise鈥� or 鈥渉eaven鈥�, which is God鈥檚 abode, for them. It is shown as the loss for 鈥楽atan鈥� as well as for 鈥楢dam and eve鈥�, the loss due to their fall. Satan falls when he tries to become equal to GOD and Adam and Eve fall when they eat the prohibited fruit.
In the end, the angel says following words to Adam to let them redeem their paradise:
鈥淭his having learnt, thou hast attained the summe
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs
Thou knewst by name, and all th鈥� ethereal Powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,
Or works of God in Heav鈥檔, Air, Earth, or Sea,
And all the riches of this World enjoydst,
And all the rule, one Empire; onely add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
Add Vertue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
By name to come call鈥檇 Charitie, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A Paradise within thee, happier farr.鈥�
May we be able to find our own Paradises within ourselves!
April 19, 2017
丿乇丌賲丿
卮賷胤丕賳 亘毓丿 丕夭 爻賯賵胤蹖 爻禺鬲貙 亘賴 賴賵卮 賲賷丕丿 賵 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 丿乇 丿乇賴 丕賶 鬲丕乇賷賰 賵 賲賵丨卮 賲賶 亘賷賳賴. 丕賲丕 亘丿賵賳 丕賷賳 賰賴 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 亘亘丕夭賴貙 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 禺卮賲 賵 胤毓賳賴貙 亘賴 賷賰賶 丕夭 賷丕乇丕賳卮 賳賴賷亘 賲賷夭賳賴 賰賴 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 噩賲毓 賵 噩賵乇 賰賳賴. 亘毓丿 亘丕賱丕賶 賰賵賴賶 賲賷乇賴 賵 賯賱賲乇賵賶 丿賵夭禺 賰賴 亘丕 鬲賲丕賲 爻倬丕賴蹖丕賳 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳 毓氐蹖丕賳诏乇 亘賴卮 鬲亘毓賷丿 卮丿賴 乇賵 丕夭 賳馗乇 賲蹖 诏匕乇賵賳賴. 賱卮讴乇 賳賵賲賷丿 賵 卮賰爻鬲 禺賵乇丿賴 卮 乇賵 丕丨囟丕乇 賲賶 賰賳賴貙 賵 亘丕 丕賯鬲丿丕乇 賮乇賷丕丿 賲賶 夭賳賴: 賲丕 卮賰爻鬲 賳禺賵乇丿賷賲貙 賲丕 丿乇 丨賯賷賯鬲 倬賷乇賵夭 卮丿賷賲! 趩賵賳 賳卮賵賳 丿丕丿賷賲 倬丕賷賴 賴丕賶 爻賱胤賳鬲 禺丿锟斤拷 丕賵賳 賯丿乇賴丕 賴賲 鬲夭賱夭賱 賳丕倬匕賷乇 賳賷爻鬲貙 賵 丕诏賴 賰賲賶 亘賷卮鬲乇 鬲賱丕卮 賲賶 賰乇丿賷賲貙 賲賶 鬲賵賳爻鬲賷賲 丕夭 毓馗賲鬲 賰亘乇賷丕賷賶 卮 爻乇賳诏賵賳卮 賰賳賷賲! 倬爻 禺賵丿鬲賵賳 乇賵 丌賲丕丿賴 讴賳蹖丿 賵 亘賷丕賷丿 賷賴 亘丕乇 丿賷诏賴 亘丕賴丕卮 夭賵乇 丌夭賲丕賷賶 賰賳賷賲!
賵 亘賴 丕賷賳 鬲乇鬲賷亘貙 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 丨賲丕爻賴 丕賱賴賶貙 丌睾丕夭 賲賷卮賴貙 亘丕 賳賯卮 丌賮乇賷賳賶賽:
卮賷胤丕賳
丿乇 賴賷卅鬲 噩賵丕賳賶 夭賷亘丕 亘丕 夭乇賴賶 丕夭 胤賱丕 賵 丕賱賲丕爻 賵 爻倬乇賶 丕夭 丕孬賷乇 賰賴 亘賴 倬卮鬲 賲賶 亘賳丿賴 賵 丿賵 亘丕賱 賮乇卮鬲賴 诏賵賳賴貙 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 賴賵卮 賵 睾乇賵乇 賵 卮噩丕毓鬲 賵 丌夭丕丿賶 禺賵丕賴賶貙 亘丕 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲賶 噩乇賷丨賴 丿丕乇 卮丿賴 賰賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 卮賰爻鬲 丌賲蹖禺鬲賴 卮丿賴 亘丕 賳賵賲賷丿賶 賵 爻乇 禺賵乇丿诏賶 - 賰賴 爻毓賶 賲賶 賰賳賴 倬賳賴丕賳卮 賰賳賴 - 賵 禺卮賲 賵 賳賮乇鬲 賵 賰賷賳賴: 蹖讴 賯賴乇賲丕賳 亘丕蹖乇賵賳蹖 鬲賲丕賲 毓蹖丕乇貨
禺丿丕 賵 倬爻乇卮 賵 亘丕賯賶 賮乇卮鬲賴 賴丕
賰賴 亘丕 賲丨丕賮馗賴 賰丕乇賶 丿乇爻鬲 卮亘賷賴 賰鬲亘 賲賯丿爻 鬲氐賵賷乇 卮丿賳貨
丌丿賲 賵 丨賵丕
亘丕 夭賷亘丕賷賶 毓乇賷丕賳貙 丿乇 毓賷賳 丨丕賱 禺乇丿賲賳丿 賵 賳丕丿丕賳 - 賳丕丿丕賳賶 賲毓氐賵賲丕賳賴 賶 賰賵丿賰丕賳賴 - 賵 卮亘賷賴 夭賳 賵 卮賵賴乇賶 賰賴 丿乇 賱丕賷賴 賴丕賶 夭賷乇賷賳 丿趩丕乇 賲卮賰賱 賴爻鬲賳 丕賲丕 丿乇 馗丕賴乇 亘丕 乇賮鬲丕乇賴丕賷賶 鬲氐賳毓賶 亘賴 賴賲 毓卮賯 賲賶 賵乇夭賳貙 賵 丕夭 賴賲賷賳 丨丕賱丕 賲毓賱賵賲賴 賰賴 賯乇丕乇賴 賷賴 乇賵夭 丕賷賳 賳丕爻丕夭诏丕乇賶 亘乇賵夭 賰賳賴 賵 賴乇 賰丿賵賲 亘丕 賳賮乇鬲 鬲賯氐賷乇 乇賵 诏乇丿賳 丕賵賳 賷賰賶 亘賷賳丿丕夭賴!
賵 亘丕 丨囟賵乇 丕賮鬲禺丕乇賶賽:
賳賵丨 賵 丕亘乇丕賴賷賲 賵 賲賵爻賶
丿乇 賲賰丕卮賮賴 丕賶 賰賴 亘乇丕賶 丌丿賲 丿爻鬲 賲賷丿賴.
賰鬲丕亘
噩丕賳 賲賷賱鬲賵賳貙 卮丕毓乇 丕賳诏賱賷爻賶貙 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 乇賵 丿乇 爻丕賱 佟佴佴侑 賲賳鬲卮乇 賰乇丿. 賰鬲丕亘 丕夭 丿賵丕夭丿賴 丿賮鬲乇 鬲卮賰賷賱 卮丿賴 賰賴 賲丕噩乇丕賶 丌卮賳丕蹖 賳禺爻鬲賷賳 乇賵夭賴丕賶 禺賱賯鬲 亘賴 乇賵丕賷鬲 毓賴丿 毓鬲賷賯 乇賵 亘丕夭诏賵 賲賶 賰賳賴. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕夭 爻賯賵胤 卮賷胤丕賳 丌睾丕夭 賵 亘丕 賴亘賵胤 丌丿賲 禺鬲賲 賲賷卮賴. 賵 丿乇 丕賷賳 賲賷丕賳貙 亘禺卮 賴丕賷賶 乇賵 乇賵丕賷鬲 賲賶 賰賳賴 賰賴 鬲賵賶 乇賵丕賷鬲 賰鬲亘 賲賯丿爻 賳丕诏賮鬲賴 賲賵賳丿賳: 丿賱丕蹖賱 卮蹖胤丕賳 亘乇丕蹖 賳丕賮乇賲丕賳蹖 丕夭 禺丿丕 (賲賷诏賴: "讴丿丕賲 讴爻 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳丿 丨賯賾 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕蹖蹖 亘乇 讴爻丕賳蹖 乇丕 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿貙 讴賴 诏乇趩賴 丕夭 賱丨丕馗 賯丿乇鬲 蹖丕 毓馗賲鬲 亘乇丕亘乇 丕賵 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿貙 丿爻鬲 讴賲 丕夭 賱丨丕馗 丌夭丕丿蹖 亘丕 丕賵 亘乇丕亘乇賳丿 賵 亘賳丕 亘賴 丨賯貙 蹖讴爻丕賳 賲蹖 夭蹖賳丿責") 貙 賳亘乇丿 亘夭乇诏 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳 胤乇賮丿丕乇 禺丿丕 賵 胤乇賮丿丕乇丕賳 卮蹖胤丕賳貙 丕禺鬲乇丕毓 鬲賵倬 賵 亘丕乇賵鬲 鬲賵爻胤 卮蹖胤丕賳貙 爻賯賵胤 卮蹖胤丕賳 亘賴 毓賲賯 丿賵夭禺 賵 丿賱丿丕乇蹖 丿丕丿賳 蹖丕乇丕賳卮貙 亘乇倬丕爻丕禺鬲賳 賯氐乇蹖 亘丕卮讴賵賴 丿乇 丿賱 丿賵夭禺 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 倬丕蹖鬲禺鬲 卮蹖丕胤蹖賳貙 鬲賵氐蹖賮 丿賵夭禺 賵 亘賴卮鬲貙 夭賳丿诏蹖 丌丿賲 賵 丨賵丕 丿乇 亘賴卮鬲 賯亘賱 丕夭 賴亘賵胤 賵 禺賷賱賶 趩蹖夭丕賶 丿蹖诏賴. 亘賴 毓亘丕乇鬲 丿賷诏賴貙 賲賷賱鬲賵賳 鬲丕 丨丿賵丿賶 丕夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賶 丌卮賳丕貙 丌卮賳丕賷賶 夭丿丕賷賶 賰乇丿賴 賵 賳爻禺賴 賶 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 鬲毓乇賷賮 賰乇丿賴. 賰賴 丕賱丨賯 賳爻禺賴 賶 禺賵賳丿賳賶 賵 賴賷噩丕賳 丕賳诏賷夭賷賴貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕賸 丕诏賴 亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 賮丕賳鬲夭賶 丨賲丕爻賶 毓賱丕賯賴 賲賳丿 亘丕卮賷丿.
鬲乇噩賲赖
讴鬲丕亘 丿賵 鬲乇噩賲赖 丿丕乇賴: 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 "卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕" 讴賴 賳孬乇 賮丕禺乇卮 賵 噩賲賱丕鬲 夭蹖亘丕卮 丌丿賲 乇賵 賲爻丨賵乇 賲蹖 讴賳賴貙 賵 蹖讴蹖 "賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖" 讴賴 賳孬乇 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 鬲乇蹖 丿丕乇賴.
賲鬲兀爻賮丕賳賴 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕 賮賯胤 爻賴 丿賮鬲乇 丕夭 丿賵丕夭丿賴 丿賮鬲乇 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 乇賵 鬲乇噩賲赖 讴乇丿賴貙 丿乇 賳鬲蹖噩賴 鬲乇噩賲赖 卮 賳丕賯氐賴. 賵 賱丕噩乇賲 亘丕蹖丿 鬲乇噩賲赖 賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖 乇賵 禺賵賳丿. 鬲乇噩賲赖 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 乇賵蹖 丕蹖賳鬲乇賳鬲 賲賵噩賵丿賴 賴賲賴 鬲乇噩賲赖 蹖 賳丕賯氐 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕 賴爻鬲賳. 丕賲丕 丕蹖賳 趩賳丿丕賳 亘丿 賴賲 賳蹖爻鬲: 鬲賵氐蹖賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲 丕賵賱 賴賲蹖賳 鬲乇噩賲赖 (讴賴 賳賵丿 氐賮丨賴 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賳蹖爻鬲) 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖丿. 丕蹖賳 爻賴 丿賮鬲乇貙 丕夭 賯卮賳诏 鬲乇蹖賳 亘禺卮 賴丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賴爻鬲賳. 賴乇 趩蹖 讴鬲丕亘 噩賱賵鬲乇 賲蹖乇賴貙 丨囟賵乇 卮賷胤丕賳 賰賲鬲乇 賲賷卮賴 賵 丿乇 賳鬲賷噩賴 丕夭 噩匕丕亘蹖鬲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賰丕爻鬲賴 賲賷卮賴. 丕诏賴 賲噩匕賵亘 丕蹖賳 爻賴 亘禺卮 卮丿蹖丿 賵 禺賵丕爻鬲蹖丿 丕丿丕賲賴 蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖丿貙 鬲乇噩賲赖 蹖 賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖 乇賵 鬲賴蹖賴 讴賳蹖丿. 賵诏乇賳賴貙 丿賳亘丕賱卮 賳乇蹖丿.
卮賷胤丕賳 亘毓丿 丕夭 爻賯賵胤蹖 爻禺鬲貙 亘賴 賴賵卮 賲賷丕丿 賵 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 丿乇 丿乇賴 丕賶 鬲丕乇賷賰 賵 賲賵丨卮 賲賶 亘賷賳賴. 丕賲丕 亘丿賵賳 丕賷賳 賰賴 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 亘亘丕夭賴貙 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 禺卮賲 賵 胤毓賳賴貙 亘賴 賷賰賶 丕夭 賷丕乇丕賳卮 賳賴賷亘 賲賷夭賳賴 賰賴 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 噩賲毓 賵 噩賵乇 賰賳賴. 亘毓丿 亘丕賱丕賶 賰賵賴賶 賲賷乇賴 賵 賯賱賲乇賵賶 丿賵夭禺 賰賴 亘丕 鬲賲丕賲 爻倬丕賴蹖丕賳 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳 毓氐蹖丕賳诏乇 亘賴卮 鬲亘毓賷丿 卮丿賴 乇賵 丕夭 賳馗乇 賲蹖 诏匕乇賵賳賴. 賱卮讴乇 賳賵賲賷丿 賵 卮賰爻鬲 禺賵乇丿賴 卮 乇賵 丕丨囟丕乇 賲賶 賰賳賴貙 賵 亘丕 丕賯鬲丿丕乇 賮乇賷丕丿 賲賶 夭賳賴: 賲丕 卮賰爻鬲 賳禺賵乇丿賷賲貙 賲丕 丿乇 丨賯賷賯鬲 倬賷乇賵夭 卮丿賷賲! 趩賵賳 賳卮賵賳 丿丕丿賷賲 倬丕賷賴 賴丕賶 爻賱胤賳鬲 禺丿锟斤拷 丕賵賳 賯丿乇賴丕 賴賲 鬲夭賱夭賱 賳丕倬匕賷乇 賳賷爻鬲貙 賵 丕诏賴 賰賲賶 亘賷卮鬲乇 鬲賱丕卮 賲賶 賰乇丿賷賲貙 賲賶 鬲賵賳爻鬲賷賲 丕夭 毓馗賲鬲 賰亘乇賷丕賷賶 卮 爻乇賳诏賵賳卮 賰賳賷賲! 倬爻 禺賵丿鬲賵賳 乇賵 丌賲丕丿賴 讴賳蹖丿 賵 亘賷丕賷丿 賷賴 亘丕乇 丿賷诏賴 亘丕賴丕卮 夭賵乇 丌夭賲丕賷賶 賰賳賷賲!
賵 亘賴 丕賷賳 鬲乇鬲賷亘貙 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 丨賲丕爻賴 丕賱賴賶貙 丌睾丕夭 賲賷卮賴貙 亘丕 賳賯卮 丌賮乇賷賳賶賽:
卮賷胤丕賳
丿乇 賴賷卅鬲 噩賵丕賳賶 夭賷亘丕 亘丕 夭乇賴賶 丕夭 胤賱丕 賵 丕賱賲丕爻 賵 爻倬乇賶 丕夭 丕孬賷乇 賰賴 亘賴 倬卮鬲 賲賶 亘賳丿賴 賵 丿賵 亘丕賱 賮乇卮鬲賴 诏賵賳賴貙 爻乇卮丕乇 丕夭 賴賵卮 賵 睾乇賵乇 賵 卮噩丕毓鬲 賵 丌夭丕丿賶 禺賵丕賴賶貙 亘丕 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲賶 噩乇賷丨賴 丿丕乇 卮丿賴 賰賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 卮賰爻鬲 丌賲蹖禺鬲賴 卮丿賴 亘丕 賳賵賲賷丿賶 賵 爻乇 禺賵乇丿诏賶 - 賰賴 爻毓賶 賲賶 賰賳賴 倬賳賴丕賳卮 賰賳賴 - 賵 禺卮賲 賵 賳賮乇鬲 賵 賰賷賳賴: 蹖讴 賯賴乇賲丕賳 亘丕蹖乇賵賳蹖 鬲賲丕賲 毓蹖丕乇貨
禺丿丕 賵 倬爻乇卮 賵 亘丕賯賶 賮乇卮鬲賴 賴丕
賰賴 亘丕 賲丨丕賮馗賴 賰丕乇賶 丿乇爻鬲 卮亘賷賴 賰鬲亘 賲賯丿爻 鬲氐賵賷乇 卮丿賳貨
丌丿賲 賵 丨賵丕
亘丕 夭賷亘丕賷賶 毓乇賷丕賳貙 丿乇 毓賷賳 丨丕賱 禺乇丿賲賳丿 賵 賳丕丿丕賳 - 賳丕丿丕賳賶 賲毓氐賵賲丕賳賴 賶 賰賵丿賰丕賳賴 - 賵 卮亘賷賴 夭賳 賵 卮賵賴乇賶 賰賴 丿乇 賱丕賷賴 賴丕賶 夭賷乇賷賳 丿趩丕乇 賲卮賰賱 賴爻鬲賳 丕賲丕 丿乇 馗丕賴乇 亘丕 乇賮鬲丕乇賴丕賷賶 鬲氐賳毓賶 亘賴 賴賲 毓卮賯 賲賶 賵乇夭賳貙 賵 丕夭 賴賲賷賳 丨丕賱丕 賲毓賱賵賲賴 賰賴 賯乇丕乇賴 賷賴 乇賵夭 丕賷賳 賳丕爻丕夭诏丕乇賶 亘乇賵夭 賰賳賴 賵 賴乇 賰丿賵賲 亘丕 賳賮乇鬲 鬲賯氐賷乇 乇賵 诏乇丿賳 丕賵賳 賷賰賶 亘賷賳丿丕夭賴!
賵 亘丕 丨囟賵乇 丕賮鬲禺丕乇賶賽:
賳賵丨 賵 丕亘乇丕賴賷賲 賵 賲賵爻賶
丿乇 賲賰丕卮賮賴 丕賶 賰賴 亘乇丕賶 丌丿賲 丿爻鬲 賲賷丿賴.
賰鬲丕亘
噩丕賳 賲賷賱鬲賵賳貙 卮丕毓乇 丕賳诏賱賷爻賶貙 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 乇賵 丿乇 爻丕賱 佟佴佴侑 賲賳鬲卮乇 賰乇丿. 賰鬲丕亘 丕夭 丿賵丕夭丿賴 丿賮鬲乇 鬲卮賰賷賱 卮丿賴 賰賴 賲丕噩乇丕賶 丌卮賳丕蹖 賳禺爻鬲賷賳 乇賵夭賴丕賶 禺賱賯鬲 亘賴 乇賵丕賷鬲 毓賴丿 毓鬲賷賯 乇賵 亘丕夭诏賵 賲賶 賰賳賴. 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 丕夭 爻賯賵胤 卮賷胤丕賳 丌睾丕夭 賵 亘丕 賴亘賵胤 丌丿賲 禺鬲賲 賲賷卮賴. 賵 丿乇 丕賷賳 賲賷丕賳貙 亘禺卮 賴丕賷賶 乇賵 乇賵丕賷鬲 賲賶 賰賳賴 賰賴 鬲賵賶 乇賵丕賷鬲 賰鬲亘 賲賯丿爻 賳丕诏賮鬲賴 賲賵賳丿賳: 丿賱丕蹖賱 卮蹖胤丕賳 亘乇丕蹖 賳丕賮乇賲丕賳蹖 丕夭 禺丿丕 (賲賷诏賴: "讴丿丕賲 讴爻 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳丿 丨賯賾 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕蹖蹖 亘乇 讴爻丕賳蹖 乇丕 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿貙 讴賴 诏乇趩賴 丕夭 賱丨丕馗 賯丿乇鬲 蹖丕 毓馗賲鬲 亘乇丕亘乇 丕賵 賳蹖爻鬲賳丿貙 丿爻鬲 讴賲 丕夭 賱丨丕馗 丌夭丕丿蹖 亘丕 丕賵 亘乇丕亘乇賳丿 賵 亘賳丕 亘賴 丨賯貙 蹖讴爻丕賳 賲蹖 夭蹖賳丿責") 貙 賳亘乇丿 亘夭乇诏 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳 胤乇賮丿丕乇 禺丿丕 賵 胤乇賮丿丕乇丕賳 卮蹖胤丕賳貙 丕禺鬲乇丕毓 鬲賵倬 賵 亘丕乇賵鬲 鬲賵爻胤 卮蹖胤丕賳貙 爻賯賵胤 卮蹖胤丕賳 亘賴 毓賲賯 丿賵夭禺 賵 丿賱丿丕乇蹖 丿丕丿賳 蹖丕乇丕賳卮貙 亘乇倬丕爻丕禺鬲賳 賯氐乇蹖 亘丕卮讴賵賴 丿乇 丿賱 丿賵夭禺 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 倬丕蹖鬲禺鬲 卮蹖丕胤蹖賳貙 鬲賵氐蹖賮 丿賵夭禺 賵 亘賴卮鬲貙 夭賳丿诏蹖 丌丿賲 賵 丨賵丕 丿乇 亘賴卮鬲 賯亘賱 丕夭 賴亘賵胤 賵 禺賷賱賶 趩蹖夭丕賶 丿蹖诏賴. 亘賴 毓亘丕乇鬲 丿賷诏賴貙 賲賷賱鬲賵賳 鬲丕 丨丿賵丿賶 丕夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賶 丌卮賳丕貙 丌卮賳丕賷賶 夭丿丕賷賶 賰乇丿賴 賵 賳爻禺賴 賶 禺賵丿卮 乇賵 鬲毓乇賷賮 賰乇丿賴. 賰賴 丕賱丨賯 賳爻禺賴 賶 禺賵賳丿賳賶 賵 賴賷噩丕賳 丕賳诏賷夭賷賴貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕賸 丕诏賴 亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賴丕賶 賮丕賳鬲夭賶 丨賲丕爻賶 毓賱丕賯賴 賲賳丿 亘丕卮賷丿.
鬲乇噩賲赖
讴鬲丕亘 丿賵 鬲乇噩賲赖 丿丕乇賴: 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 "卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕" 讴賴 賳孬乇 賮丕禺乇卮 賵 噩賲賱丕鬲 夭蹖亘丕卮 丌丿賲 乇賵 賲爻丨賵乇 賲蹖 讴賳賴貙 賵 蹖讴蹖 "賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖" 讴賴 賳孬乇 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 鬲乇蹖 丿丕乇賴.
賲鬲兀爻賮丕賳賴 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕 賮賯胤 爻賴 丿賮鬲乇 丕夭 丿賵丕夭丿賴 丿賮鬲乇 亘賴卮鬲 诏賲卮丿賴 乇賵 鬲乇噩賲赖 讴乇丿賴貙 丿乇 賳鬲蹖噩賴 鬲乇噩賲赖 卮 賳丕賯氐賴. 賵 賱丕噩乇賲 亘丕蹖丿 鬲乇噩賲赖 賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖 乇賵 禺賵賳丿. 鬲乇噩賲赖 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 乇賵蹖 丕蹖賳鬲乇賳鬲 賲賵噩賵丿賴 賴賲賴 鬲乇噩賲赖 蹖 賳丕賯氐 卮噩丕毓 丕賱丿蹖賳 卮賮丕 賴爻鬲賳. 丕賲丕 丕蹖賳 趩賳丿丕賳 亘丿 賴賲 賳蹖爻鬲: 鬲賵氐蹖賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲 丕賵賱 賴賲蹖賳 鬲乇噩賲赖 (讴賴 賳賵丿 氐賮丨賴 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賳蹖爻鬲) 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖丿. 丕蹖賳 爻賴 丿賮鬲乇貙 丕夭 賯卮賳诏 鬲乇蹖賳 亘禺卮 賴丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賴爻鬲賳. 賴乇 趩蹖 讴鬲丕亘 噩賱賵鬲乇 賲蹖乇賴貙 丨囟賵乇 卮賷胤丕賳 賰賲鬲乇 賲賷卮賴 賵 丿乇 賳鬲賷噩賴 丕夭 噩匕丕亘蹖鬲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賰丕爻鬲賴 賲賷卮賴. 丕诏賴 賲噩匕賵亘 丕蹖賳 爻賴 亘禺卮 卮丿蹖丿 賵 禺賵丕爻鬲蹖丿 丕丿丕賲賴 蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖丿貙 鬲乇噩賲赖 蹖 賮乇蹖丿賴 丿丕賲睾丕賳蹖 乇賵 鬲賴蹖賴 讴賳蹖丿. 賵诏乇賳賴貙 丿賳亘丕賱卮 賳乇蹖丿.
September 7, 2009
(Joint review with )
[A projection room somewhere in Hollywood. Two middle-aged men are looking at a screen, currently empty:]
JERRY BRUCKHEIMER: [for it is he:] Okay Mike, now you've been playing this pretty close to your chest. Show me what you've got.
MICHAEL BAY: I'd love to.
[The film starts. We see the Garden of Eden. Nothing much is happening. The camera pans around and finally looks at some pretty KUROSAWA-inspired clouds. On the voiceover, ANTHONY HOPKINS, as the Narrator, is reading Paradise Lost:]
HOPKINS: Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe...
BRUCKHEIMER: [almost physically ill:] Mike, how could you do this to me?
[BAY looks smug and says nothing:]
HOPKINS: ... Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the highth of this great Argument
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the wayes of God to men.
BRUCKHEIMER: Tell me I'm not hearing this.
[On cue, MEGAN FOX appears, walking in slo-mo and wearing nothing but an entrancing smile. Various bits bounce interestingly:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Hey! Didn't she say you were like Hitler?
BAY: Megan and I understand each other.
[A moment later, we see ROBERT PATTINSON, dressed in similar fashion. BRUCKHEIMER suddenly brightens up:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Mike, don't ever do that to me again. O-kaay. Well, this oughta pack in the Twilight fans. But are you sure we should be showing his...
[BAY is way ahead of him. He gestures to the PROJECTIONIST, who immediately switches to a different shot of the same scene. Various strategically placed branches, stones, leaves etc have restored PATTINSON's modesty 脿 la AUSTIN POWERS:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Better. Wait, is he sparkling?
BAY: It's just the lights. We can fix that in post-editing.
BRUCKHEIMER: And I'm still not happy about the language. No one'll understand a word of it.
BAY: Come on, Jerry. Think Passion of the Christ. Think Apocalypto. Think Inglourious Basterds...
BRUCKHEIMER: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but they had subtitles. Okay, we'll talk about that later. Show me some of the action sequences.
[Another cut. Alarums. Excursions. CGI effects. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, holding a massive laser weapon, is blasting away at what appears to be a horde of DECEPTICONS:]
HOPKINS: ... Full soon
Among them he arriv'd; in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand Thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in thir Soules infix'd
Plagues; they astonisht all resistance lost...
BRUCKHEIMER: Jesus Christ.
BAY: Who else?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Eat wrath-of-God, muthafuckas!
[BRUCKHEIMER raises an eyebrow. BAY looks defensive:]
BAY: It was an ad lib. We haven't decided yet if we're going to keep it.
[An awkward pause:]
BAY: Do you think we should give him a halo?
BRUCKHEIMER: The religious right will like that. I'd say go with it. So I guess you have Dan Craig as Satan?
BAY: Budget said we couldn't afford him. Let me show you what we came up with.
[Cut. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, as Satan, faces GLENN CLOSE. She looks like a rather scarier version of Cruella de Vil:]
DOUGLAS: What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why
In this infernal Vaile first met thou call'st
Me Father, and that Fantasm call'st my Son?
I know thee not, nor ever saw till now
Sight more detestable then him and thee.
BRUCKHEIMER: Who the fuck is she? I haven't read this since high school.
BAY: It's Sin. His ex.
CLOSE: ... Becam'st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st
With me in secret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden...
[Flashback. A much younger version of CLOSE, with frizzy blonde hair as in Fatal Attraction, is taking joy with DOUGLAS over a celestial sink:]
BRUCKHEIMER: [Doubtful:] Will the 16-24 demographic get it?
BAY: Research is working on that. We're thinking she could maybe boil Eve's bunny. I'll show you another bit.
DOUGLAS: [Making speech:] ... Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell:
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
BRUCKHEIMER: Cut it. Too talky.
BAY: Yup, that's what we thought too. It's out.
BRUCKHEIMER: So how do we wrap this up? I remember it had a crap ending. Total downer too.
[Commotion outside. Raised voices. Suddenly, the door opens, and TILDA SWINTON strides in wearing her White Witch costume:]
BRUCKHEIMER: What the...
SWINTON: Eve was framed!
[She raises her wand and zaps BRUCKHEIMER and BAY, who are instantly transformed into snakes:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Hiss!
BAY: Hiss!
BRUCKHEIMER: Fucking hiss!
SWINTON: [to camera:] The end.
[A projection room somewhere in Hollywood. Two middle-aged men are looking at a screen, currently empty:]
JERRY BRUCKHEIMER: [for it is he:] Okay Mike, now you've been playing this pretty close to your chest. Show me what you've got.
MICHAEL BAY: I'd love to.
[The film starts. We see the Garden of Eden. Nothing much is happening. The camera pans around and finally looks at some pretty KUROSAWA-inspired clouds. On the voiceover, ANTHONY HOPKINS, as the Narrator, is reading Paradise Lost:]
HOPKINS: Of Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe...
BRUCKHEIMER: [almost physically ill:] Mike, how could you do this to me?
[BAY looks smug and says nothing:]
HOPKINS: ... Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the highth of this great Argument
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the wayes of God to men.
BRUCKHEIMER: Tell me I'm not hearing this.
[On cue, MEGAN FOX appears, walking in slo-mo and wearing nothing but an entrancing smile. Various bits bounce interestingly:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Hey! Didn't she say you were like Hitler?
BAY: Megan and I understand each other.
[A moment later, we see ROBERT PATTINSON, dressed in similar fashion. BRUCKHEIMER suddenly brightens up:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Mike, don't ever do that to me again. O-kaay. Well, this oughta pack in the Twilight fans. But are you sure we should be showing his...
[BAY is way ahead of him. He gestures to the PROJECTIONIST, who immediately switches to a different shot of the same scene. Various strategically placed branches, stones, leaves etc have restored PATTINSON's modesty 脿 la AUSTIN POWERS:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Better. Wait, is he sparkling?
BAY: It's just the lights. We can fix that in post-editing.
BRUCKHEIMER: And I'm still not happy about the language. No one'll understand a word of it.
BAY: Come on, Jerry. Think Passion of the Christ. Think Apocalypto. Think Inglourious Basterds...
BRUCKHEIMER: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but they had subtitles. Okay, we'll talk about that later. Show me some of the action sequences.
[Another cut. Alarums. Excursions. CGI effects. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, holding a massive laser weapon, is blasting away at what appears to be a horde of DECEPTICONS:]
HOPKINS: ... Full soon
Among them he arriv'd; in his right hand
Grasping ten thousand Thunders, which he sent
Before him, such as in thir Soules infix'd
Plagues; they astonisht all resistance lost...
BRUCKHEIMER: Jesus Christ.
BAY: Who else?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Eat wrath-of-God, muthafuckas!
[BRUCKHEIMER raises an eyebrow. BAY looks defensive:]
BAY: It was an ad lib. We haven't decided yet if we're going to keep it.
[An awkward pause:]
BAY: Do you think we should give him a halo?
BRUCKHEIMER: The religious right will like that. I'd say go with it. So I guess you have Dan Craig as Satan?
BAY: Budget said we couldn't afford him. Let me show you what we came up with.
[Cut. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, as Satan, faces GLENN CLOSE. She looks like a rather scarier version of Cruella de Vil:]
DOUGLAS: What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why
In this infernal Vaile first met thou call'st
Me Father, and that Fantasm call'st my Son?
I know thee not, nor ever saw till now
Sight more detestable then him and thee.
BRUCKHEIMER: Who the fuck is she? I haven't read this since high school.
BAY: It's Sin. His ex.
CLOSE: ... Becam'st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st
With me in secret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden...
[Flashback. A much younger version of CLOSE, with frizzy blonde hair as in Fatal Attraction, is taking joy with DOUGLAS over a celestial sink:]
BRUCKHEIMER: [Doubtful:] Will the 16-24 demographic get it?
BAY: Research is working on that. We're thinking she could maybe boil Eve's bunny. I'll show you another bit.
DOUGLAS: [Making speech:] ... Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell:
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.
BRUCKHEIMER: Cut it. Too talky.
BAY: Yup, that's what we thought too. It's out.
BRUCKHEIMER: So how do we wrap this up? I remember it had a crap ending. Total downer too.
[Commotion outside. Raised voices. Suddenly, the door opens, and TILDA SWINTON strides in wearing her White Witch costume:]
BRUCKHEIMER: What the...
SWINTON: Eve was framed!
[She raises her wand and zaps BRUCKHEIMER and BAY, who are instantly transformed into snakes:]
BRUCKHEIMER: Hiss!
BAY: Hiss!
BRUCKHEIMER: Fucking hiss!
SWINTON: [to camera:] The end.
January 13, 2024
La lucha entre Dios y Lucifer ("El que lleva la luz"), devenido en Satan谩s explicada de manera alternativa a la que conocemos de la Biblia.
John Milton termin贸 dict谩ndoles este libro a sus hijas ya ciego con una imaginer铆a propia de los grandes genios de la literatura. Sus 煤ltimos veinte a帽os fueron vividos en la oscuridad. Del mismo modos que otros autores como Jorge Luis Borges y James Joyce, a Milton no le amedrent贸 para crear esta epopeya, una de las m谩s grandes e ilustres que nos dio la literatura junto con 鈥淟a Il铆ada鈥� y 鈥淟a Odisea鈥� de Homero, 鈥淟a divina comedia鈥� de Dante Alighieri o 鈥淟a Eneida鈥� de Virgilio.
Pero esto no es todo: muy poco tiempo despu茅s, Milton, dictar谩 a sus hijas 鈥淓l Para铆so recobrado鈥� en una muestra de su talento y sabidur铆a propia de los m谩s grandes autores cl谩sicos que pisaron este planeta.
John Milton termin贸 dict谩ndoles este libro a sus hijas ya ciego con una imaginer铆a propia de los grandes genios de la literatura. Sus 煤ltimos veinte a帽os fueron vividos en la oscuridad. Del mismo modos que otros autores como Jorge Luis Borges y James Joyce, a Milton no le amedrent贸 para crear esta epopeya, una de las m谩s grandes e ilustres que nos dio la literatura junto con 鈥淟a Il铆ada鈥� y 鈥淟a Odisea鈥� de Homero, 鈥淟a divina comedia鈥� de Dante Alighieri o 鈥淟a Eneida鈥� de Virgilio.
Pero esto no es todo: muy poco tiempo despu茅s, Milton, dictar谩 a sus hijas 鈥淓l Para铆so recobrado鈥� en una muestra de su talento y sabidur铆a propia de los m谩s grandes autores cl谩sicos que pisaron este planeta.
July 8, 2021
Upon arrival at the last page of this epic story, a rich symphony of beauty, expressing the loss of Paradise in gorgeous arrangements of language wherein each word is precisely chosen, I am left, book in hand, contemplating the rich tapestry of song that Milton has woven on the loom of English heroic verse; the finished whole is vast in its sweep and exquisite in its details. I am stunned by its beauty, and left speechless as I follow Adam out of Eden, ruddy with a majestic glow in expectation of the birth and return of our loving King.
Milton knew ten languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, English, Italian, French, Spanish, & Dutch). Paradise Lost is full of Linguistic and literary allusions; Milton avails himself both of the words and the syntax of other languages, and makes purposeful allusions to famous passages in other books. As a minor example in Book I. 34-36, John Leonard points out the possibility of a pun in the Latin derivative deceived:
Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived
the mother of mankind,
with 'dis-Eved' (cross-linguistic wordplay with the Hebrew chava 'life' (Eve), and thus conveying the meaning 'un-lifed', 'deprived of life'). This is in fact, trademark Miltonic multilingual artistry. Milton relishes in his languages, and uses them to great effect. This is a very small and isolated example of the gems of linguistic virtuosity that lie waiting to be discovered by the astute and careful reader as the song progresses and unfolds.
In Milton's Languages, John Hale argues that Milton's choice to write in English鈥撯€搃n an age when Latin is still the obvious choice to ensure a wide audience鈥撯€搘as motivated by the fact that English was, among all his languages, the one that allowed for the greatest versatility in this manner of interlinguistic and intertextual allusiveness. The final work, wherein English seemlessly adopts Latin word order and idiom is a masterpiece, and places Milton eternally in the traditional line with the other great epic poets of the west: Homer (Greek), Ennius & Vergil (Latin), Dante (Italian), Milton (English). An English contemporary of Milton writes of him with national pride and affection thus:
Gr忙cia M忙onidem, jactet sibi Roma Maronem
Anglia Miltonum jactat utrique parem.
Let Greece her Homer, Rome her Vergil boast.
England boasts her Milton equal to them both.
Milton is another reason I am happy to have learned English young; he celebrated his native English, addressing it thus with love
Hail native Language, that by sinews weak
Didst move my first endeavouring tongue to speak,
and chose it for the language of his glorious and majestic English epic. Every English speaker should someday read it.
See also:
Milton's Languages, by John K. Hale.
Milton knew ten languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, English, Italian, French, Spanish, & Dutch). Paradise Lost is full of Linguistic and literary allusions; Milton avails himself both of the words and the syntax of other languages, and makes purposeful allusions to famous passages in other books. As a minor example in Book I. 34-36, John Leonard points out the possibility of a pun in the Latin derivative deceived:
Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived
the mother of mankind,
with 'dis-Eved' (cross-linguistic wordplay with the Hebrew chava 'life' (Eve), and thus conveying the meaning 'un-lifed', 'deprived of life'). This is in fact, trademark Miltonic multilingual artistry. Milton relishes in his languages, and uses them to great effect. This is a very small and isolated example of the gems of linguistic virtuosity that lie waiting to be discovered by the astute and careful reader as the song progresses and unfolds.
In Milton's Languages, John Hale argues that Milton's choice to write in English鈥撯€搃n an age when Latin is still the obvious choice to ensure a wide audience鈥撯€搘as motivated by the fact that English was, among all his languages, the one that allowed for the greatest versatility in this manner of interlinguistic and intertextual allusiveness. The final work, wherein English seemlessly adopts Latin word order and idiom is a masterpiece, and places Milton eternally in the traditional line with the other great epic poets of the west: Homer (Greek), Ennius & Vergil (Latin), Dante (Italian), Milton (English). An English contemporary of Milton writes of him with national pride and affection thus:
Gr忙cia M忙onidem, jactet sibi Roma Maronem
Anglia Miltonum jactat utrique parem.
Let Greece her Homer, Rome her Vergil boast.
England boasts her Milton equal to them both.
Milton is another reason I am happy to have learned English young; he celebrated his native English, addressing it thus with love
Hail native Language, that by sinews weak
Didst move my first endeavouring tongue to speak,
and chose it for the language of his glorious and majestic English epic. Every English speaker should someday read it.
See also:
Milton's Languages, by John K. Hale.
September 19, 2017
Book Review
3.5 out of 5 stars for , the first of a two-book series, written in 1667 by . I've only read the first book in this series, but would like to read the second piece at some point. These are epic poems telling of the battle between Satan and God for control over the human soul. It's truly an introspective piece, as I believe Milton threw so much of himself, as well as people in general, into this work. It's captured the attention of so many people, and not just readers. It's the foundation of several films and television adaptions. Some argue it loses focus on the religious aspects; others praise it for being very open to different experiences. It's the kind of literature that pushes you to think about voice and characters. About different sides to a story and alternative opinions. How does it feel to agree with Satan? Do you accept being disappointed in something God says because it's something you thought was OK to do? So much in the words, but also the message is even more powerful. It's a lot to digest, but if you haven't read it, look up a few passages to see if the lyrical tone is something you can absorb while reading the words. It may help give you some perspective on different aspects of life and death.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on 欧宝娱乐, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at , where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
3.5 out of 5 stars for , the first of a two-book series, written in 1667 by . I've only read the first book in this series, but would like to read the second piece at some point. These are epic poems telling of the battle between Satan and God for control over the human soul. It's truly an introspective piece, as I believe Milton threw so much of himself, as well as people in general, into this work. It's captured the attention of so many people, and not just readers. It's the foundation of several films and television adaptions. Some argue it loses focus on the religious aspects; others praise it for being very open to different experiences. It's the kind of literature that pushes you to think about voice and characters. About different sides to a story and alternative opinions. How does it feel to agree with Satan? Do you accept being disappointed in something God says because it's something you thought was OK to do? So much in the words, but also the message is even more powerful. It's a lot to digest, but if you haven't read it, look up a few passages to see if the lyrical tone is something you can absorb while reading the words. It may help give you some perspective on different aspects of life and death.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on 欧宝娱乐, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at , where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
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October 7, 2023Video now available:
When I鈥檓 reading Paradise Lost, I鈥檓 appreciating it on multiple levels:
- The sonorous exhilaration of the exotic, uncanny language.
- The scale and power of the imagery.
- The vastness of Milton鈥檚 knowledge and learning.
- The degree of prophetic achievement.
- The scope of Milton鈥檚 systematic theology.
- The presumptuous task of Milton鈥檚 theodicy.
- The mystique gathered around the book and its author.
When I鈥檓 reading Paradise Lost, I鈥檓 appreciating it on multiple levels:
- The sonorous exhilaration of the exotic, uncanny language.
- The scale and power of the imagery.
- The vastness of Milton鈥檚 knowledge and learning.
- The degree of prophetic achievement.
- The scope of Milton鈥檚 systematic theology.
- The presumptuous task of Milton鈥檚 theodicy.
- The mystique gathered around the book and its author.
November 20, 2014
Who but a blind man could so vividly write of the darkness of Hell?
Paradise Lost is fire and passion. It is the pinnacle and the bottomless pit. It is the struggle for all that is good. It is the struggle within the evil of all evils.
In the mid-1600s John Milton, aging and gone blind, dictated his most famous work, Paradise Lost, an epic poem that harkens back to Homer and Virgil. It not only tells the so very well-known story of Adam and Eve, it also describes the downfall of Satan in dramatic fashion. The empathy shown for this most famous of fallen angels is, for me, one of the most outstanding sections of this early work of English literature.
Epic is a laughably overused word these days. However, the depiction of Mammon and Beelzebub marshaling their demonic minions for the coming war is the stuff of ancient epics.
Tolkien and Lewis most definitely borrowed heavily from these passages of Milton's when penning their own epics.
The language has aged. Some of this is archaic and occasionally difficult to understand. But stick with it and you shall be rewarded.
Paradise Lost is fire and passion. It is the pinnacle and the bottomless pit. It is the struggle for all that is good. It is the struggle within the evil of all evils.
In the mid-1600s John Milton, aging and gone blind, dictated his most famous work, Paradise Lost, an epic poem that harkens back to Homer and Virgil. It not only tells the so very well-known story of Adam and Eve, it also describes the downfall of Satan in dramatic fashion. The empathy shown for this most famous of fallen angels is, for me, one of the most outstanding sections of this early work of English literature.
Epic is a laughably overused word these days. However, the depiction of Mammon and Beelzebub marshaling their demonic minions for the coming war is the stuff of ancient epics.
Tolkien and Lewis most definitely borrowed heavily from these passages of Milton's when penning their own epics.
The language has aged. Some of this is archaic and occasionally difficult to understand. But stick with it and you shall be rewarded.
June 6, 2020
Next to Shakespeare, Milton's Paradise Lost is probably one of the best and most enduring of the English Classics.
That's surprising, really, because, let's face it: not to many people in the modern crowd reads poetry these days. Or they don't try because they assume it's going to be too difficult.
Of course, they're probably not trying Milton. It's not only easy to read and gorgeously crafted, but it's also FULL of action, full of thrills, and it just plain kicks ass.
Don't let the topic fool you. It may have to do with the fall of Satan and then the fall of Adam and Eve, but Milton is a rockstar of the literature world. We jump right into the thick of the fall of all the rebellious angels right after an epic war in heaven.
Not only is Milton courageous enough to make Satan sympathetic and he's never once referred to as "evil", but he makes Satan even persuade ME. Make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven, indeed.
We get the epic battle in heaven. We get all the dark and disturbing reasons for the rebellion. We get the jealousy, the sense of injustice, and we get it again when the same kind of predestined plot hits humanity.
So many of the darkest questions are explored. And this isn't a simple epic poem. It's not all flowery language, but it IS that at its best moments. It's intense and it's fantastically rich with mythology and history and scholarship -- as you might expect -- but more than that, it's just plain GOOD.
It's classic in the sense that it will never go out of style. It's good in a way that when we read it now, it is like the best of our modern fiction. Great stylistic and plot devices, fantastic characterization, and depth.
Of course, when I first read this, I was in college and we were required to read the bible to get all the great references and compare the differences, and I DO recommend that if only for comparative analysis in literature, but it's not necessary.
This is an action movie. :)
That's surprising, really, because, let's face it: not to many people in the modern crowd reads poetry these days. Or they don't try because they assume it's going to be too difficult.
Of course, they're probably not trying Milton. It's not only easy to read and gorgeously crafted, but it's also FULL of action, full of thrills, and it just plain kicks ass.
Don't let the topic fool you. It may have to do with the fall of Satan and then the fall of Adam and Eve, but Milton is a rockstar of the literature world. We jump right into the thick of the fall of all the rebellious angels right after an epic war in heaven.
Not only is Milton courageous enough to make Satan sympathetic and he's never once referred to as "evil", but he makes Satan even persuade ME. Make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven, indeed.
We get the epic battle in heaven. We get all the dark and disturbing reasons for the rebellion. We get the jealousy, the sense of injustice, and we get it again when the same kind of predestined plot hits humanity.
So many of the darkest questions are explored. And this isn't a simple epic poem. It's not all flowery language, but it IS that at its best moments. It's intense and it's fantastically rich with mythology and history and scholarship -- as you might expect -- but more than that, it's just plain GOOD.
It's classic in the sense that it will never go out of style. It's good in a way that when we read it now, it is like the best of our modern fiction. Great stylistic and plot devices, fantastic characterization, and depth.
Of course, when I first read this, I was in college and we were required to read the bible to get all the great references and compare the differences, and I DO recommend that if only for comparative analysis in literature, but it's not necessary.
This is an action movie. :)
July 29, 2016
丕夭 禺賵丿 讴鬲丕亘 夭蹖丕丿 賱匕鬲 賳亘乇丿賲 賵賱蹖 鬲賵囟蹖丨丕鬲 賲鬲乇噩賲 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲 鬲丕乇蹖禺蹖 賵 賲匕賴亘蹖 禺賵亘 亘賵丿. 丿乇 賳鬲蹖噩賴 賮賯胤 蹖讴蹖 亘丨孬 賴丕蹖 噩丕賱亘 讴鬲丕亘 乇丕 丿乇 丕蹖賳噩丕 賲蹖 丌賵乇賲
:賲爻卅賱賴 睾丕賲囟 噩亘乇 賵 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 丌丿賲蹖
噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳 丿乇 丿賮鬲乇 爻賵賲 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿: 毓賯賱 丕爻丕爻 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 丕爻鬲 賵 禺丿丕 丕夭 丕胤丕毓鬲 讴賵乇讴賵丕賳賴 亘賳丿诏丕賳卮 賵 賮賯胤 丿乇 禺丿賲鬲 丕賱夭丕賲貙 丕丨爻丕爻 禺乇爻賳丿蹖 賳丿丕乇丿 賵 亘禺丕胤乇 賴賲蹖賳 丌賮乇蹖丿诏丕賳 乇丕 丌夭丕丿 丌賮乇蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 毓賱賲 賱丿賳蹖 禺丿丕賵賳丿 賴蹖趩诏賵賳賴 丕孬乇蹖 丿乇 诏賳丕賴蹖 讴賴 丕賳爻丕賳 賴丕 禺賵丕賴賳丿 讴乇丿 賳丿丕乇丿
丕賲丕 賲鬲乇噩賲 丿乇 鬲賵囟蹖丨丕鬲 趩蹖夭 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿: 賲毓賱賵賲 賳蹖爻鬲 趩胤賵乇 丕賳爻丕賳 丿乇 丕乇鬲讴丕亘 诏賳丕賴蹖 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 禺丿丕賵賳丿貙倬蹖卮 丕夭 賵賯賵毓 丨鬲賲蹖 丌賳 賵賯賵賮 丿丕卮鬲賴 賵 毓賵丕賯亘 丌賳 乇丕 亘賴 趩卮賲 賲蹖 丿蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 丕诏乇 丌丿賲 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賴 丕爻鬲 亘賴 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 禺賵丿 丕夭 丌賳 爻乇 亘丕夭 夭賳丿貙丿乇 丕蹖賳 氐賵乇鬲 毓賱賲 丌賳 讴爻 讴賴 賵丕賯賮 丕賱爻乇 賵 丕賱禺賮蹖丕鬲 丕爻鬲 亘丕胤賱 賲蹖 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
:丕蹖賳 賴賲丕賳 爻禺賳 禺蹖丕賲 丕爻鬲
賲蹖 禺賵乇丿賳 賲賳 夭 丕夭賱 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲
诏乇 賲蹖 賳禺賵乇賲 毓賱賲 禺丿丕 噩賴賱 亘賵丿
賵 丨丕賮馗 亘丕 賳夭丕讴鬲 鬲賲丕賲 賲爻卅賱賴 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 乇丕 賲賵乇丿 鬲禺胤卅賴 賯乇丕乇 賲蹖 丿賴丿
诏賳丕賴 诏乇趩賴 賳亘賵丿 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 賲丕 丨丕賮馗
!鬲賵 丿乇 胤乇蹖賯 丕丿亘 讴賵卮 賵 诏賵 诏賳丕賴 賲賳 丕爻鬲
丿乇 賯乇丌賳 亘賴 讴乇丕鬲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賲賵囟賵毓 賵 亘丕 氐乇丕丨鬲 爻禺賳 乇賮鬲賴 丕爻鬲 賵 蹖丕丿賲賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 睾乇賵亘 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳貙 丕乇賲賳蹖 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賯乇丌賳 禺賵丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿 賲爻賱賲丕賳丕賳 乇丕 胤亘賯 丌蹖丕鬲 賯乇丌賳貙 噩亘乇蹖 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿
賴乇 賲氐蹖亘鬲蹖 讴賴 丿乇 夭賲蹖賳 蹖丕 丕夭 賳賮爻 禺賵丿鬲丕賳 亘賴 卮賲丕 乇爻丿 賴賲賴 丿乇 賱賵丨 賲丨賮賵馗 倬蹖卮 丕夭 丌賳讴賴 丿賳蹖丕 乇丕 丌賮乇蹖丿賴 亘丕卮蹖賲 孬亘鬲 亘賵丿賴 丕爻鬲
爻賵乇賴 丨丿蹖丿貙丌蹖賴 22
禺丿丕賵賳丿 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿 賴丿丕蹖鬲貙 賵 賴乇 讴賴 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿貙 诏賲乇丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳丿
丕賱賳賵乇貙丌蹖賴 46
賵 丨鬲蹖 亘賴 倬蹖丕賲亘乇卮 賲蹖鈥屬佖辟呚й屫�: 趩賳蹖賳 賳蹖爻鬲 讴賴 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 鬲賵 亘禺賵丕賴蹖 賴丿丕蹖鬲 卮賵丿貙 亘賱讴賴 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 讴賴 禺丿丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿 賴丿丕蹖鬲 賲蹖鈥屫促堌�
丕賱賯氐氐貙丌蹖賴 56
丿乇 鬲賵乇丕鬲 賴賲 丌蹖丕鬲 賲卮丕亘賴蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 亘丕乇賴 丌賲丿賴 丕爻鬲
:賲爻卅賱賴 睾丕賲囟 噩亘乇 賵 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 丌丿賲蹖
噩丕賳 賲蹖賱鬲賵賳 丿乇 丿賮鬲乇 爻賵賲 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿: 毓賯賱 丕爻丕爻 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 丕爻鬲 賵 禺丿丕 丕夭 丕胤丕毓鬲 讴賵乇讴賵丕賳賴 亘賳丿诏丕賳卮 賵 賮賯胤 丿乇 禺丿賲鬲 丕賱夭丕賲貙 丕丨爻丕爻 禺乇爻賳丿蹖 賳丿丕乇丿 賵 亘禺丕胤乇 賴賲蹖賳 丌賮乇蹖丿诏丕賳 乇丕 丌夭丕丿 丌賮乇蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 毓賱賲 賱丿賳蹖 禺丿丕賵賳丿 賴蹖趩诏賵賳賴 丕孬乇蹖 丿乇 诏賳丕賴蹖 讴賴 丕賳爻丕賳 賴丕 禺賵丕賴賳丿 讴乇丿 賳丿丕乇丿
丕賲丕 賲鬲乇噩賲 丿乇 鬲賵囟蹖丨丕鬲 趩蹖夭 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿: 賲毓賱賵賲 賳蹖爻鬲 趩胤賵乇 丕賳爻丕賳 丿乇 丕乇鬲讴丕亘 诏賳丕賴蹖 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 禺丿丕賵賳丿貙倬蹖卮 丕夭 賵賯賵毓 丨鬲賲蹖 丌賳 賵賯賵賮 丿丕卮鬲賴 賵 毓賵丕賯亘 丌賳 乇丕 亘賴 趩卮賲 賲蹖 丿蹖丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 丕诏乇 丌丿賲 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賴 丕爻鬲 亘賴 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 禺賵丿 丕夭 丌賳 爻乇 亘丕夭 夭賳丿貙丿乇 丕蹖賳 氐賵乇鬲 毓賱賲 丌賳 讴爻 讴賴 賵丕賯賮 丕賱爻乇 賵 丕賱禺賮蹖丕鬲 丕爻鬲 亘丕胤賱 賲蹖 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
:丕蹖賳 賴賲丕賳 爻禺賳 禺蹖丕賲 丕爻鬲
賲蹖 禺賵乇丿賳 賲賳 夭 丕夭賱 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲
诏乇 賲蹖 賳禺賵乇賲 毓賱賲 禺丿丕 噩賴賱 亘賵丿
賵 丨丕賮馗 亘丕 賳夭丕讴鬲 鬲賲丕賲 賲爻卅賱賴 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 乇丕 賲賵乇丿 鬲禺胤卅賴 賯乇丕乇 賲蹖 丿賴丿
诏賳丕賴 诏乇趩賴 賳亘賵丿 丕禺鬲蹖丕乇 賲丕 丨丕賮馗
!鬲賵 丿乇 胤乇蹖賯 丕丿亘 讴賵卮 賵 诏賵 诏賳丕賴 賲賳 丕爻鬲
丿乇 賯乇丌賳 亘賴 讴乇丕鬲 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賲賵囟賵毓 賵 亘丕 氐乇丕丨鬲 爻禺賳 乇賮鬲賴 丕爻鬲 賵 蹖丕丿賲賴 丿乇 讴鬲丕亘 睾乇賵亘 賮乇卮鬲诏丕賳貙 丕乇賲賳蹖 賴丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賯乇丌賳 禺賵丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿賳丿 賲爻賱賲丕賳丕賳 乇丕 胤亘賯 丌蹖丕鬲 賯乇丌賳貙 噩亘乇蹖 賲蹖 丿丕賳爻鬲賳丿
賴乇 賲氐蹖亘鬲蹖 讴賴 丿乇 夭賲蹖賳 蹖丕 丕夭 賳賮爻 禺賵丿鬲丕賳 亘賴 卮賲丕 乇爻丿 賴賲賴 丿乇 賱賵丨 賲丨賮賵馗 倬蹖卮 丕夭 丌賳讴賴 丿賳蹖丕 乇丕 丌賮乇蹖丿賴 亘丕卮蹖賲 孬亘鬲 亘賵丿賴 丕爻鬲
爻賵乇賴 丨丿蹖丿貙丌蹖賴 22
禺丿丕賵賳丿 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿 賴丿丕蹖鬲貙 賵 賴乇 讴賴 乇丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿貙 诏賲乇丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳丿
丕賱賳賵乇貙丌蹖賴 46
賵 丨鬲蹖 亘賴 倬蹖丕賲亘乇卮 賲蹖鈥屬佖辟呚й屫�: 趩賳蹖賳 賳蹖爻鬲 讴賴 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 鬲賵 亘禺賵丕賴蹖 賴丿丕蹖鬲 卮賵丿貙 亘賱讴賴 賴乇 讴爻 乇丕 讴賴 禺丿丕 亘禺賵丕賴丿 賴丿丕蹖鬲 賲蹖鈥屫促堌�
丕賱賯氐氐貙丌蹖賴 56
丿乇 鬲賵乇丕鬲 賴賲 丌蹖丕鬲 賲卮丕亘賴蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 亘丕乇賴 丌賲丿賴 丕爻鬲
July 5, 2017
I still have my old grad school copy of this work, earnestly annotated with references to Ovid and Homer and (once) Terminator 2. But through all that Milton's words shine forth, depicting the struggle between good and evil, which is a struggle precisely because Satan is so alluring and interesting (by far the most interesting character here, which of course didn't escape the notice of later Romantic writers who were themselves drawn to the anti-hero). But the struggle isn't just between mythic forces, but within the human heart itself, which is what gives the work its under-girding of tender sadness--like the outcry of the "Portress of Hell Gate," who laments in Book II: "Hast thou forgot me then, and do I seem / Now in thine eye so foul, once deemed so fair / In Heav'n...." It's a tale of loss (obviously) and jealousy and narcissism (cue the Ovid references) and it's really quite unexpectedly heart-breaking at times, though I'll admit the poetry can be dense and difficult and full of allusions, which is perhaps why it didn't become a "classic" until a few decades after publication when someone produced an annotated version. Still, this is a work that can be enjoyed on its own terms--a self-consciously grand epic.
February 3, 2016
鬲賵噩丿 亘毓囟 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱鬲賷 賷賱賷賯 亘賴丕 丕賱賯丿丕爻丞 丨鬲賶 賵賱賵 賱賲 鬲賰賳 賲賳 胤乇賮 丕賱廿賱賴 , 賵廿賱丕 賱賲丕匕丕 兀賯爻賲 丕賱賱賴 賮賷 賲丨賰賲 丌賷丕鬲賴 亘賲丕 賷爻胤乇 丕賱賯賱賲 賮賯丕賱 : (賳 賵賻丕賱賿賯賻賱賻賲賽 賵賻賲賻丕 賷賻爻賿胤購乇購賵賳賻) , 賮丕賱賱賴 賷毓賱賲 兀賳 賲賳 丕賱亘卮乇 賲賳 爻賷爻胤乇 兀毓賲丕賱 鬲爻鬲丨賯 丕賱鬲禺賱賷丿 賵丕賱鬲毓馗賷賲 兀賰孬乇 賲賲丕 賷爻鬲丨賯 爻賵丕賴丕 .
賱賱丨賯 : 丨丕賵賱鬲 賲乇丕乇賸丕 賵鬲賰乇丕乇賸丕 兀賳 兀賰鬲亘 卮卅 毓賳 賴匕丕 丕賱毓賲賱 , 兀賳 兀購禺乇噩 賮賷賴 賲丕 賷賱賷賯 亘毓馗賲鬲賴 賵 噩賱丕賱賴.
賵賱賰賳 賴賳丕賰 賲賳 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 賲賳 賵購噩丿鬲 賱鬲爻賷胤乇 毓賱賶 毓賯賵賱賳丕 賵鬲兀禺匕賳丕 賲毓賴丕 賱毓丕賱賲 丌禺乇 , 毓丕賱賲 賱賳 賳氐賱賴 廿賱丕 毓亘乇 爻丨乇 禺丕氐 , 爻丨乇 丕賱賰賱賲丞 賵賲丕 兀毓馗賲賴 賲賳 爻丨乇.
丕賱賲賱丕丨賲 賷丕 爻丕丿丞 賵購噩丿鬲 賱鬲爻胤乇 丕賱鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳賷 , 賱賷爻 賮賯胤 鬲丕乇賷禺 丨囟丕乇丕鬲賴 賵丨乇賵亘賴 , 亘賱 丨鬲賶 鬲丕乇賷禺 賳卮兀鬲賴 賵鬲賰賵賷賳賴 , 賵賲乇丕丨賱 禺賱賯賴 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賲匕 賰丕賳 賮賷 丕賱噩賳丞 賵禺丿毓賴 丕賱卮賷胤丕賳 賱賷購毓丕賯亘 亘丕賱賳夭賵賱 廿賱賶 丕賱兀乇囟.
賲賱丨賲丞 賲賱賴賲丞 毓馗賷賲丞 賯賵賷丞 爻丕丨乇丞 賲亘賴乇丞 兀禺丕賾匕丞 亘賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨賲賱賴 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲 賲賳 賲毓賳賶 , 賳賵毓賷丞 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 鬲噩丿 賲丕 賷賮賷賴丕 毓馗賲鬲賴丕 , 賵賱賵 賵購噩丿鬲 賲毓丕賳賷 毓馗賷賲丞 , 賮賴賷 賵購噩丿鬲 賱鬲氐賮 毓馗賲鬲賴丕.
September 2, 2024
Formidable cosmic epic, with great creative and imaginative power, especially in the first half. But then "degenerated" a bit into a comprehensive retelling of Genesis. The parts about the Creation and the human fall (especially the interaction between Adam and Eve) are the most poetic. There's little action in the story, except for the battle scenes of course, and the second half is very narrative, less poetic. And let's concede: Milton's style takes a while to get used to, but then this book is a treasure trove, coming very near (but not all the way) to Dante's Divine Comedy. Read in English (partly) and Dutch (full). Definitely on my to re-read list!
April 9, 2018
鈥淭his having learnt, thou hast attained the summe
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs
Thou knewst by name, and all th鈥� ethereal Powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,
Or works of God in Heav鈥檔, Air, Earth, or Sea,
And all the riches of this World enjoydst,
And all the rule, one Empire; onely add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
Add Vertue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
By name to come call鈥檇 Charitie, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A Paradise within thee, happier farr.鈥�
READ THIS BOOK FOR ONE OF THE MOST UNKNOWN ANTIHEROES OF ALL TIME, LUCIFER, THE PRINCE OF HELL.
This is the story of the Fall of Man from Eden, the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan, and the loss of their almost tangible relationship with God, however, later on, we realize the most beautiful story, is that of the fall of Satan, his descent into Tartarus, his role in the Angelic War, and his quest to destroy God's most precious creation, humanity. Satan is the main protagonist, the protagonist of one of the greatest poems, not just of English literature, but of all time. This is not to say that it is his sole story, nor that this was Milton's purpose, but to the regular man, Satan represents most of what humanity is, a brash, arrogant, confident, flawed, curious, courageous, hypocritical, mostly all that encompasses the human experience.
For his desire for more, his need to be appreciated over God's flawed creation, leads him to befall to the darkest pit of Hell, and he vows revenge, and boy does he get it.
The second strength of this poem, aside Satan, comes from the magnificent black verse in which it is written.
鈥淔arewel happy Fields
Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail
Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time.
The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less then he
Whom Thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n.鈥�
This traitorous angel actually managed to make Hell sound good, not amazing, but a paradise for free-thinkers apparently. he saw himself as such a saviour to those that followed him, that sometimes, in our hearts, we feel a tinny bit sad for his outcome. And then we remember it is because of him that many horrid things happen and we feel good that he is where he is again. BUT HE IS THE MOST HUMAN CHARACTERS OF ALL THE ONES IN THE POEM.
鈥淚 sung of chaos and eternal night, Taught by the heav'nly Muse to venture down the dark decent, and up to reascend...鈥�
Milton wrote this for humans to have an understanding of all God did all the way to the Great Flood. Which has led many to question: Why does Satan have a political reason to rebel against God? Why was God such a barbarian? Why is Satan our temptation still? Why is Gabriel such a do-gooder and butt-kisser? Why does he give Adam and Eve such vague hope, "a paradise within thee, happier far"? WHY IS SATAN SO CHARISMATIC WHEN HE IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE BAD GUY? I am not sure we get the answers to these questions unless we look very close, I am of those that rather remain with the questions.
鈥淎ll is not lost, the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and the courage never to submit or yield.鈥�
We are made to sympathize with the Devil, but we are also to know that doing so is wrong, and that no man should align themselves with him. The debate is left to us, we make the final choice, and choosing wrong will lead us down a similar path to Lucifer.
MILTON WAS NOT A SATANIST, HE JUST WROTE A MAGNIFICENT VILLAIN ONCE AND PEOPLE HAVE NEVER LET IT DIE!
Now look at this description of God's creation:
鈥淎nd of the sixth day yet remained
There wanted yet the master work, the end
Of all yet done: a creature who not prone
And brute as other creatures but endued
With sanctity of reason might erect
His stature and, upright with front serene,
Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence
Magnanimous to correspond with Heaven,
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Descends, thither with heart and voice and eyes
Directed in devotion to adore
And worship God supreme who made him chief
Of all His works.鈥�
Better Than Food: Book Reviews did an incredible review, it is my favourite for this book so far:
The images used here were drawn by Gustave Dor茅, they are most beautiful. He also did Dante's Inferno and The Rime of The Ancient Mariner, all equal in beauty.
Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs
Thou knewst by name, and all th鈥� ethereal Powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,
Or works of God in Heav鈥檔, Air, Earth, or Sea,
And all the riches of this World enjoydst,
And all the rule, one Empire; onely add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
Add Vertue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
By name to come call鈥檇 Charitie, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A Paradise within thee, happier farr.鈥�
READ THIS BOOK FOR ONE OF THE MOST UNKNOWN ANTIHEROES OF ALL TIME, LUCIFER, THE PRINCE OF HELL.
This is the story of the Fall of Man from Eden, the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan, and the loss of their almost tangible relationship with God, however, later on, we realize the most beautiful story, is that of the fall of Satan, his descent into Tartarus, his role in the Angelic War, and his quest to destroy God's most precious creation, humanity. Satan is the main protagonist, the protagonist of one of the greatest poems, not just of English literature, but of all time. This is not to say that it is his sole story, nor that this was Milton's purpose, but to the regular man, Satan represents most of what humanity is, a brash, arrogant, confident, flawed, curious, courageous, hypocritical, mostly all that encompasses the human experience.
For his desire for more, his need to be appreciated over God's flawed creation, leads him to befall to the darkest pit of Hell, and he vows revenge, and boy does he get it.
The second strength of this poem, aside Satan, comes from the magnificent black verse in which it is written.
鈥淔arewel happy Fields
Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail
Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time.
The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less then he
Whom Thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n.鈥�
This traitorous angel actually managed to make Hell sound good, not amazing, but a paradise for free-thinkers apparently. he saw himself as such a saviour to those that followed him, that sometimes, in our hearts, we feel a tinny bit sad for his outcome. And then we remember it is because of him that many horrid things happen and we feel good that he is where he is again. BUT HE IS THE MOST HUMAN CHARACTERS OF ALL THE ONES IN THE POEM.
鈥淚 sung of chaos and eternal night, Taught by the heav'nly Muse to venture down the dark decent, and up to reascend...鈥�
Milton wrote this for humans to have an understanding of all God did all the way to the Great Flood. Which has led many to question: Why does Satan have a political reason to rebel against God? Why was God such a barbarian? Why is Satan our temptation still? Why is Gabriel such a do-gooder and butt-kisser? Why does he give Adam and Eve such vague hope, "a paradise within thee, happier far"? WHY IS SATAN SO CHARISMATIC WHEN HE IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE BAD GUY? I am not sure we get the answers to these questions unless we look very close, I am of those that rather remain with the questions.
鈥淎ll is not lost, the unconquerable will, and study of revenge, immortal hate, and the courage never to submit or yield.鈥�
We are made to sympathize with the Devil, but we are also to know that doing so is wrong, and that no man should align themselves with him. The debate is left to us, we make the final choice, and choosing wrong will lead us down a similar path to Lucifer.
MILTON WAS NOT A SATANIST, HE JUST WROTE A MAGNIFICENT VILLAIN ONCE AND PEOPLE HAVE NEVER LET IT DIE!
Now look at this description of God's creation:
鈥淎nd of the sixth day yet remained
There wanted yet the master work, the end
Of all yet done: a creature who not prone
And brute as other creatures but endued
With sanctity of reason might erect
His stature and, upright with front serene,
Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence
Magnanimous to correspond with Heaven,
But grateful to acknowledge whence his good
Descends, thither with heart and voice and eyes
Directed in devotion to adore
And worship God supreme who made him chief
Of all His works.鈥�
Better Than Food: Book Reviews did an incredible review, it is my favourite for this book so far:
The images used here were drawn by Gustave Dor茅, they are most beautiful. He also did Dante's Inferno and The Rime of The Ancient Mariner, all equal in beauty.
April 6, 2015
In poetic genius, Milton is the only English poet who could seriously rival Shakespeare. As they both were from around the same time period, they use similar language; but in style and substance, the two are worlds apart. Shakespeare has his feet firmly planted in human affairs鈥攈e can find the whole universe in a conversation on a lazy afternoon. Milton is epic in scale, taking the reader from the pit of Hell, through unformed Chaos, past Earth, all the way up to Heaven. Shakespeare鈥檚 mind travels through the world like a phantom, imbuing it with his own spirit, becoming everything at once but remaining himself nonetheless. Milton, by contrast, gathers the world into himself, melts it down, and reforges it anew.
This is one of the few books that repelled me on my first attempt. I was simply unprepared for the style of English, and I had too little reading experience to properly understand the many classical and Biblical references. On my second attempt, I did manage to finish the poem, though it was quite a slog. Nonetheless, many sections made a lasting impression on me, and I often found myself reminiscing about the poem.
I have just completed my second journey through this book. Every time I go over a line in this epic, it yields more fruit. The poem is simply beautiful. When attempting to articulate exactly why I love it so much, my words fail me, and I am left with that over-used clich茅, "beautiful," but so it goes. I usually abhor re-reading books, but I anticipate reading Paradise Lost many times during my lifetime.
Part of why the poem is so compelling is Milton's portrayal of Lucifer. For those who wish to experience perhaps the best tragic character ever conceived鈥攔ivaling Oedipus, Faust, Hamlet, Captain Ahab, and King Lear鈥攔ead this book. Unlike Dante, whose Satan is a dumb, savage brute, Milton's Satan is exquisitely human. The universe of Paradise Lost is not carved up into unambiguous Good vs. unambiguous Evil; it is, instead, a far more subtle, psychological realm of sin, disobedience, rebellion, lust, ambition, and folly. Satan is not evil, but ambitious to the point of insanity. And who could not identify with that?
But be warned: this book is difficult. Milton is one of the most educated writers of all time; his learning was vast and deep. The language, dense; the allusions, many; the journey, nigh endless. But it is one that you will remember fondly. In Milton's own words: 鈥淟ong is the way, and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.鈥� And, when it is over, you will perhaps find that the journey was a paradise.
And when you put the book down, you may mourn that your happy journey through Milton's epic has come to an end. But be not sad. For the poem will live on within the chambers of your mind, and "Thou shalt possess a Paradise within thee, happier far."
This is one of the few books that repelled me on my first attempt. I was simply unprepared for the style of English, and I had too little reading experience to properly understand the many classical and Biblical references. On my second attempt, I did manage to finish the poem, though it was quite a slog. Nonetheless, many sections made a lasting impression on me, and I often found myself reminiscing about the poem.
I have just completed my second journey through this book. Every time I go over a line in this epic, it yields more fruit. The poem is simply beautiful. When attempting to articulate exactly why I love it so much, my words fail me, and I am left with that over-used clich茅, "beautiful," but so it goes. I usually abhor re-reading books, but I anticipate reading Paradise Lost many times during my lifetime.
Part of why the poem is so compelling is Milton's portrayal of Lucifer. For those who wish to experience perhaps the best tragic character ever conceived鈥攔ivaling Oedipus, Faust, Hamlet, Captain Ahab, and King Lear鈥攔ead this book. Unlike Dante, whose Satan is a dumb, savage brute, Milton's Satan is exquisitely human. The universe of Paradise Lost is not carved up into unambiguous Good vs. unambiguous Evil; it is, instead, a far more subtle, psychological realm of sin, disobedience, rebellion, lust, ambition, and folly. Satan is not evil, but ambitious to the point of insanity. And who could not identify with that?
But be warned: this book is difficult. Milton is one of the most educated writers of all time; his learning was vast and deep. The language, dense; the allusions, many; the journey, nigh endless. But it is one that you will remember fondly. In Milton's own words: 鈥淟ong is the way, and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.鈥� And, when it is over, you will perhaps find that the journey was a paradise.
And when you put the book down, you may mourn that your happy journey through Milton's epic has come to an end. But be not sad. For the poem will live on within the chambers of your mind, and "Thou shalt possess a Paradise within thee, happier far."
February 7, 2022
Great epic poem.
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