Page 175 - DENG405_BRITISH_POETRY

British Poetry

Notes • Milton composed his early verse in Latin, in the fashion of a classically educated person.
• The epic poet chronicles the religious history of a people; he plays the role of prophet-histo-
rian.
• Milton toured the European continent in 1638-1639 and met many of the great Renaissance
minds, including Galileo and Grotius.
• Milton opens Paradise Lost by formally declaring his poem’s subject: humankind’s first act of
disobedience toward God, and the consequences that followed from it.

19.4 Keywords

Epic : A long poem narrating the deeds of heroic or legendary figures or the past history
of a nation.
Paganism : A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religious.

Gout : A disease in which defective metabolism of uric acid causes arthritis, especially in
the smaller bones of the feet.

Spirit : The non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character.

19.5 Review Questions

1. Write an essay on the biography of John Milton.
2. Discuss the introduction to the text of Paradise Lost-I.
3. Describe the importance of prologue-Paradise Lost-I.

Answers: Self Assessment
1. False 2. False 3. True
4. False 5. False 6. True
7. True 8. True

19.6 Further Readings

Paradise Lost I (Non-detailed study) — John Milton
John Milton Paradise Lost — John Milton
John Milton: a short Introduction — Roy Flannagan

Online links http://www.bookrags.com/notes/pl/index.html
http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/paradis02.asp

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