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Unit 21: Paradise Lost-I (Non-detailed Study): Discussion and Analysis–II

inspiration much like the Holy Spirit. He asks Urania to insure his safe transition from relating the Notes
story of the war in Heaven back to Raphael and Adam’s conversation on Earth.

Milton asks that the muse inspire him through the rest of Raphael’s speech and protect
him from the troublesome beliefs of others who do not have access to her wisdom.
Back on Earth, Adam asks Raphael about how and why the world was created, as well as about his
own creation. Adam initially believes that he may not be allowed to hear the story of creation, so he
asks cautiously, although his curiosity is overwhelming. Raphael agrees to tell him, explaining that
the story of creation is not a secret to be kept from human beings. Raphael begins by picking up
where he left off, with the fall of Satan and his rebel followers. He explains that shortly after the fall,
the Father wished to forge a new race, partly to erase the memory of the rebellion and partly to
make up for the rebels’ absence from the ranks of God’s loyal creations. Raphael believes that by
replacing the fallen angels, God renders Satan unable to claim that he diminished God’s creation.
By creating Earth and mankind in a nearly empty part of the universe, God shows the fallen angels
that his glorious kingdom can be expanded indefinitely. For all these reasons, God decides to create
Earth and humans, with the idea that Earth and Heaven will eventually be joined together as one
kingdom through mankind’s obedience to God’s divine will.
Raphael says that God sends the Son down into Chaos to create Earth. The Earth is first formed out
of Chaos and given light and dark, or night and day, in equal measure. Land is separated from
water, and animals are created to populate both land and sea. The creation takes six days, and
Adam and Eve are created last. The entire act of creation is done through the Son, who makes man
in his image and gives him authority over all the animals on Earth. God gives Adam one command:
he must not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which gives knowledge of good and evil. The
Son, finishing with his work, hangs Earth beneath Heaven by a chain. He reascends to Heaven as
the angels sing hymns and praise his work. Pleased with his work, God rests on the seventh day,
which then becomes known as the Sabbath.

Analysis

In the same manner as the two previous invocations of the muse, Milton’s invocation of Urania
fuses classical allusion with Christian belief. Milton reconfigures Urania and likens her to the Holy
Spirit, placing a corrective, Christian spin on an old mythological figure. The cumulative effect of
Milton’s allusions to and corrections of classical culture is to convey the impression that Greek and
Roman civilization was indeed great, but misled in its philosophy and religion. Thus Milton can
claim to build upon the achievements of classical authors while replacing their religious beliefs
with Christian ones. Being born before Christ, most classical authors do have a good excuse for not
professing Christian beliefs.

Milton’s stance toward antiquity is not unlike that of earlier Christian poets such
as Dante or Spenser, who were similarly steeped in classical literary culture.
Raphael’s account of the world’s creation closely follows the biblical account of creation in the first
few chapters of Genesis. Milton takes some of his language directly from popular English translations
of the Bible. By using biblical language, Milton gives Raphael’s account more authority and renders
the invented details of his story more credible as well. Raphael’s extended explanations about the
world and about God and Satan are lengthy, but their length demonstrates Milton’s beliefs concerning
the absolute importance of conversation, knowledge, and thought. Book VII presents a curious

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