Who is John Milton and what is he famous for?
This name belongs to the famous British poet and politician of the 17th century.
This man was born in the family of London notary John Milton Sr. in 1608. He was quite successful in his profession, so he had sufficient funds to give his child an excellent education at Cambridge University.
The parents' money was enough to support the unemployed Milton. Therefore, after receiving his diploma, the poet spent almost 6 years idly on his parents’ estate, entertaining himself by reading books and engaging in self-education. Milton later considered this period of his life to be his happiest.
In 1637, John Milton went to travel around Europe for a year. At this time he lived mainly in Italy and France, where he was fortunate to meet many of the outstanding minds of the time.
In 1638, the writer returned to his homeland and began to live in London. Although he was still supported by his father, Milton finally found something to do - he became a home teacher. At first, John taught his nephews, and later gave private lessons to children from other wealthy families.
Active political and literary activities
Milton's time was far from the calmest period in British history. The narrow-mindedness of Charles I's policy led to the beginning of the Bishop's Wars, which developed into the English Revolution of the 17th century.
These events did not leave Milton indifferent. As an ardent anti-royalist, he wrote fiery pamphlets in which he criticized the monarchy and defended civil rights and liberties, and also opposed censorship.
After the execution of the king and the establishment of a parliamentary system of government, John managed to obtain a position as government secretary for Latin correspondence.
During the years of work in this position, John Jr. wrote dozens of pamphlets, and also became acquainted with many of the great British writers of the time.
At this time, he married three times, but was never able to find happiness in family life. Biographers believe that one of the reasons for this was financial difficulties. After all, Milton was supported by his father almost all his life, but in 1647 he died, and the writer had to provide for himself, his wives and children. The poet, who had previously not bothered himself with such concerns, was now forced to take care not only of his intellectual needs, but also to look for various ways to earn money.
In 1652, the writer lost his sight and until his death in 1674 he lived in complete darkness. In this state, he could no longer hold a position in parliament, and with the restoration of the monarchy (albeit partial), Milton was deprived of benefits. He considered this period of his life to be the worst. But from the point of view of his legacy, this stage is the most productive. After all, while already blind, John Jr. wrote his greatest work - the poem “Paradise Lost.”
John Milton put all his knowledge and observations into this book and created a truly masterpiece, which was looked up to not only by his contemporaries, but also by his descendants, such as George Byron.
Story
John Milton wrote the poem "Paradise Regained" in the final period of his work, in the late 1660s. Being blind, he dictated the text to his friends and daughter. The first edition of the book, published in 1671, also contained the text of the play “Samson the Fighter.” Milton dictated the text of Paradise Regained at his estate Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire.
There is a legend about the origin of the poem, according to which a certain Quaker named Thomas Ellwood, having read the poem “Paradise Lost,” turned to Milton with the words: “You have described how paradise was lost, but what can you say about how paradise was found? " Hearing this, Milton at first fell into thought, but after a while he showed Elwood a new manuscript called Paradise Regained.[1]
In Russia, Milton's works became known already from the middle of the 18th century and found a warm response among Russian writers. A. N. Radishchev put Milton's name on a par with Shakespeare and Homer. The first translation of “Paradise Regained” into Russian was a prose translation from the French by Archbishop Ambrose (Serebrennikov), which was published in 1803, after Ambrose’s death[2]. In Russia, Milton's poem was republished several times in the 19th century (almost constantly - together with Paradise Lost), after which it was republished only in the 21st century. A new translation of the poem was completed in 2000 by S. A. Aleksandrovsky.
Poem Paradise Lost
What was special about this work? In addition to beautiful poetry, the use of colorful metaphors and comparisons, the author managed to refresh the biblical story of the Fall of Adam and Eve.
In Paradise Lost, John Milton turned the centuries-old story of the creation of man and his expulsion from paradise into exciting action. It had everything: Adam’s love story, philosophical reflections on life, faith and one’s destiny, and a description of the war between angels and demons.
By today's standards, Paradise Lost doesn't seem particularly remarkable. But immediately after its publication in 1667, Milton’s Paradise Lost received the most enthusiastic reviews. Tired of monotonous imitations of Homer and Dante, they were simply in love with the new poem.
Soon, Paradise Lost began to be translated into other languages and published outside of England.
"Lost heaven"
The poet reflects on the reason for the disobedience of the first four people, who violated the only prohibition of the Creator of all things and were expelled from Eden. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the poet names the culprit of the fall of Adam and Eve: this is Satan, who appeared to them in the guise of the Serpent.
Long before God created the earth and people, Satan, in his exorbitant pride, rebelled against the King of Kings, drew part of the Angels into rebellion, but was cast down with them from Heaven to the Underworld, into the region of total darkness and Chaos. Defeated but immortal, Satan does not accept defeat and does not repent. He prefers to be the ruler of Hell rather than the servant of Heaven. Calling on Beelzebub, his closest ally, he convinces him to continue the fight with the Eternal King and do only Evil contrary to His sovereign will. Satan tells his minions that soon the Almighty will create a new world and populate it with creatures whom he will love along with the Angels. If you use cunning, you can take over this newly created world. In Pandemonium, the leaders of Satan's army gather for a general council.
The leaders' opinions are divided: some are in favor of the war, others are against it. Finally, they agree with Satan’s proposal to check the truth of the ancient legend, which speaks of God’s creation of a new world and the creation of Man. According to legend, the time for the creation of this new world has already come. Since the path to Heaven is closed to Satan and his angels, they should try to take over the newly created world, expel or win over its inhabitants and thus take revenge on the Creator. Satan sets out on a perilous journey. He overcomes the abyss between Hell and Heaven, and Chaos, its ancient ruler, shows him the way to the new world.
God, seated on His highest throne, from where He sees the past, present and future, sees Satan, who flies to the new created world. Addressing his Only Begotten Son, the Lord predetermines the fall of Man, endowed with free will and the right to choose between good and evil. The Almighty Creator is ready to have mercy on Man, but first he must be punished for the fact that, having violated His prohibition, he dared to compare with God. From now on, man and his descendants will be doomed to death, from which only those who sacrifice themselves for their redemption can save them. To save the world. The Son of God expresses his readiness to sacrifice himself, and God the Father accepts it. He commands the Son to be incarnated in mortal flesh. The heavenly angels bow their heads before the Son and praise Him and the Father.
Meanwhile, Satan reaches the surface of the outermost sphere of the Universe and wanders through the dark desert. He passes Limbo, the Heavenly Gates and descends to the Sun. Taking the form of a young Cherub, he finds out from the Ruler of the Sun, Archangel Uriel, the whereabouts of Man. Uriel points him to one of the countless balls that move in their orbits, and Satan descends to Earth, to Mount Nifat. Passing the paradise fence, Satan in the guise of a sea raven descends to the top of the Tree of Knowledge. He sees the first couple of people and ponders how to destroy them. Having overheard the conversation between Adam and Eve, he learns that they are forbidden, on pain of death, to eat from the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge. Satan has an insidious plan ripening: to kindle in people a thirst for knowledge, which will force them to break the Creator’s prohibition.
Uriel, descending on a ray of sunshine to Gabriel, guarding Paradise, warns him that at noon the evil Spirit from the Underworld was heading in the form of a good Angel to Paradise. Gabriel goes on night watch around Paradise. In the bush, tired of the day's labors and the pure joys of sacred marital love, Adam and Eve sleep. The angels Ithuriel and Zephon, sent by Gabriel, discover Satan, who, in the guise of a toad, lurks over Eve’s ear in order to influence her imagination in a dream and poison her soul with unbridled passions, vague thoughts and pride. Angels bring Satan to Gabriel. The Rebellious Spirit is ready to enter into a fight with them, but the Lord shows Satan a heavenly sign, and he, seeing that his retreat is inevitable, leaves, but does not give up his intentions.
In the morning, Eve tells Adam her dream: someone like the celestials seduced her to taste the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and she ascended above the Earth and experienced incomparable bliss.
God sends Archangel Raphael to Adam to tell him about man’s free will, as well as about the proximity of the evil Enemy and his insidious plans. Raphael tells Adam about the First Rebellion in Heaven: Satan, inflamed with envy because God the Father exalted the Son and called Him the anointed Messiah and King, drew legions of Angels to the North and convinced them to rebel against the Almighty. Only Seraphim Abdiel left the rebel camp.
Raphael continues his story.
God sent the Archangels Michael and Gabriel to speak out against Satan. Satan convened a Council and, together with his accomplices, came up with devilish machines, with the help of which he pushed back the army of Angels devoted to God. Then the Almighty sent his Son, the Messiah, to the battlefield. The Son drove the Enemy to the fence of Heaven, and when their Crystal Wall opened up, the rebels fell into the abyss prepared for them.
Adam asks Raphael to tell him about the creation of this world. The Archangel tells Adam that God wanted to create a new world and creatures to populate it after He cast Satan and his minions into Hell. The Almighty sent His Son, the All-Creating Word, accompanied by Angels, to accomplish the work of creation.
Answering Adam's question about the movement of celestial bodies, Raphael carefully advises him to study only such subjects that are accessible to human understanding. Adam tells Raphael everything he remembers from the moment of his creation. He confesses to the Archangel that Eve has inexplicable power over him. Adam understands that, surpassing him in external beauty, she is inferior to him in spiritual perfection, however, despite this, all her words and actions seem beautiful to him and the voice of reason falls silent before her feminine charm. The Archangel, without condemning the love pleasures of the married couple, nevertheless warns Adam against blind passion and promises him the delights of heavenly love, which is immeasurably higher than earthly. But to Adam’s direct question - how love is expressed among the heavenly Spirits, Raphael answers vaguely and again warns him against thinking about what is inaccessible to the human mind.
Satan, under the guise of fog, again penetrates Paradise and inhabits the sleeping Serpent, the most cunning of all creatures. In the morning, the Serpent finds Eve and with flattering speeches persuades her to eat the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge. He convinces her that she will not die, and talks about how, thanks to these fruits, he himself gained speech and understanding.
Eve succumbs to the Enemy's persuasion, eats the forbidden fruit and comes to Adam. The shocked husband, out of love for Eve, decides to die with her and also violates the Creator’s prohibition. Having tasted the fruits, the Progenitors feel intoxicated: consciousness loses clarity, and unbridled voluptuousness, alien to nature, awakens in the soul, which is replaced by disappointment and shame. Adam and Eve understand that the Serpent, who promised them inescapable delights and unearthly bliss, deceived them, and they reproach each other.
God sends his Son to Earth to judge the disobedient. Sin and Death, who previously sat at the Gates of Hell, leave their refuge, trying to penetrate the Earth. Following the tracks laid by Satan, Sin and Death build a bridge across Chaos between Hell and the new world.
Meanwhile, Satan in Pandemonium declares his victory over man. However, God the Father predicts that the Son will defeat Sin and Death and revive His creation.
Eve, in despair that a curse should fall on their offspring, invites Adam to immediately find Death and become its first and last victims. But Adam reminds his wife of the promise that the Seed of the Woman will erase the head of the Serpent. Adam hopes to appease God through prayer and repentance.
The Son of God, seeing the sincere repentance of the Forefathers, intercedes for them before the Father, hoping that the Almighty will soften his harsh sentence. The Lord Almighty sends the Cherubim, led by Archangel Michael, to expel Adam and Eve from Paradise. Before fulfilling the order of God the Father, the Archangel takes Adam to a high mountain and shows him in a vision everything that will happen on Earth before the flood.
Archangel Michael tells Adam about the future destinies of the human race and explains the promise given to the Ancestors about the Seed of the Woman. He talks about the incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son of God and how the Church will live and fight until His second Coming. The consoled Adam awakens the sleeping Eve, and Archangel Michael leads the couple out of Paradise. From now on, the entrance to it will be guarded by the flaming and constantly turning sword of the Lord. Guided by the providence of the Creator, cherishing in their hearts the hope of the future deliverance of the human race, Adam and Eve leave Paradise.
Background to the writing of Paradise Lost
The idea of creating an epic poem about the Fall first appeared to John Milton during the revolutionary events in 1639. In those years, he made the first sketches and outlined a range of topics that could become the basis of the plot.
However, work in parliament, marriage and other worries prevented the author from realizing his plans.
Only after losing his sight and hope did Milton decide to put pen to paper. Of course, in a figurative sense, since he could not write on his own, and he dictated the texts of the poem to his daughters and close friends.
In this regard, some biographers sometimes question Milton’s authorship, putting forward theories that one of the poet’s daughters could have composed such a bold work. And her father only edited her essay and gave his name as more recognizable. There may also have been a collaboration with one of the unknown young talents.
These theories are supported by the fact that during the 60 years of his life the writer for some reason was not interested in the genre of the epic poem, but was better known as the author of treatises and poems.
However, we still won’t be able to find out the truth, so we can only admire “Paradise Lost” and the genius of its creator, whoever he really is.
Excerpt characterizing Paradise Regained
- Yes, I saw him just now. She was obviously unable to speak and made signs with her hands to leave her. Pierre did not stay for dinner, but immediately left the room and left. He went around the city to look for Anatoly Kuragin, at the thought of whom all the blood now rushed to his heart and he had difficulty catching his breath. In the mountains, among the gypsies, among the Comoneno, it was not there. Pierre went to the club. In the club everything went on as usual: the guests who had come to dine sat in groups and greeted Pierre and talked about city news. The footman, having greeted him, reported to him, knowing his acquaintance and habits, that a place had been left for him in the small dining room, that Prince Mikhail Zakharych was in the library, and Pavel Timofeich had not arrived yet. One of Pierre's acquaintances, between talking about the weather, asked him if he had heard about Kuragin's kidnapping of Rostova, which they talk about in the city, is it true? Pierre laughed and said that this was nonsense, because he was now only from the Rostovs. He asked everyone about Anatole; one told him that he had not come yet, the other that he would dine today. It was strange for Pierre to look at this calm, indifferent crowd of people who did not know what was going on in his soul. He walked around the hall, waited until everyone had arrived, and without waiting for Anatole, he did not have lunch and went home. Anatole, whom he was looking for, dined with Dolokhov that day and consulted with him on how to correct the spoiled matter. It seemed to him necessary to see Rostova. In the evening he went to his sister to talk with her about the means to arrange this meeting. When Pierre, having traveled all over Moscow in vain, returned home, the valet reported to him that Prince Anatol Vasilich was with the countess. The Countess's living room was full of guests. Pierre, without greeting his wife, whom he had not seen since his arrival (she hated him more than ever at that moment), entered the living room and, seeing Anatole, approached him. “Ah, Pierre,” said the countess, approaching her husband. “You don’t know what situation our Anatole is in...” She stopped, seeing in her husband’s low-hanging head, in his sparkling eyes, in his decisive gait that terrible expression of rage and strength that she knew and experienced in herself after the duel with Dolokhov. “Where you are, there is debauchery and evil,” Pierre said to his wife. “Anatole, let’s go, I need to talk to you,” he said in French. Anatole looked back at his sister and stood up obediently, ready to follow Pierre. Pierre took him by the hand, pulled him towards him and walked out of the room. “Si vous vous permettez dans mon salon, [If you allow yourself in my living room,” Helen said in a whisper; but Pierre left the room without answering her. Anatole followed him with his usual, dashing gait. But there was noticeable concern on his face. Entering his office, Pierre closed the door and turned to Anatole without looking at him. – You promised Countess Rostova to marry her and wanted to take her away? “My dear,” Anatole answered in French (as the whole conversation went), I do not consider myself obligated to answer interrogations made in such a tone. Pierre's face, previously pale, became distorted with rage. He grabbed Anatole by the collar of his uniform with his large hand and began to shake him from side to side until Anatole’s face took on a sufficient expression of fear. “When I say that I need to talk to you...” Pierre repeated. - Well, this is stupid. A? - said Anatole, feeling the collar button that had been torn off with the cloth. “You are a scoundrel and a scoundrel, and I don’t know what holds me back from the pleasure of crushing your head with this,” said Pierre, “expressing himself so artificially because he spoke French.” He took the heavy paperweight in his hand and raised it threateningly and immediately hastily put it back in its place. – Did you promise to marry her? - I, I, I didn’t think; however, I never promised, because... Pierre interrupted him. - Do you have her letters? Do you have any letters? - Pierre repeated, moving towards Anatole. Anatole looked at him and immediately, putting his hand in his pocket, took out his wallet. Pierre took the letter handed to him and, pushing away the table that was standing on the road, fell onto the sofa. “Je ne serai pas violent, ne craignez rien, [Don’t be afraid, I won’t use violence,” said Pierre, responding to Anatole’s frightened gesture. “Letters – one,” said Pierre, as if repeating a lesson to himself. “Second,” he continued after a moment of silence, getting up again and starting to walk, “you must leave Moscow tomorrow.” “But how can I…” “Third,” Pierre continued without listening to him, “you must never say a word about what happened between you and the countess.” This, I know, I cannot forbid you, but if you have a spark of conscience... - Pierre silently walked around the room several times. Anatole sat at the table and bit his lips with a frown. “You can’t help but finally understand that besides your pleasure there is happiness, the peace of other people, that you are ruining your whole life because you want to have fun. Have fun with women like my wife - with these you are in your right, they know what you want from them. They are armed against you with the same experience of depravity; but to promise a girl to marry her... to deceive, to steal... Don’t you understand that this is as vile as killing an old man or a child!... Pierre fell silent and looked at Anatole no longer with an angry, but a questioning look. - I do not know this. A? - said Anatole, cheering up as Pierre overcame his anger. “I don’t know this and I don’t want to know,” he said, without looking at Pierre and with a slight trembling of his lower jaw, “but you told me these words: vile and the like, which I comme un homme d’honneur [as an honest man ] I won’t let anyone.
Main characters
Before considering the summary of Milton's Paradise Lost, it is worth learning about the characters in the work.
It should be clarified that, although the author tried not to go beyond the church canon, he humanized his heroes, making them similar to the poet’s contemporaries.
One of the most discussed characters in Milton's Paradise Lost is Satan. Contrary to the biblical original, this character is endowed with human qualities. At the same time, he is incredibly powerful, smart and vain. Desiring power and self-affirmation, Satan rebels against God. Despite the defeat, he does not give up and decides to take revenge on the sly by seducing Adam and Eve. However, revenge does not bring him full satisfaction.
It is generally accepted that the prototype of Milton’s Satan the rebel was Aeschylus’s “Prometheus.” Also, some literary scholars believe that in the character of the Lord of Hell, the poet collected the main features of his revolutionary friends, who at one time overthrew Charles, but were never able to retain power. And the described relationship between Satan and his demons is a veiled description of the working days of Parliament.
The image of God in Paradise Lost is the embodiment of faith in Almighty God the Father. He sees the Devil's plans, but allows them, realizing that in the end they will all bring good. Some researchers correlate this character with the embodiment of the ideal ruler and believe that by creating such a character, Milton made a “curtsy” to the restored monarchy.
Adam and Eve are heroes who are somewhere between absolute Good and rebellious Evil. In Paradise Lost, they are not weak-willed toys, but have the right to choose. Moreover, unlike the Bible, these heroes are not only forbidden to eat the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge, but are warned about the machinations of Satan. This makes their fall from grace seem like a conscious decision. Moreover, the author portrays Eve as the main culprit. This heroine is shown as weaker physically and intellectually. But at the same time, she turns out to be more cunning and manages to manipulate Adam.
At the same time, her husband is too idealized. He is not only smart and noble, but also inquisitive. Despite his free will, Adam is very obedient and does not tend to rebel. Eve is the rebel in their marriage. Only with the acquisition of knowledge (after the Fall) do these heroes taste true bliss, however, after this bitter repentance awaits them.
The image of the Son of God in the poem is quite interesting. He is depicted not only as a noble man who voluntarily sacrificed himself for the salvation of humanity, but also as an excellent leader, a brave commander (who helped the angels defeat the demons). It is believed that in this hero Milton depicted the features of an ideal ruler.
In addition to the characters listed, the angels Raphael and Michael play an active role in the book. They are the mentors of the human couple. Their images are a little boring, because they are cloyingly ideal and do not evoke much sympathy or admiration.
Meaning
According to literary scholars, “Paradise Regained” is a weaker work compared to “Paradise Lost”, which is unfavorably distinguished by abstractness and religious-moralistic intonations. Paradise Regained reflects the evolution of Milton's views on the paths and mechanisms of social progress. In particular, the work bears the imprint of a certain disappointment in the feasibility and possibility of a political revolution. This is seen as the influence of Quakerism, where the most active forces of the Puritan revolution went, and from here comes the main idea of “Paradise Regained” - elucidation of the paths of the coming revolution as the spiritual rebirth of man. This task is embodied in the victory of Christ over the tempter - Satan, which is atonement for the fall of Adam and Eve, in other words, for the mistakes of the revolution. Milton did not give up the dream of “a new society”: in “Paradise Regained” Christ establishes the “kingdom of God” on earth, and not in heaven, that is, he performs a certain political action. But this action does not represent violence, but enlightenment and conviction, a refusal to fight. This is the content and meaning of the poem. At the same time, Milton did not abandon his philosophical views and political sympathies: in “Paradise Regained” there are elements of materialism and, to an even greater extent, a departure from official Christianity. Christ for Milton is only a Greater Man, an ideal human citizen, symbolizing the “chosen” representatives of the future revolution, who defeated the forces of reaction. Despite loneliness and general misunderstanding, Milton's Christ finds the strength to resist the evil reigning in the world and does not deviate one step from his principles. Milton's Satan appears as a kind of allegory of the noble restoration and is generously endowed with the traits of Charles I - treachery, duplicity and cunning.
Summary of Milton's Paradise Lost
At the beginning of the poem, the action takes place in hell. Here fallen demons voice their complaints to Satan. In order to somehow distract them from sad thoughts, the Lord of Hell arranges a review of the troops. At the same time, although he himself is proud of his power, he does not know what to do next.
At the council of hellish elders, different options are being considered: to take up the arrangement of the Underworld or again raise a rebellion against Heaven.
Satan chooses a different tactic. Having learned about the creation of the New World and man, he decides to seduce people and thus take revenge on the Creator.
With the help of cunning, the Devil enters heaven. Here he is pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this place. However, the angels soon discover him and drive him away.
Realizing that the goal of the Evil One is to seduce people, the Lord sends Raphael to warn Adam and Eve. The Archangel tells Adam the story of the war with demons and the creation of the world by the Son of God. He also calls on a person to adhere to the commandments of the Lord.
Meanwhile, Satan sends a tempting dream to Eve. Being impressed, the woman tells her husband about him.
Subsequently, the Devil enters paradise in the form of fog and takes possession of the serpent. Cleverly manipulating the woman, he manages to convince her to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve likes the taste of the forbidden fruit so much that she persuades her husband to taste it too. Adam, although he understands that he is doing wrong, loves his wife too much, does not want to be separated from her and agrees.
After tasting the fruit, people experience carnal desires and satisfy them. However, when the passion cools down, they are struck by insight and repentance.
The Lord knew about Satan's plan long before he entered heaven. But when Christ volunteered to become the atoning sacrifice, He looked into the future and realized that the ending would be prosperous. For this reason, God allowed the scoundrel to carry out his plan.
After the Fall, He orders the angels to lead the sinners out of paradise. Seeing their repentance, Archangel Michael shows Adam the future until the coming of Christ to Earth and the destruction of Satan and his demons. People leave heaven, but their hearts are full of hope.
"Paradise Lost" summary
"Lost heaven"
is an epic poem by John Milton, first published in 1667 in ten books. In the 1674 edition there were 12 books. The poem describes in blank verse the story of the first man Adam.
"Paradise Lost" summary
Book I
The poet, calling on the divine Muse, formulates his theme: the fall of man due to his disobedience, and his goal: to show the ways of the Lord to man. He then imagines the defeated archangel Satan with Beelzebub, his assistant, and his rebel angels, lying in a burning lake in hell.
Satan calls his legions to himself, raises their spirits and gathers a council. Satan's palace, Pandemonium, is built.
Book II.
The Council debates whether to risk restarting the battle to gain Heaven. Satan decides to go there alone, passes through the gates of hell. accompanied by Sin and Death, and rises upward through the realm of Chaos.
Book III.
Milton calls on divine light to illuminate the everlasting darkness of his days and restore his sight, then describes God who sees Satan heading into our world and predicts the success of his enterprise, the Fall and the subsequent punishment of man. The Son of God offers himself as redemption and is declared Savior. Satan, meanwhile, approaches the border of the Universe, finds the steps leading to Heaven, descends to the Sun, turns into the cherubic youth Uriel, and in this form heads to Earth.
Book IV.
Satan travels to the Gardens of Eden, where he first sees Adam and Eve “in natural and beautiful nakedness” and overhears their conversation about the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. He decides to make sure they break the ban, but the guardian angels, led by Gabriel, discover him and drive him out of the garden.
Book V
Eve tells Adam about her disturbing dream-seduction, inspired by Satan. Raphael, sent by God, appears in paradise, warns Adam and calls him to obedience. Raphael, at Adam's request, told him how Satan, full of hatred for the newly anointed Messiah, raised his legions to revolt.
Book VI.
Raphael continues his story, telling how Michael and Gabriel were sent to fight Satan. After their failure, the Son of God himself attacked the troops of Satan and, pushing them to the edge of Heaven, cast them through Chaos into the abyss
Book VII.
Raphael reports God's decision to poison his Son in order to create another world from the boundless primordial Chaos. He describes six days of creation, ending with the creation of man.
Book VIII.
Adam is interested in the movement of the celestial bodies and does not receive a clear answer (the discussion regarding the systems of Copernicus and Ptothemaus was in full swing during the writing of Paradise Lost, and Milton could not choose any of them.). Adam tells what he remembers from the time of his creation, talking with Raphael about relations between the sexes; After some time, with a final warning, Raphael leaves.
Book IX.
Milton describes how Satan enters the body of the serpent and finds Eve, who does not heed Adam's warnings. Satan convinces her to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Eve tells Adam what happened. Adam, having learned that she is doomed, decides to die with her and also eats the fruit. Realizing that they have lost their innocence, Adam and Eve cover their nakedness. Mutual accusations begin.
Book X
God sends the Son to judge sinners, and He announces the verdict. Sin and Death decided to come to this world, paving a wide road from hell. Satan returned to Hell and proclaimed his victory, after which he and his minions temporarily turned into snakes. Adam first reproaches Eve. but later, having reconciled, they decide together to seek mercy from the Son of God.
Book XI.
The Son of God, seeing their repentance, intercedes for them. God decides that they must leave heaven and sends Michael to do His bidding. Eve cries out for mercy. Adam asks not to expel them, but Michael assures him. that God is omnipresent, then reveals to him a picture of the future, talking about the consequences of original sin.
Book XII.
Michael goes on to tell the story of the Old Testament, then describes the coming of the Messiah, his death, resurrection and ascension, and Adam is no longer so inconsolable. Michael also predicts the disintegration of the Church before the Second Coming. Adam and Eve, resigned to their fate and convinced that they can have “heaven in their souls,” are led out of the garden.
You might be interested in:
- Features of the human skeleton
- What do tarantulas eat?
- A person’s health is in his clean hands: choose...
- History of the study of blood groups
Analysis of the poem
Having examined the summary of Milton's Paradise Lost, it is worth analyzing the work.
Despite strict adherence to the biblical canon, the poet was able to describe in his book the life and problems that concern modern society.
Most literary scholars agree that in describing the relationships between the inhabitants of hell, the author depicted the reasons that led to the fall of his anti-royalist party and the restoration of the monarchy in England.
However, there are those who believe that by depicting the life of demons in hell, the poet ridiculed the main problems of power in contemporary Britain. He veiledly showed how the government, instead of improving the country, holds demonstrations, organizes wars with other states and is mired in intrigue.
At the same time, paradise is depicted as a Utopia, ruled by a wise and caring ruler and his faithful angels.
Other problems that Milton showed include family relationships. The author managed to outlive two of his three wives. Moreover, the first of them (Mary Powell, 20 years younger than the writer) ran away from her husband to relatives a month after the wedding. Over time, John managed to bring Mary home, but their relationship never improved.
The poet married other wives when he was already blind, so he needed them more as nurses and nannies for the children from his first marriage.
It was based on the not very successful, but rich experience of family life that the author described the marriage of the first people. In his interpretation, Adam is an ideal father and husband. He loves his wife immensely, and in order to save his future children he is ready to commit suicide.
Eve (in Milton's understanding) is the main root of all the family's troubles. In general, she is shown as a good heroine, but too lustful. It's hard to look at something like this without smiling. After all, the writer first got married at 34, then at 48 and 55. Moreover, both of his last wives were 30 years younger than him. It is not surprising that the writer considered his spouses to be overly lustful, although in this case these were only the natural desires of young women.
When analyzing John Milton's Paradise Lost, one cannot help but mention the issue of world order. The poet was one of the most educated people of his era and, of course, was interested in the structure of the Universe. At that time, there were heated debates about which of the systems corresponded to reality: Copernicus (heliocentric) or Ptolemy (where the Earth was at the center of the universe). Since the answer has not yet been found, Milton in Paradise Lost leaves the question open, although he touches on it.
Literature
- Gorbunov A. N.
Poetry of John Milton (From pastoral to epic) //
Milton J.
Paradise Lost. Paradise returned. Other poetic works / Ed. prepared by A. N. Gorbunov, T. Yu. Stamova. - M.: Nauka, 2006. - P. 581-647. — 862 p. - (Literary monuments). — ISBN 5-02-033240-2. - Northrop Frye, The Return to Eden: Five Essays on Milton's Epics
(Toronto: Toronto UP, 1965). - Introduction to Paradise Regained
, in
The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton
, ed. William Kerrigan, John Rumrich, and Stephen M. Fallon (New York: Modern Library, 2007). - Barbara Lewalski, Milton's Brief Epic: The Genre, Meaning, and Art of Paradise Regained
(Providence: Brown UP, 1966). - Susanne Woods, introduction to Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained
, published by Signet Classics.
Summary of Milton's Paradise Regained
Having examined the summary of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and analyzed it, you should find out what the continuation of the poem, Paradise Regained, is dedicated to.
This book consists of only 4 chapters. They colorfully describe the story of the temptation of Christ by Satan and His victory.
Unlike the first book, this one was more like a religious treatise, which Milton often wrote in his youth. By the way, it was its impressive dissimilarity to the courage and lightness of Paradise Lost that gave rise to rumors that the author of Paradise Lost was someone else.
Poem "Paradise Regained"
The poem "Paradise Regained" is a retelling of how Satan tried to seduce Jesus Christ. It is this image that Milton focuses on. If Adam and Eve could not resist temptation, then Jesus turns out to be more persistent, more courageous. He defeated Satan and saved humanity. For Milton, Jesus is the ideal human citizen. Despite loneliness and general misunderstanding, he finds the strength to resist the evil that reigns in the world, he does not deviate one step from his principles. Compared to Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained is a weaker work. It is unfavorably characterized by abstractness and religious-moralistic intonations. Conclusion: Milton's works have been translated into almost all European languages. In Russia they became known already from the middle of the 17th century. The significance of this author is great for Russian literature. The poet's moral height, his hatred of tyranny, and admiration for the heroism of the liberation struggle found warm sympathy among Russian writers. Radishchev put his name on a par with Shakespeare and Homer.
Tags:
- history of foreign literature
Selected quotes from Paradise Lost
One of the reasons for the overwhelming popularity of the poem was not only its diverse plot and rich images, but also its beautiful style.
Below are the most famous quotes from Milton's Paradise Lost:
- “And even in hell, But it’s still worth ruling, for it’s better to reign in hell than to be a slave in heaven...” By the way, this phrase is a free interpretation of the famous quote by Julius Caesar: “It is better to be first in the village than second in the city (Rome).
- “Everywhere in Hell I will be. Hell is myself."
- “Perhaps we will be inspired by hope; if not, we will be inspired by despair.”
- “Whether in suffering or in struggle, woe to the weak”
- “Oh, human shame! Harmony reigns among the damned demons, but man, a conscious creature, creates discord with his own kind.”
- “So why want something that we cannot achieve by force, but which we ourselves will not take as a handout?”
- “But everywhere I see the same source of all human evil - women!”
“Paradise Lost”, summary
Paradise Lost - Poem (1658-1665, published 1667)
The poet reflects on the reason for the disobedience of the first four people, who violated the only prohibition of the Creator of all things and were expelled from Eden. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the poet names the culprit of the fall of Adam and Eve: this is Satan, who appeared to them in the guise of the Serpent.
Long before God created the earth and people, Satan, in his exorbitant pride, rebelled against the King of Kings, drew part of the Angels into rebellion, but was cast down with them from Heaven into the Underworld, into the region of total darkness and Chaos. Defeated but immortal, Satan does not accept defeat and does not repent. He prefers to be the lord of Hell rather than the servant of Heaven. Calling on Beelzebub, his closest ally, he convinces him to continue the fight with the Eternal King and do only Evil contrary to His sovereign will. Satan tells his minions that soon the Almighty will create a new world and populate it with creatures whom he will love along with the Angels. If you use cunning, you can take over this newly created world. In Pandemonium, the leaders of Satan's army gather for a general Council.
The leaders' opinions are divided: some are in favor of the war, others are against it. Finally, they agree with Satan’s proposal to check the truth of the ancient legend, which speaks of God’s creation of a new world and the creation of Man. According to legend, the time for the creation of this new world has already come. Since the path to Heaven is closed to Satan and his angels, they should try to take over the newly created world, expel or win over its inhabitants and thus take revenge on the Creator. Satan sets out on a perilous journey. He overcomes the abyss between Hell and Heaven, and Chaos, its ancient ruler, shows him the path to the new created world.
God, seated on His highest throne, from where He sees the past, present and future, sees Satan, who flies to the new created world. Addressing His Only Begotten Son, the Lord predetermines the fall of Man, endowed with free will and the right to choose between good and evil. The Almighty Creator is ready to have mercy on Man, but first he must be punished for the fact that, having violated His prohibition, he dared to compare with God. From now on, man and his descendants will be doomed to death, from which only those who sacrifice themselves for their redemption can save them. To save the world. The Son of God expresses his willingness to sacrifice himself, and God the Father accepts it. He commands the Son to be incarnated in mortal flesh. The heavenly angels bow their heads before the Son and praise Him and the Father.
Meanwhile, Satan reaches the surface of the outermost sphere of the Universe and wanders through the dark desert. He passes Limbo, the Heavenly Gates and descends to the Sun. Taking the form of a young Cherub, he finds out from the Ruler of the Sun, Archangel Uriel, the whereabouts of Man. Uriel points him to one of the countless balls that move in their orbits, and Satan descends to Earth, to Mount Nifat.
Passing the paradise fence, Satan in the guise of a sea raven descends to the top of the Tree of Knowledge. He sees the first couple of people and ponders how to destroy them. Having overheard the conversation between Adam and Eve, he learns that they are forbidden, on pain of death, to eat from the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge. Satan has an insidious plan ripening: to kindle in people a thirst for knowledge, which will force them to break the Creator’s prohibition.
Uriel, descending on a ray of sunshine to Gabriel, guarding Paradise, warns him that at noon the evil Spirit from the Underworld was heading in the form of a good Angel to Paradise. Gabriel goes on night watch around Paradise. In the bush, tired of the day's labors and the pure joys of sacred marital love, Adam and Eve sleep. The angels Ithuriel and Zephon, sent by Gabriel, discover Satan, who, in the guise of a toad, lurks over Eve’s ear in order to influence her imagination in a dream and poison her soul with unbridled passions, vague thoughts and pride. Angels bring Satan to Gabriel. The Rebellious Spirit is ready to enter into a fight with them, but the Lord shows Satan a heavenly sign, and he, seeing that his retreat is inevitable, leaves, but does not give up his intentions.
In the morning, Eve tells Adam her dream: someone like the celestials seduced her to taste the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and she ascended above the Earth and experienced incomparable bliss.
God sends Archangel Raphael to Adam to tell him about man’s free will, as well as about the proximity of the evil Enemy and his insidious plans. Raphael tells Adam about the First Rebellion in Heaven: Satan, inflamed with envy because God the Father had exalted the Son and called Him the anointed Messiah and King, drew legions of Angels to the North and convinced them to rebel against the Almighty. Only Seraphim Abdiel left the rebel camp.
Raphael continues his story.
God sent the Archangels Michael and Gabriel to speak out against Satan. Satan convened a Council and, together with his accomplices, came up with devilish machines, with the help of which he pushed back the army of Angels devoted to God. Then the Almighty sent his
Son, Messiah. The Son drove the Enemy to the fence of Heaven, and when their Crystal Wall opened up, the rebels fell into the abyss prepared for them.
Adam asks Raphael to tell him about the creation of this world. The Archangel tells Adam that God wanted to create a new world and creatures to populate it after He cast Satan and his minions into Hell. The Almighty sent His Son, the All-Creating Word, accompanied by Angels, to accomplish the work of creation.
Answering Adam's question about the movement of celestial bodies, Raphael carefully advises him to study only such subjects that are accessible to human understanding. Adam tells Raphael everything he remembers from the moment of his creation. He confesses to the Archangel that Eve has inexplicable power over him. Adam understands that, surpassing him in external beauty, she is inferior to him in spiritual perfection, however, despite this, all her words and actions seem beautiful to him and the voice of reason falls silent before her feminine charm. The Archangel, without condemning the love pleasures of the married couple, nevertheless warns Adam against blind passion and promises him the delights of heavenly love, which is immeasurably higher than earthly. But to Adam’s direct question - how love is expressed among the heavenly Spirits, Raphael answers vaguely and again warns him against thinking about what is inaccessible to the human mind. Satan, under the guise of fog, again penetrates Paradise and inhabits the sleeping Serpent, the most cunning of all creatures. In the morning, the Serpent finds Eve and with flattering speeches persuades her to eat the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge. He convinces her that she will not die, and talks about how, thanks to these fruits, he himself gained speech and understanding. Eve succumbs to the Enemy's persuasion, eats the forbidden fruit and comes to Adam. The shocked husband, out of love for Eve, decides to die with her and also violates the Creator’s prohibition. Having tasted the fruits, the Progenitors feel intoxicated: consciousness loses clarity, and unbridled voluptuousness, alien to nature, awakens in the soul, which is replaced by disappointment and shame. Adam and Eve understand that the Serpent, who promised them inescapable delights and unearthly bliss, deceived them, and they reproach each other. God sends his Son to Earth to judge the disobedient. Sin and Death, who previously sat at the Gates of Hell, leave their refuge, trying to penetrate the Earth. Following the tracks laid by Satan, Sin and Death build a bridge across Chaos between Hell and the new world. Meanwhile, Satan in Pandemonium declares his victory over man. However, God the Father predicts that the Son will defeat Sin and Death and revive His creation. Eve, in despair that a curse should fall on their offspring, invites Adam to immediately find Death and become its first and last victims. But Adam reminds his wife of the promise that the Seed of the Woman will erase the head of the Serpent. Adam hopes to appease God through prayer and repentance. The Son of God, seeing the sincere repentance of the Forefathers, intercedes for them before the Father, hoping that the Almighty will soften his harsh sentence. The Lord Almighty sends the Cherubim, led by Archangel Michael, to expel Adam and Eve from Paradise. Before fulfilling the order of God the Father, the Archangel takes Adam to a high mountain and shows him in a vision everything that will happen on Earth before the flood. Archangel Michael tells Adam about the future destinies of the human race and explains the promise given to the Ancestors about the Seed of the Woman. He talks about the incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son of God and how the Church will live and fight until His second Coming. The consoled Adam awakens the sleeping Eve, and Archangel Michael leads the couple out of Paradise. From now on, the entrance to it will be guarded by the flaming and constantly turning sword of the Lord. Guided by the providence of the Creator, cherishing in their hearts the hope of the future deliverance of the human race, Adam and Eve leave Paradise.
