For a modern reader, Paradise Lost is alienating, coming as it does from a different era politically & psychologically. how far do you agree?
"FOR A MODERN READER, PARADISE LOST IS ALIENATING, COMING AS IT DOES FROM A DIFFERENT ERA POLITICALLY & PSYCHOLOGICALLY." HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE? In addressing the view propounded in the title, the term "alienating" must be addressed. In this case, it means that the modern reader would find 'Paradise Lost' either simply inaccessible, or perhaps a work with which they might not identify with to a degree that a contemporary audience would have done. The term 'modern reader' also, needs clarification, and in this case it is assumed that the 'modern reader' is anyone who enjoys reading modern novels of what is widely considered to be a fairly high literary standard living in 2010, with no extensive knowledge regarding Milton, Classical Civilisation and Literature or the events of the English Civil War. There is much to commend the view that this modern reader would find 'Paradise Lost' "alienating". In the former interpretation of the word "alienating", regarding a stylistic inaccessibility, the syntax and classical references which Milton employ would do much to push the modern reader away. Milton often arranges his sentences in a fashion which would be unfamiliar to the modern reader: the first line of the poem is a case in point ("Of Man's first disobedience... Sing heavenly Muse..."). As written here, the modern reader would have little trouble understanding that Milton is
In Miltons Paradise Lost, God is portrayed as having limited influence and contact with our world. This is perhaps a result of his respect for free will/conscience.
Hayden Kallas Mr. Becker Honors English Lit. 9/26/11 God's Influence In Milton's Paradise Lost, God is portrayed as having limited influence and contact with our world. This is perhaps a result of his respect for free will/conscience. This lack of contact is supported by one; God's passiveness, there are several situations in the book in which God seems like he should be able to influence events but he simply doesn't act. When he does act, he acts indirectly. God seems to execute his plans through either his angels or his son. Finally, perhaps the best indication of God's limited connections is in the cases where God uses complicated, elaborate plans to do things that if he really had 100% power he would perform simply and immaculately. In the book Paradise Lost, God plays a relatively passive role considering that he is by far the most significant character in this book. He seems to sit up on his heavenly throne and observes rather than interact with his creations. A good case of this is in Book three lines 80-90, when God watches Satan ascending from hell. It would seem that when he was alerted by Uriel, the archangel would have been a good time to intervene and smite down Satan. It almost seems like Milton's God wants the events of Paradise Lost to transpire because he yields so many times at so many opportunities to stop Satan. Satan should have been stopped
Many of the more famous Blake poems present us with a inner message, displaying his political, social or religious thoughts. Poems such as The Chimney Sweeper may also be interpreted as providing moral lessons,
Jasmin Hayward "Rather than simply delighting us with the beauty of Nature, some poems seem primarily designed to teach us a moral lesson." Discuss this view with close reference to your set text and one of the poetry extracts which follow. Many of the more famous Blake poems present us with a inner message, displaying his political, social or religious thoughts. Poems such as "The Chimney Sweeper" may also be interpreted as providing "moral lessons," where the Blake criticises the actions of others. This was common for poets to do during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in particular as "guidelines" for children. Nonetheless it could be argued that this does not necessarily make a successful poem. Other Blake poems such as "The Lamb" are evident on this. A Blake poem that provides us with a "moral lesson" is the songs of experience poem "A Poison Tree." In this poem uses the metaphor of a growing fruit to symbolise the growing anger for a foe. The lesson that is presented here is one against Christian Forbearance, the action of suppressing feelings rather than acting upon them. This is due to the fact that at the end of the poem it is detailed "my foe [was] outstretched beneath the tree." The use of of the fruit metaphor of the "wrath" is an interesting one. Blake uses a mixture of human actions with the atypical actions of growth, such as "I watered it in
The country pleasures which John Donne mentioned in The Good Morrow is an example of the physical pleasures which the poet seeks to satisfy in physical activities.
In Donne's poetry, individual desire operates on two levels: on one level, it is the desire which is born out of the lower self and seeks gratification in the pleasures of the senses. On another level desire is spiritual and it seeks to transcend the physical. The "country pleasures" which John Donne mentioned in "The Good Morrow" is an example of the physical pleasures which the poet seeks to satisfy in physical activities. However such kinds of pleasures are only mere illusions, that is, "fancies". The desire to love is felt like an inner urge in the poet. It is a spiritual force which transcends the physical to meet at a higher level and brings about a unity of souls. His only desire was to be united with his beloved: "If ever any beauty I did see, Which I desired, and got, 'twas but a dream of thee". The strong urge of the desire to love is enacted effectively by the tone of the last two lines in the first stanza of "The Good Morrow". The caesuras after "see" in line 6 of the first stanza and in line 7 of the first stanza enacts forcefully the inner urge which the poet feels. The "desire" starts in a dream to have a "beauty" and that desire is fulfilled majestically. The use of metaphysical conceits dominate the last two stanzas. The lovers see worlds of their own reflected in the pupils of each other. Here we can see that the desire is not sensual
Dante's Inferno: Dante As Poet And Character And Application
Dante's Inferno: Dante As Poet And Character And Application Dante Alighieri is an Italian poet who was admired for his profound view of the spiritual and the range of his intellect. He was known for his works such as La Vita Nuova (The New Life), Convivio (Banquet) and De Vulgari Eloquentia (Concerning the Common Speech). The most interesting perhaps is Dante's epic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, an allegorical narrative, symbolic of a particular fault or virtue and the punishments or rewards imposed on the personas to illustrate a much deeper sense of truth and universality. But most interesting for me is the fact that Dante used himself as the main character of his greatest work thus resulting to a central implication of the Comedy; Dante's involvement in "The Comedy" can be seen in two dimensions, Dante as the Poet and Dante as the Character. What I will attempt to do in this paper is to explain the parallels of these two dimensions to more practical aspects of life and to justify why it was essential that Dante incorporates himself inside the world of The Comedy. Often times, speeches of Dante the poet and Dante the character would coincide but each these two clearly has functions of their own. We would often think that Dante the poet was more of a narrative voice, meaning if the lines push the story forward, then most likely these lines are from Dante the poet such as
Can the devil be an epic hero? This seems to be the case in John Miltons Paradise Lost
Is satan hero? Can the devil be an epic hero? This seems to be the case in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the great epic from the English Renaissance. Milton’s Satan is brave, resourceful and powerful and an excellent leader as well. Milton’s introduction of Satan shows the reader how significant Satan is to Paradise Lost. He uses Satan’s heroic qualities to his followers, and his ability to corrupt to show the thin line between good and evil. Satan was one of the highest angels in Heaven, Milton makes the reader see him as a leader and a strong influence to all in his presence. He best describes Satan’s ways when stating, “His pride/ had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host. / Of rebel angels, by whose aspiring/ To set himself in glory above his peers” (Milton Book I). Satan’s pride was the main reason that God banned him from heaven. Some readers consider Satan to be the hero, or protagonist, of the story, because he struggles to overcome his own doubts and weaknesses and accomplishes his goal of corrupting humankind. Satan is far from being the story’s object of admiration. But there are some qualities that make him heroic and intrigued . Satan’s fascination for us is that he is very complex. Heroes are more complex, Aristotle argued, than the classical archetype permits. They are good, appealing people who make mistakes; they are people
Satan's Pride in Paradise Lost
Satan’s Hubris Leads to his Fall Because of the fallen angel’s obdurate pride, which eventually turns into vanity, Satan reaches his fall. Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost is a complex character who is meant to be the evil figure in the epic poem. Whenever given the chance, Satan tries to undermine God, whom he despises. Satan’s pride initiates his disobedience to God. The opening scene shows Satan and his other former angels on a burning lake as they awaken after they were cast out of Heaven. From the beginning all the fallen angels realize, “to be weak is miserable/.../ To do aught good never will be [their] task,/ but ever to do ill will be [their] sole delight,/ as being the contrary to His high will/ Whom we resist.” (l. 157-162, I) Satan accepts that Hell is the “mournful gloom” that they have traded for Heaven, “that celestial light,” (l. 244-245, I) and that the mind is its own place that can “make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” (l. 254-255, I) Satan’s obdurate pride is shown when he says, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” (l. 263, I) When Satan spake, he was boastful as he stressed that they are still united even in their fall. He assured them, “All is not lost-- the unconquerable will,/ and study of revenge, immortal hate,/ and courage never to submit or yield.” (l. 106-108, I) Together they joined in
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock opens Selected Poems. Remind yourself of the passage from the beginning of the poem as far as and should I then presume/and how should I begin? How effective do you find this passage as an
'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' opens Selected Poems. Remind yourself of the passage from the beginning of the poem as far as 'and should I then presume/and how should I begin?' How effective do you find this passage as an introduction to Eliot's methods and concerns? 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' is in many ways a comical poem, a mockery of a man lacking confidence and the ability to progress. It seems that Eliot is portraying the desperation felt by this character and how it seems to hinder so many aspects of his life. An element of self-portrayal can be detected throughout the poem. For example, the name 'J. Alfred Prufrock' follows the early form of Eliot's signature 'T. Stearns Eliot'. This is simply a small suggestion that Eliot sees a part of himself in Prufrock. Although the signs are subtle, it is possible that having experienced the issues raised in the poem Eliot is putting forth many of his own fears and worries. The name 'Prufrock' in itself is rather comical. It can be related to a touchstone (proof rock). This was normally used to assess the purity of precious metals. Therefore it can be assumed that Eliot is implying that the character of Prufrock is always assessing others, who perhaps he sees as better than himself, or of more value. This lack of self-confidence again emphasises weakness and desperation. The 'restless nights' spent in 'one
Epic convention - Rape of the Lock
How does Pope use epic conventions in Canto I? 'The Rape of the Lock' is a mock-epic, which essentially means Pope makes fun of the typical epic genre by parodying typical epic conventions. Such parody is used continuously throughout Canto I by Pope such as the ominous warning, supernatural creatures and guardians. Through these, Pope pokes fun at the characters, such as Belinda, in the hope of pointing out the triviality of the argument between the two feuding families the play is concerned with. The first epic convention Pope parodies is the invocation of the muse in the form of "Caryll" - John Caryll (a friend who had asked Pope to write the poem in the hope of uniting the two families through humour). In Greek mythology - which is the cornerstone of many epic myths and tales - the muse were mythical and magical beings who inspired. Therefore, Pope's calling upon a muse seems to give the poem an almost holy theme, which when compared with the realistic events (arguments due to a lock of hair) it is clearly a parody and nothing more. Also, Pope's supernatural beings extends to Sylphs, who Ariel - Belinda's guardian Sylph - eventually reveal to being the outcome of "coquettes" (frivolous, flirtatious women). They are first thought to be holy and noble, for they are "inhabitants of Air!", are viewed to be similar to angels and guard Belinda, but are then revealed to be
My Last Duchess From Fra Pandolfs View.
My Last Duchess From Fra Pandolfs View. I remember when the Duke requested that I produce yet another portrait of his beautiful wife, the duchess of Ferrara. I had painted this amazing woman many times in the past but I hadn't yet captured the real her. I always seemed to miss out her true beauty, there would something missing and this time I was hoping to get it right. I never knew why he did have her executed; I certainly could never bring my self to have such a beautiful thing destroyed. On previous occasions I had noticed that the Duke did not like me to get too friendly with her but how can you ignore such a beautiful and kind woman, I think the Duke was not sure if she was happy with him or just with her surroundings and the life she lived. The problem was that she was very easily pleased, sometimes too easily. Whenever I complimented her beauty she seemed to be embarrassed and her cheeks would blush slightly, she would only reply "Thank you" and as soon as she had finished speaking a glowing smile would return to her face. On this occasion I remember that the Duke was extremely agitated, he was very unhappy about me being alone whilst painting the duchess, he kept checking on me to make sure I was not getting on too well with her. One time I remember he walked in when she was laughing. I could see the look on his face and he asked if he could speak to her. As she