Contrasts and Unity in Lycidas
Contrasts and Unity in Lycidas Lycidas is a poem of contrasts. Milton switches themes constantly, disrupting the flow and making it a poem of parts, disconcerting the reader who expects a unified entity. However, if we consider Lycidas to be a work in which Milton himself is the central persona, then the disparate parts can be brought together in a multi faceted unity. The opening section is replete with the imagery of unripeness 'harsh and crude' and 'bitter', which, although applied to evergreens and to the occasion, suggest the unpreparedness of the poet to undertake the task in hand. The first line, with its non-rhyming ending, warns the reader not to anticipate an accomplished poem. Indeed as we progress through the work, we find several unrhymed lines in an erratic rhyme scheme together with an irregular stanza pattern and eccentricities of meter. The intrusive six syllable lines amongst a majority of iambic pentameter have their origins in the Italian canzone but the occasional extra syllable must be regarded as a sign of the poet's immaturity. However the small eccentricities (they are too insignificant to be called errors) may well be deliberate. Take, for example, the case of the first line. The sentiment expressed is as out of place as the bachelor rhyme. Milton had at that time written verses on certain insignificant individuals but no one deserving 'Laurels'
Pullyz Paradise lost - Adam and Eve
Pullyz PARADISE LOST: Adam and Eve The dramatic characters of Adam and eve have led to a spectrum of opinions, which touch issues regarding the roles of the sexes even today. Milton's dramatization of the biblical eve was interpreted vain, having trivia; characteristics inclined to fall. What was ignored was Milton's assertion of eternal; providence for both man and woman. Virginia Woolf and many other literary women's view are that Milton's verse is a powerful rendering of a culture myth, which is at the heart of west literary patriarchy. Reasons for this are that it is the story of a woman's secondness. her "otherness" which leads to her demonic anger, her fall, her sin, her fall and her exclusion from the garden of god's which for her is the garden of poetry. According to the feminists, milt shows Adam as god's favored creature, and eve as inferior who is satanically inspired. . For most women writers Milton and creature of his literary imagination constitute what 'Gertrude stein' calls patriarchal poetry. Adam and eve are capable of obedience to god; eve prefers to believe the devil. Adam loves his place of eve above his love of god. Of their free will they are disobedient. Eve before the fall is innocent womanhood, and after the fall is guilty womanhood. God is their creaotor and he has forbidden them to eat the fruit. The obligation to obey is stressed again and
An Analysis of Satan’s Soliloquy in John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
AND SO THE ARCH-FIEND SPOKE An Analysis of Satan's Soliloquy in John Milton's "Paradise Lost" In the eighty-two lines that consist of Satan's famous soliloquy in Book IV (lines 32 to 113) of John Milton's Paradise Lost, one is given a great deal to think about. Obviously, first and foremost, one gets a deeper look at the character of the "tragic hero" of Milton's epic, who is consumed by his jealousy of God's new creation, Mankind. Also, by seeing more of Satan's character, one also sees Satan's reasons for sinning, how sin originally began, and in a sense, he establishes a defence for his own, ill-thought-out actions. And finally, Satan's soliloquy was a vehicle for Milton to further establish the main theme of his epic, which is, as one reads in Book I, to "justify the ways of God to men." (I.26) Above all, this deeper glimpse of Satan shows the reader that he (Satan) is quite intelligent. We see cunning skills of logic while he debates with himself the pros and cons of every point that he raises. The reader also sees in Satan that one thing that Adam and Eve crave so dearly -- self-awareness. But this self-awareness that Satan possesses does not seem to enlighten him, as Adam and Even hope it will; in fact, he seems tortured by it, as he banters back and forth with himself. This same self-awareness also enable him to see that although he has a throne in Hell,
Humanism in Dante and MiltonHumanism had a profound impact on European society during the Renaissance
Humanism in Dante and Milton Humanism had a profound impact on European society during the Renaissance. This movement transformed the thinking processes of many Europeans, altering the way these people viewed themselves, their lives, and their place in the world. Literature written around the time of the Renaissance displays humanism's influence on the European social order. Dante Alighieri, a prominent Florentine writer, completed his Inferno around 1314. Although Dante lived before the widespread proliferation of humanism and humanistic writings, his style exhibits many precursors, if not aspects, of later humanistic thought. The aftereffects of humanism are apparent in the writings of John Milton, an English writer whose works were greatly influenced by the tumultuous political climate of seventeenth century England. Whereas Dante's Inferno displays many qualities to be emphasized by humanism, Milton's Paradise Lost, published in 1667, demonstrates the culmination of the effect humanism has had on his society. The writings of both men are products of the respective times in which they were written; Milton wrote almost three and a half centuries after Dante, and he lived in a different society in which Dante lived. Despite these differences, both the Inferno and Paradise Lost display aspects found in humanism, although they may convey these aspects to the reader very
Jean-Baptiste Molire's Don Juan has all the outward appearances of seventeenth-century French farce - the stage settings are surreal, the costumes are ludicrous, and the wordplay is witty.
James S. Bowling Dr. Candyce Leonard MALS 775 2 February 2005 Molière's Don Juan: A Man Behaving Badly "He is the greatest rascal the earth has ever held, this madman, dog, devil, Turk, and heretic..." - Sganarelle, Don Juan Jean-Baptiste Molière's Don Juan has all the outward appearances of seventeenth-century French farce-the stage settings are surreal, the costumes are ludicrous, and the wordplay is witty. The particulars have their origins in Molière's years of experience directing a troupe of traveling actors in southern France. Appealing to a popular audience, Molière adopts the format of the Commedia dell'Arte, the troupes of traveling Italian actors that present farce with a maximum of gesture and mime and a minimum of dialogue. Despite the trappings of farce, Don Juan has very serious elements, ones designed to elucidate the character of the protagonist, his relationship with the world, and his impact on those he deals with. It is Molière's genius to join these elements to themes that attract a more aristocratic (and presumably more sophisticated) audience in the nation's capital. In many respects, Don Juan is a man apart and totally self-contained. Just as Satan, in Milton's Paradise Lost preferred to "reign in Hell rather than serve in Heaven," so Don Juan is adamant to follow his own life prescriptions-no matter what the outcome-rather than
Paradise Lost - What Do We Learn About Satan's Character from Line 84 To Line 191?
Question: What Do We Learn About Satan's Character from Line 84 To Line 191? Milton's portrait of Satan has fascinated critics since Paradise Losts first publication, leading some in the romantic period to claim that Satan is, in fact, the heroic protagonist of the whole work. Certainly Milton's description of Satan has greatly influenced the devil's image in western art and literature since the book's publication. From lines 84 to 191 in Paradise Lost Book 1, we are introduced to the character of Satan, who has just been hurled from heaven, 'because he trusted to have equalled the Most High'. As a reader, one first meets a stunned Satan, chained down to the fiery lake of hell, surrounded by his co-conspirators. From lines 84 to 127, where Satan is speaking to his good friend, 'Beelzebub', Milton presents him as being nostalgic about heaven, 'Myriads, though bright...' - something one sees significantly for the first and last time throughout the poem. Satan's great yearning for heaven is brief, and when finally suppressed, Milton offers a fine and revealing example of Satan's rhetoric and quick-moving contradictions, as he instantly expresses excuses for his failure. Firstly, he declares that 'Till then who knew, the force of those dire arms?' explaining how they were unaware of Gods powers before testing him. This is supportive evidence, backing up the suggestion
How far do you agree with this judgment on Milton's handling of Satan in ParadiseLost I & II?
How far do you agree with this judgment on Milton's handling of Satan in Paradise Lost I & II? Satan in Paradise Lost presents an unusual dichotomy; he is both the personification of cosmic malevolence and a pathetic character. As a theist who is resolved to "justify the ways of God to man", one assumes that Milton would not deliberately show Satan in a wholly sympathetic light. Indeed, Milton warns that humans are particularly attracted to Satan's "guile" and that he is ultimately a deluded fraud. Yet Satan's villainy is caused by his faults and his conflict as the "the Antagonist of Heav'n" contributes to both the plot and God's over-aching scheme. It seems counter-intuitive to suspend the ethical context of a theodicy, however, Satan's exploits could be described as tragically heroic. As Milton engages in other conventions of classical epics such as epic similes and the invocation, one would assume that Paradise Lost has a hero of some kind. The protagonist, God, does not appear until the third book whilst Satan features prominently in the first two books. He is the first identifiable character which would gain the audiences sympathy in a traditional drama. He also exhibits the traits of a villainous tragic hero as his downfall was caused by hubris. His hamartia is "obdúrate pride"; by fancying himself as "equalled to the Most High", he is appropriately cast
A Voice of Internal Conflict.
A Voice of Internal Conflict The most insightful and interesting stanzas can be found in a lyric poem. In this type of poetry, the voice in the writing is essentially that of the poet. An accurate example of this is "A Far Cry from Africa" by Derek Walcott. The attitudes of the speaker in this poem represent the same sentiments and experiences of the author himself. Walcott is a man of African descent, raised in the Caribbean on the ex-British colony island of St. Lucia1. This history of growing up in an English environment, aware of an opposing descent, influenced the life and work of Walcott. In this poem, he expresses the theme through the speaker's attitude, perception of his environment, internal conflict, and the tone and mood that are created by these elements. The feelings of the speaker toward the subject of the poem are very clear. He openly criticizes the brutality between the Africans and the colonial settlers. The language of the poem demonstrates that the speaker is angry at the entire situation and judgmental of both parties involved. Phrases such as "Corpses are scattered through a paradise" (4) and "his wars dance.."(19) combine the presence of violence with positive concepts. The speaker is mocking the brutality by describing it using the words "paradise" and "dance", that are normally associated with celebration and bliss. He refuses to accept the motives
Does Milton attempt to describe the indescribable? To what extent does he succeed?
Does Milton attempt to describe the indescribable? To what extent does he succeed? Milton uses numerous literary devices in his attempt to describe the apparantly undescribable in Paradise Lost. The beginning of Paradise Lost is similar in gravity and seriousness to the book from which Milton takes much of his story: the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. This can be construed by the reader to be almost a statement of intent from Milton, who it appears is likening Paradise Lost to the Holy Bible. He seemingly seeks to elevate himself above other epics as he attempts to 'assert eternal providence, and justify the ways of God to men.' From the very outset, this appears to be a rather fanciful and audacious task, and it is dubious as to whether any mortal is able to justify such a thing. The first two sentences, or twenty-six lines, of Paradise Lost are extremely compressed, containing a great deal of information about Milton's reasons for writing his epic, his subject matter, and his attitudes toward his subject. By invoking a muse, but differentiating it from traditional muses, Milton tells us a lot about how he sees his project. In the first place, an invocation of the muse at the beginning of an epic is conventional, so Milton is acknowledging his awareness of Homer, Virgil, and later poets, and signaling that he has mastered their format and wants to be part of
On The Morning of Christ's Nativity: An Application of The Bible to the Work of John Milton.
Paula Rienguette ENGL 2116 Prof. Richard Schell November 12/ 2002 On The Morning of Christ's Nativity: An Application of The Bible to the Work of John Milton. Milton's Nativity Ode contains a "theory of all things" in respect to his vision. This theory deals greatly with the idea that the human body is merely a tomb for the soul. While in the Bible we have been taking the body of the King to represent the whole land. The death of the King is in comparison the death of the land. Like the Kings of Christ's time, Milton writes to bring attention to the three types of liberty he hoped to achieve in England: Liberty from the Church [tyranny of the bishops], liberty of the individual [divorce and education], and liberty from the state [King]. The poem can be broken down into four parts: the first eight verses deal with the coming of Christ, the next ten with the mystery of music, verse nineteen and forward focus on the silencing of the oracles and concludes with verse twenty-seven and the birth of Christ. In "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity" Milton sees both Christmas and Easter as the same thing since it is impossible to have one without the other. The baby in the cradle is the man on the cross. John Milton's "On The Morning of Christ's Nativity" uses the idea of the Jesus of history and the Christ of fact to relay his ideas of the creation of the world and the