Paradise Lost

by John Milton, John A. Himes (Introduction)

Overview

Milton's great 17th-century epic draws upon Bible stories and classical mythology to explore the meaning of existence, as understood by people of the Western world. Its roots lie in the Genesis account of the world's creation and the first humans; its focus is a poetic interpretation "Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit / Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste / Brought death into the world, and all our woe / With loss of Eden."
In sublime poetry of extraordinary beauty, Milton's poem references tales from Ovid's Metamorphoses, the Iliad and Odyssey, and Virgil's Aeneid. But one need not be a classical scholar to appreciate Paradise Lost. In addition to its imaginative use of language, the poem features a powerful and sympathetic portrait of Lucifer, the rebel angel who frequently outshines his moral superiors. With Milton's deft use of irony, the devil makes evil appear good, just as satanic practices may seem attractive at first glance.
Paradise Lost has exercised enormous influence on generations of artists and their works, ranging from the Romantic poets William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley to Joseph Haydn's oratorio The Creation and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486442877
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	06/10/2005
Series:	Dover Thrift Editions: Poetry
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Milton (1608-1674) was an English poet, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, which first appeared in 1667, having been completely written, and dictated, while he was blind. His works continue to influence Western culture, thought and language.

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PARADISE LOST the printer to the reader
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Table of Contents

Introduction by Philip PullmanParadise LostBook IBook IIBook IIIBook IVBook VBook VIBook VIIBook VIIIBook IXBook XBook XIBook XIIAfterwordA Note on the Illustrations

Editorial Reviews

Even a dozen critical essays, representative of the postmodern wave that has largely displaced liberal humanism in English studies in the years in which they were written (1970-96), do not dethrone Satan as the flawed hero of Milton's masterwork. Contributors vivisect, yet manage to convey, the contemporary relevance of the seminal 17th century epic poem with interpretations from Marxist/ historicist, feminist, psychoanalytic, and poststructuralist approaches. The editor provides a concisely informative introduction to the English Revolution and modern contexts for deconstructing . Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

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