Concetti Chiave
- John Milton was born in London in 1608, developed a thorough education in Latin, Greek, and Italian, and composed his first religious poem during university.
- Milton's personal life saw turmoil, including a brief marriage to Mary Powell and subsequent divorce, leading him to write about the doctrine of divorce.
- His later years were marked by disillusionment with the monarchy's restoration, during which he authored his major works: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes.
- Milton employed the epic genre in Paradise Lost, drawing on classical themes but adapting them to reflect the philosophical heroes of his time.
- The style of Paradise Lost is characterized by elevated language, a distinctive use of blank verse, and features such as Latinisms and inversions.
John Milton
Milton's early life and education
John Milton was born in London in 1608, learnt Latin Greek and Italian. While he was at university he wrote “the Nativity Old” his first religious poem. Some of the most important Milton’s poem were written between 1632-1637 and he published many poems as L’allegro and il Pensieroso.
After 1637 he visited Galileo in Fiesole, near Florence and when he come back his sympathies were with Cromwell. Milton supported with his writing Cromwell’s policy and approved his religious tolerance, instead of the austere Presbyterians who insisted on the doctrine of the predestination.
Milton's personal life and marriage
In 1642 he married Mary Powell who didn’t like the intellectual stature of her husband. In fact Milton divorced with his wife and wrote Doctrine and Discipline of the Divorce.
The years 1642-1643 marked the end of the Milton’s first period spent during the reign of Charles I
In Milton’s second period he became Latin Secretary to the Council of State and he used Latin as the language of diplomacy.
In 1652 he lost his sight and he dedicated his life to the poetry and he continued to write anti-monarchy poem until 1660 the year of RESTORATION.
Milton's later years and major works
Milton’s third period was that of personal defeat and disillusion caused by the restoration of Monarchy. During this years he wrote his three most important poem: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes. He died in London in 1674
Paradise lost:
Summary: The book open with the narration of the rebel Angels into Hell as consequence of their defeat in the war in Haven. After the scene in heaven where God has a long homely on human’s destiny. His son offers himself as ransom for mankind and God accept his sacrifice. After there is the war in heaven and the narration continues with the creation of the earth and the universe. Satan persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and after God expellees her and Adams from the heaven. Satan returns to Hell in triumph and God transforms him and his followers in serpents. In the end Adam and Eve abandon the heaven to gone on the earth.
Milton's use of epic genre
Milton for his masterpiece used the epic genre. He chose that because epic genre his the oldest form of poetry and his masterpieces had Iliad and Odyssey’s theme but his characters was altered by Milton to changing spirit of the age: no warrior as Achilles who searched glory in battle but a philosophical hero.
Although Milton knew Copernican cosmology, the sun in the center of the universe, he based his universe on Ptolemaic system. In Milton’s heaven God sits on his throne and around him there are 9 orders of angels; instead Hell was dominated by Chaos and it is in antithesis to God’s world.
The Milton's hero in this poem is Satan in fact he has some characteristics of the epic hero: leadership, initiative courage to escape from Hell and attack God’s creation. Milton put a great deal of his personality in this character in fact he was aggressive against the political authority of the king and the religious authority of the Church of England.
Milton's style in Paradise Lost
Finally the style of this poem is elevated and Milton used a new kind of Blank-Verse and in its there are Latinisms, inversions and circumlocutions.
Domande da interrogazione
- What were some key influences in John Milton's early life and education?
- How did Milton's personal life impact his writings?
- What role did Milton play during the English Commonwealth, and how did it affect his career?
- How did Milton's loss of sight influence his literary output?
- What are the central themes and stylistic features of "Paradise Lost"?
John Milton was born in London in 1608 and learned Latin, Greek, and Italian. His early education and exposure to these languages influenced his literary works, including his first religious poem, "The Nativity Ode," written during his university years.
Milton's marriage to Mary Powell in 1642, which ended in divorce, influenced his writing of "Doctrine and Discipline of the Divorce." His personal experiences often informed his literary themes and perspectives.
During the English Commonwealth, Milton served as Latin Secretary to the Council of State, using Latin for diplomatic purposes. His support for Cromwell's policies and religious tolerance is reflected in his writings from this period.
After losing his sight in 1652, Milton dedicated himself to poetry, continuing to write anti-monarchy poems until the Restoration in 1660. His blindness did not hinder his literary productivity, as he composed some of his most significant works during this time.
"Paradise Lost" explores themes of rebellion, sacrifice, and the fall of man, using the epic genre. Milton's style is characterized by elevated language, blank verse, Latinisms, inversions, and circumlocutions, with Satan portrayed as a complex epic hero.
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