The epic poem, Paradise Lost which is a masterpiece of John Milton is a work of exceptional imaginative genius that continues to influence English literature today. It relates the account of the fight for heaven and man's expulsion from Eden, which is written in more than 10,000 lines of blank verse. Its sections are an attempt to understand the loss of paradise from the perspectives of Satan, the fallen angel, and man, who has fallen from grace. The poem is a compelling reflection on disobedience, longing, and the desire for redemption.
Milton invokes the spirits of blind prophets in Paradise Lost by drawing on classical Greek tradition. He cites Homer, as well as Tiresias, Thebes' oracle who sees what the physical sight cannot.
Milton was grieving when he started writing Paradise Lost in 1658. The deaths of his second wife, which he commemorated in his magnificent Sonnet 23, and's Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, triggered the republic's slow downfall. Paradise Lost is striving to make sense of a fallen world, to 'justify God's ways to humanity,' and no doubt to Milton himself.
Paradise Lost is a fierce argument about God's justice and that Milton's God has been deemed inflexible and cruel. Although political and theological debates often dominate discussions of Paradise Lost, the poem nevertheless offers a sweet celebration of love. While depicting the structure of Paradise Lost, It resonates with analogous images and ideas. Attention seldom focuses on the episode at hand, but contrasting episodes juxtapose it in mind with its enriching meanings. Paradise Lost possesses Milton's careful composition and his touch.
Historical Overview
Milton's life and career coincide with one of the most rebellious periods of English history. The Restoration era, during which Milton wrote the majority of Paradise Lost, was far from peaceful. The Great Plague of 1665 killed about a fourth of's population, and the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed much of the old City catastrophes whose foreboding Milton could not have overlooked. While Milton began preparing a grand epic in early 1640, his first subject was apparently the King Arthur tale rather than the Book of Genesis. As far back as 1637, Milton revealed to his friend Diodati that he had planned to write monumental or poetical work and he was preparing himself for its achievements. Even though he faced many distractions, His 'inward promptings' of him grew daily. He steadily believes that he will create something magic that the people won't forget and the work will live forever.
The first drafts and sketches for what would become Paradise Lost, on the other hand, date from 1642 and are in the shape of a play a tragedy originally titled Adam Unparadised. While Milton moved the genre to epic, there are still traces of the previous form, particularly in Satan's theatrical monologues. Later he looked for older classical epics as his model of writing. Milton faced a unique difficulty in writing a Christian epicone that embodied Christian principles of faith, patience, and service, which were in stark contrast to the classical ideas of morality and physical activity embodied in heroes like Achilles, Odysseus, and Aeneas. After long deliberations, he decided upon writing the epic Paradise Lost, a design so comprehensive that it could be justified only by success. The unity of the Old and New Testaments, mankind's unworthiness, and the significance of Christ's love in man's salvation are all presented in Paradise Lost. Milton's epic is a stunning portrayal of biblical stories intended to interest Christian readers and helps them become better Christians.