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Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

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Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#2
The language and imagery of this poem is worth the effort it takes to read it. It helps to have a good mythology reference nearby because he wraps the biblical story in references to classical mythology which gives it all a deeper meaning. It is amazing that he was blind when he wrote it and dictated a new section from memory each morning.

Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#4

The language and imagery of this poem is worth the effort it takes to read it. It helps to have a good mythology reference nearby because he wraps the biblical story in references to classical mythology which gives it all a deeper meaning. It is amazing that he was blind when he wrote it and dictated a new section from memory each morning.

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Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#6
post #3

http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=3086 (I mean, I'd totally read that, too) But yeah, I really enjoyed reading Paradise Lost; I mean, I read everything on the kindle, but I think I need to find a nice bound edition that includes Dore's illustrations.

I mean paradise lost is beautiful... but I'd really like an analysis of "The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates" - like, was it "written to reconcile men's minds," or was it, instead a craven and ill-timed attempt to ingratiate himself with the winners of the recent revolution?

Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#7

The language and imagery of this poem is worth the effort it takes to read it. It helps to have a good mythology reference nearby because he wraps the biblical story in references to classical mythology which gives it all a deeper meaning. It is amazing that he was blind when he wrote it and dictated a new section from memory each morning.

I read an annotated edition once, well tried to. The problem is if you actually pay attention to all the annotations pointing our references to this, influences on the text from that, digressions on the other it would take forever. The breadth and depth of the man's classical knowledge was extraordinary.

Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#9
post #6
post #3

http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=3086 (I mean, I'd totally read that, too) But yeah, I really enjoyed reading Paradise Lost; I mean, I read everything on the kindle, but I think I need to find a nice bound edition that includes Dore's illustrations.

I mean paradise lost is beautiful... but I'd really like an analysis of "The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates" - like, was it "written to reconcile men's minds," or was it, instead a craven and ill-timed attempt to ingratiate himself with the winners of the recent revolution?

He'd been writing parliamentarian and anti-clerical pamphlets since before the civil war, so it was already quite clear where his sympathies and loyalty lay.

Re: Paradise Lost is one of the most important poems

#10
I can highly, highly recommend listening to John Rogers’ set of lectures on Paradise Lost, ideally as you’re reading through the poem (one book, one lecture). It was how I first read the poem and it massively enriched the experience: https://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-220

(It also inspired me to start my education business)

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