Paradise Lost by John Milton

Paradise Lost 

John Milton

Published 1667

The Well-Educated Mind Poetry

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Next on TWEM poetry list was Paradise Lost by John Milton. My used copy also includes Paradise Regained, though I did not read it. I certainly would like to read it after I reread Paradise Lost. I have to reread Paradise Lost because I missed so much in the beginning. It took two months to read, but mainly because I initially avoided it.

For the first quarter of the poem I felt lost. While the language was not difficult, I was not always sure what was happening. Only when I got to the narrative of Creation, the story started to make sense. The good news is that when I arrived at Book IX, everything changed! I truly started to enjoy Paradise Lost. Yay! 

Paradise Lost is an "exploration of the moral problems of God's justice," and was considered to be controversial in its time. The poem covers the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve and their removal from  Paradise. It tells of Satan's rebellion against God, his expulsion from heaven, his trickery with Adam and Eve, and his banishment to hell. It also includes God's promise to redeem all mankind. 

Milton took liberty to include conversations and accounts of God, Satan, Adam, Eve, and angels that we have no way of knowing are true or accurate; hence the reader has to use his imagination. With that, I think the poem is creative and fruitful. Obviously, I wouldn't read it for its biblical theology, but instead for its literary genius.

It helps to have biblical knowledge of Creation, the Book of Genesis, and the Gospel among other biblical topics. Also, my edition was somewhat modernized. Each book (or chapter) offered a truncated argument before presenting the poem, which was also helpful in understanding what to expect. 

Instead of rehashing this complex poem, I just want to share two observations I had. First, what caused me to have a change of heart three-fourths of the way through the poem: Milton's description of Eve, or women in general, I believe, is hysterical. Either Milton was sarcastic, or maybe he truly represented women of his time. 

Observation #1 The Presentation of Women

In Book IX, Satan devised a way to gain access into Paradise disguised as mist, and entered the serpent. Meanwhile, Adam and Eve were discussing the day's work when Eve proposed that they divide the work and go about separately expediting their tasks; but Adam, who believed that solitude was good sometimes and encouraged return again, opposed Eve's idea and reminded her of the angel's warning of the Enemy, in case he find her alone. He argued that his wife would be safest by his side. Yet, Eve disliked to be considered unable to be careful enough and insisted on separating, anxious to exhibit her remarkable abilities. And Adam yielded. 

Oh, Adam.

Poor Adam tried to make a good, strong case for himself, for husband's in general, but Eve confidently rebuked him. She trusted herself more. And off she went and was caught by Satan's lies anyway. 

My first thought was that nothing has changed, at least according to the presentation Milton gave. We know that the biblical story of Adam blaming God for giving him the woman, and Eve blaming the serpent for deceiving her, that this is very relatable. But for Milton to define Eve as seeking separation from her husband (in part due to his smothering ways) and a desire to prove herself apart from him, makes me think that woman has not changed, at least, since Milton's time. And that makes a lot of sense to me. 

Observation #2 Incorporating History

My second observation was that, in addition to the biblical story, Paradise Lost is full of references to Classical mythology, Greek and Roman terminology and science, and mixed with literary, religious, and English history. The more foreknowledge that the reader has of these topics, the deeper comprehension and appreciation he may have of the poem. That's why it makes me cringe when I hear snobs like Yuval Noah Hirari shun the knowledge of the past as irrelevant. Yuck! 

So history is not about the past. It is about the present. The past is gone. All the people who lived in the past are dead, and we cannot go back there. If history is just the study of the past, it is irrelevant.

- Yuval Noah Harari, Global Elitist

The history of the world's peoples who came before us, their religious histories, their literary stories, their myths, contribute to our world and who we are today. To dismiss it as irrelevant, to make it all about us and what evil purposes and gain "we" can use the past for today, is arrogant, shallow, and unintelligent. If Yuval has his way, no one will read Paradise Lost because it will be unreadable and unnecessary. I'm afraid we are already there, with a complete disconnect and disinterest in the past. History is becoming...history. 

Yet, I believe, to incorporate a variety of histories with Classical mythology into a complex biblical epic poem is an ambitious feat. Even with my delayed appreciation of the work, I recognized that this was a great piece of literature, and I am glad I finished it.

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Next on TWEM poetry list: Songs of Innocence and Experience [Blake]