Paradise LostParadise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to "justify the ways of God to men". Milton's story has two narrative arcs, one about Satan and the other following Adam and Eve. It begins after Satan and the other rebel angels have been defeated and banished to Hell, or, as it is also called in the poem, Tartarus. In Pandemonium, Satan employs his rhetorical skill to organize his followers; he is aided by Mammon and Beelzebub. Belial and Moloch are also present. At the end of the debate, Satan volunteers to poison the newly created Earth and God's new and most favored creation, Mankind. He braves the dangers of the Abyss alone in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus or Aeneas. After an arduous traversal of the Chaos outside Hell, he enters God's new material World, and later the Garden of Eden. At several points in the poem, an Angelic War over Heaven is recounted from different perspectives. Satan's rebellion follows the epic convention of large-scale warfare. The battles between the faithful angels and Satan's forces take place over three days. At the final battle, the Son of God single-handedly defeats the entire legion of angelic rebels and banishes them from Heaven. Following this purge, God creates the World, culminating in his creation of Adam and Eve. While God gave Adam and Eve total freedom and power to rule over all creation, He gave them one explicit command: not to eat from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil on penalty of death. The story of Adam and Eve's temptation and fall is a fundamentally different, new kind of epic: a domestic one. Adam and Eve are presented for the first time[citation needed] in Christian literature as having a full relationship while still being without sin. They have passions and distinct personalities. Satan, disguised in the form of a serpent, successfully tempts Eve to eat from the Tree by preying on her vanity and tricking her with rhetoric. Adam, learning that Eve has sinned, knowingly commits the same sin. He declares to Eve that since she was made from his flesh, they are bound to one another ‒ if she dies, he must also die. In this manner, Milton portrays Adam as a heroic figure, but also as a greater sinner than Eve, as he is aware that what he is doing is wrong. After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve have lustful sex. At first, Adam is convinced that Eve was right in thinking that eating the fruit would be beneficial. However, they soon fall asleep and have terrible nightmares, and after they awake, they experience guilt and shame for the first time. Realizing that they have committed a terrible act against God, they engage in mutual recrimination. |
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... thir Matrons to prevent worse rape. These were the prime in order and in might; The rest were long to tell, though far renown'd, Th' IONIAN Gods, of JAVANS Issue held Gods, yet confest later then Heav'n and Earth Thir boasted Parents ...
... thir Matrons to prevent worse rape. These were the prime in order and in might; The rest were long to tell, though far renown'd, Th' IONIAN Gods, of JAVANS Issue held Gods, yet confest later then Heav'n and Earth Thir boasted Parents ...
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... thir mighty Chief Had to impose: He through the armed Files Darts his experienc't eye, and soon traverse The whole Battalion views, thir order due, Thir visages and stature as of Gods, Thir number last he summs. And now his heart ...
... thir mighty Chief Had to impose: He through the armed Files Darts his experienc't eye, and soon traverse The whole Battalion views, thir order due, Thir visages and stature as of Gods, Thir number last he summs. And now his heart ...
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... thir Gods, or seat Thir Kings, when AEGYPT with ASSYRIA strove In wealth and luxurie. Th' ascending pile Stood fixt her stately highth, and strait the dores Op'ning.
... thir Gods, or seat Thir Kings, when AEGYPT with ASSYRIA strove In wealth and luxurie. Th' ascending pile Stood fixt her stately highth, and strait the dores Op'ning.
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... thir summons call'd From every and Band squared Regiment By place or choice the worthiest; they anon With hundreds ... thir populous youth about the Hive In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers Flie to and fro, or on the smoothed ...
... thir summons call'd From every and Band squared Regiment By place or choice the worthiest; they anon With hundreds ... thir populous youth about the Hive In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers Flie to and fro, or on the smoothed ...
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... thir mirth & dance Intent, with jocond Music charm his ear; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms Reduc'd thir shapes immense, and were at large, Though without number still amidst the ...
... thir mirth & dance Intent, with jocond Music charm his ear; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms Reduc'd thir shapes immense, and were at large, Though without number still amidst the ...
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Common terms and phrases
ADAM Angel Arms Beast behold bliss bounds bright bring Cloud created Creatures dark Death deep delight Divine dreadful dwell Earth equal Eternal evil eyes fair Faith fall farr Father fear fell field fire Fruit Gate Glorie Gods grace hand happie hast hath head heard heart Heav'n heav'nly Hell Hill hope human King Land least leave less light live look lost Love Mean mind Morn Nature never Night once pain Paradise peace perhaps pure Race Reason Reign rest rise round SATAN seat seek Serpent shape side sight Sons soon sound spake Spirits stand Starrs stood sweet taste thee thence things thir thou thoughts Throne till Tree vertue voice Warr whence wide Winds wings World