The Humanism of Milton's Paradise Lost"The great divide in commentary on Paradise Lost is between historical and critical analysis. In his discussion of the poem, David Reid combines both approaches, at once placing it historically in terms of neoclassical humanism, and reflecting on it critically as a late twentieth-century humanist." "As a historian, Reid argues that Paradise Lost shares in the cultural effort of neoclassical humanism, and yet, in its picture of volition, the poem stands apart from it - Milton's understanding of freedom, error and guilt owing more to his Protestant than to his humanist concerns. And as a critic, Reid argues that surprisingly Milton's religious understanding speaks more directly to our humanism than his splendid articulation of neoclassical humanist themes."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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Page 81
... draws the interest of the poem in an otherworldly direction . At first sight , Paradise Lost looks a much more otherworldly epic than Jerusalem Delivered . It begins with vast prospects of hell , heaven and the universe , and does not ...
... draws the interest of the poem in an otherworldly direction . At first sight , Paradise Lost looks a much more otherworldly epic than Jerusalem Delivered . It begins with vast prospects of hell , heaven and the universe , and does not ...
Page 84
... draw their light from the sun in an intricate procession ( VII , 364–86 ) that imitates in the physical world the mazy pattern in which the angels revolve around God and draw beatitude past utterance from the light of his countenance ...
... draw their light from the sun in an intricate procession ( VII , 364–86 ) that imitates in the physical world the mazy pattern in which the angels revolve around God and draw beatitude past utterance from the light of his countenance ...
Page 90
... draw away from earth towards heaven , as in Jerusalem Delivered , but to enjoy and attend to one's creaturely standing . The prohibition of the fruit of the tree of knowledge makes that clear : it draws a boundary between divine and ...
... draw away from earth towards heaven , as in Jerusalem Delivered , but to enjoy and attend to one's creaturely standing . The prohibition of the fruit of the tree of knowledge makes that clear : it draws a boundary between divine and ...
Common terms and phrases
Absalom and Achitophel Adam and Eve Adam's angels Armida Arminian Augustan Bondage Book choice Christian Doctrine Christian humanism concerns corruption creation creaturely culture death despair divine Dryden earth earthly eloquence Empson Erasmus Erasmus's Essays Eve's evil experience Faerie Queene fall fallen feel forbidden knowledge freedom from constraint fruit God's heaven heavenly hell heroic human action human finitude human nature ideal imitation imagination innocence invocation involved Jerusalem Delivered John Dryden judgement light lines literary literature London looks Luther means Middlemarch Milton Milton's treatment mind moral ideas motions neoclassical epic neoclassical humanism neoclassical humanist Paradise Lost Petrarch philosophy poem poet poetry prohibition Raphael rational reason religious Renaissance Renaissance humanism Renaissance humanists rhetorical Rinaldo Satan scheme scholastic scholasticism schoolmen seems sense serpent shows sort soul speaks spirit suggests talk Tasso temperance theology thought turns understanding unfallen universal Valla virtues and vices volition