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 116
... feel what it is like to be the enemy of God and rebel against the order of things , instead of simply presenting a figure of execration , like Dante's Satan , whose three mouths chew Judas , Brutus and Cassius , or indeed like Tasso's ...
... feel what it is like to be the enemy of God and rebel against the order of things , instead of simply presenting a figure of execration , like Dante's Satan , whose three mouths chew Judas , Brutus and Cassius , or indeed like Tasso's ...
Page 123
... feel that Satan voices some inner protest of Milton's against his theory of true liberty . At some level , no doubt , Milton was in two minds about Satan . It is humanly improbable that so compelling a figure as Satan was not drawn from ...
... feel that Satan voices some inner protest of Milton's against his theory of true liberty . At some level , no doubt , Milton was in two minds about Satan . It is humanly improbable that so compelling a figure as Satan was not drawn from ...
Page 143
... feel themselves becoming divine as they eat . They are drunk , but they also feel that breaking the law that sets a bound to their human scope makes them more than human . Eve's gorging herself with a greed that is as much for knowledge ...
... feel themselves becoming divine as they eat . They are drunk , but they also feel that breaking the law that sets a bound to their human scope makes them more than human . Eve's gorging herself with a greed that is as much for knowledge ...
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