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 50
... fruit might bring divine knowledge and ' exalt / Equal with Gods ' ( IV , 525-6 ) . All the knowledge that Adam and Eve obtain from the fruit is to know that they have fallen : our eyes Opened we find indeed , and find we know Both good ...
... fruit might bring divine knowledge and ' exalt / Equal with Gods ' ( IV , 525-6 ) . All the knowledge that Adam and Eve obtain from the fruit is to know that they have fallen : our eyes Opened we find indeed , and find we know Both good ...
Page 138
... fruit in hand ( IX , 877–8 ) , but still her wish at this point is unselfish . It is only once she has eaten that she thinks it might be nice sometimes to know more than Adam . She falls for sublime reasons . Far from bringing to the ...
... fruit in hand ( IX , 877–8 ) , but still her wish at this point is unselfish . It is only once she has eaten that she thinks it might be nice sometimes to know more than Adam . She falls for sublime reasons . Far from bringing to the ...
Page 143
... fruit . The fruit damages the human system with a series of physical distemperings that prepares the way for the entrance of death ; but the disastrous effects of the Fall on human nature take a psychological or moral course . The ...
... fruit . The fruit damages the human system with a series of physical distemperings that prepares the way for the entrance of death ; but the disastrous effects of the Fall on human nature take a psychological or moral course . The ...
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