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 66
... ideas ( pp . 87-8 ) . In this didactic theory of ideal imitation , the poet's creative freedom that Sidney so enthusiastically celebrates turns out to be his job of inspiring his readers ; in the golden world he fashions , images of ...
... ideas ( pp . 87-8 ) . In this didactic theory of ideal imitation , the poet's creative freedom that Sidney so enthusiastically celebrates turns out to be his job of inspiring his readers ; in the golden world he fashions , images of ...
Page 75
... ideas too limited to treat the mixed experience of human life ade- quately . The whole tenor of his epic , where it represents both public and private ideas of order , is in fact away from human concerns . If we return now to the ...
... ideas too limited to treat the mixed experience of human life ade- quately . The whole tenor of his epic , where it represents both public and private ideas of order , is in fact away from human concerns . If we return now to the ...
Page 79
... ideas and aesthetically advanced in its masterful organisation and painful tensions . In Tasso's hands , the epic becomes a powerful form of admonitory eloquence . The military action and universal design are harnessed to celebrating ...
... ideas and aesthetically advanced in its masterful organisation and painful tensions . In Tasso's hands , the epic becomes a powerful form of admonitory eloquence . The military action and universal design are harnessed to celebrating ...
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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