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 7
... interest of Paradise Lost is something that neoclassical humanism never satisfactorily took in , namely , those ... interests more sharply . The Christian study of the will was left to the sphere of religious devotion separate from ...
... interest of Paradise Lost is something that neoclassical humanism never satisfactorily took in , namely , those ... interests more sharply . The Christian study of the will was left to the sphere of religious devotion separate from ...
Page 100
... interest . Jotham , representing true wit , constant in the king's service , confronts no doubt the ' Kind Husbands and meer Nobles ' ( line 572 ) but also Zimri , the wit - would , the man of freakish extremes . In Hushai's ...
... interest . Jotham , representing true wit , constant in the king's service , confronts no doubt the ' Kind Husbands and meer Nobles ' ( line 572 ) but also Zimri , the wit - would , the man of freakish extremes . In Hushai's ...
Page 168
... interest of the poem ; Arnold's was that it was at odds with the full development of the human spirit . Johnson's humanism is concerned with the accurate representation of human life ; Arnold's humanism is committed to its free and ...
... interest of the poem ; Arnold's was that it was at odds with the full development of the human spirit . Johnson's humanism is concerned with the accurate representation of human life ; Arnold's humanism is committed to its free 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