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 |
From inside the book
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Page 22
... least , more than the psychology of a self - enclosed individual is involved . Adam and Eve choose objects outside themselves . At the Fall , Adam does not choose his lower nature ; he chooses Eve . Milton's Eve , unlike Erasmus's , is ...
... least , more than the psychology of a self - enclosed individual is involved . Adam and Eve choose objects outside themselves . At the Fall , Adam does not choose his lower nature ; he chooses Eve . Milton's Eve , unlike Erasmus's , is ...
Page 67
... least imaginatively compelling ) . Both decorum and paralogism are essentially rhetorical considerations . They ask for no more than conventional ideas of human likeness.8 The foregoing attempt to lay bare the rhetorical basis of the ...
... least imaginatively compelling ) . Both decorum and paralogism are essentially rhetorical considerations . They ask for no more than conventional ideas of human likeness.8 The foregoing attempt to lay bare the rhetorical basis of the ...
Page 168
... least a literary interest in religion , Arnold has a good deal more and none of them say Christianity is pernicious , only that Milton's form of it is objectionable . Empson , however , holds that Christianity is pernicious and that ...
... least a literary interest in religion , Arnold has a good deal more and none of them say Christianity is pernicious , only that Milton's form of it is objectionable . Empson , however , holds that Christianity is pernicious and that ...
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