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 21
... means restraint of an appetitive self based on knowledge of human limits . Similarly , when Adam confesses to being too fond of Eve , Raphael , assuming he means he is too fond of sexual pleasure warns him against letting physical ...
... means restraint of an appetitive self based on knowledge of human limits . Similarly , when Adam confesses to being too fond of Eve , Raphael , assuming he means he is too fond of sexual pleasure warns him against letting physical ...
Page 123
... means turning himself upside down . The process of negation takes him from heroic denial of the order of heaven to a perverse and mean form of resistance , and ruses of concealment and self - deception re - enter in ignoble , self ...
... means turning himself upside down . The process of negation takes him from heroic denial of the order of heaven to a perverse and mean form of resistance , and ruses of concealment and self - deception re - enter in ignoble , self ...
Page 148
... mean simply that he and Eve look a little debauched . ' Concupiscence ' , even ' foul concupiscence ' , means not merely lust but all the other crooked desires that are part of the guilty will . So , to draw out Milton's figuration ...
... mean simply that he and Eve look a little debauched . ' Concupiscence ' , even ' foul concupiscence ' , means not merely lust but all the other crooked desires that are part of the guilty will . So , to draw out Milton's figuration ...
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