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
... rational life through the subjection of passion imply the control of a lower by a higher self . One may still think of temperance as an art of balancing or poise : some things are too high for human rationality , some too low ...
... rational life through the subjection of passion imply the control of a lower by a higher self . One may still think of temperance as an art of balancing or poise : some things are too high for human rationality , some too low ...
Page 22
... rational discrimination . However in taking Adam to task , Raphael also implies a restraint to be imposed and a limit not to be transgressed , and this gives ' temperance ' its severer cast . We think not so much of poise as of firmness ...
... rational discrimination . However in taking Adam to task , Raphael also implies a restraint to be imposed and a limit not to be transgressed , and this gives ' temperance ' its severer cast . We think not so much of poise as of firmness ...
Page 131
... rational firmness ' the spirit within thee free / My image not imparted to the brute ' ( lines 440–1 ) . It is in Adam's freedom towards God that God recognises His image in Adam and in turn gives Adam his image , his likeness , his ...
... rational firmness ' the spirit within thee free / My image not imparted to the brute ' ( lines 440–1 ) . It is in Adam's freedom towards God that God recognises His image in Adam and in turn gives Adam his image , his likeness , his ...
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