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 154
... Repentance is completed in what Milton calls in the Christian Doctrine ' saving faith ' . This is not to be confused with the ' awareness of divine mercy which results in repentance ' . That awareness they have already arrived at , as ...
... Repentance is completed in what Milton calls in the Christian Doctrine ' saving faith ' . This is not to be confused with the ' awareness of divine mercy which results in repentance ' . That awareness they have already arrived at , as ...
Page 156
... repentance of Adam and Eve , so crucial in the action of the epic , is an act of unassuming human goodness . Milton gives it none of the epic pointing of Rinaldo's repentance on Olivet . Epic decoration of the event would indeed be out ...
... repentance of Adam and Eve , so crucial in the action of the epic , is an act of unassuming human goodness . Milton gives it none of the epic pointing of Rinaldo's repentance on Olivet . Epic decoration of the event would indeed be out ...
Page 159
... repentance in the House of Holinesse . Here , then , we have a humanist poem , at least in principle , which nevertheless includes those motions of the will that play a central part in Paradise Lost and generally seem to have been ...
... repentance in the House of Holinesse . Here , then , we have a humanist poem , at least in principle , which nevertheless includes those motions of the will that play a central part in Paradise Lost and generally seem to have been ...
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