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 85
... serpent all go in intricate wreathings and wantonings . Christopher Ricks has suggested that the ' serpent error ' of the rivers of the newly - created world must remind us of the serpent's leading Eve into error and that her ' wanton ...
... serpent all go in intricate wreathings and wantonings . Christopher Ricks has suggested that the ' serpent error ' of the rivers of the newly - created world must remind us of the serpent's leading Eve into error and that her ' wanton ...
Page 137
... serpent has not died . Or if he has , then , as he ingeniously suggests later , he has died to his snaky nature only to put on ' internal man ' ( line 711 ) capable of rational discourse , this to encourage Eve to follow suit : if ...
... serpent has not died . Or if he has , then , as he ingeniously suggests later , he has died to his snaky nature only to put on ' internal man ' ( line 711 ) capable of rational discourse , this to encourage Eve to follow suit : if ...
Page 138
... serpent's story is so improbable , that it inverts things so completely , is paradoxically one of the strongest ... serpent holds out is suitable for human consumption . Eve should not have been ' unweeting ' about an offer of knowledge ...
... serpent's story is so improbable , that it inverts things so completely , is paradoxically one of the strongest ... serpent holds out is suitable for human consumption . Eve should not have been ' unweeting ' about an offer of knowledge ...
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