Introduction


John Milton

John Milton lost paradise, but in doing so he gained worldwide fame and influenced generations of writers. Though he died more than a hundred years before its inception, John Milton is considered one of the forefathers of the Romantic period. His seminal work, the epic poem Paradise Lost, influenced Romantic and Gothic writers such as Mary Shelley, whose novel Frankenstein even features a quote from Milton’s masterpiece. Throughout his life, he had strong opinions about government, religion, education, and society, and his pamphlet campaigns on these matters led to his incarceration and nearly cost him his life. Though Paradise Lost is a reflection of the failure of the Commonwealth period that Milton supported so ardently, it succeeding in catalyzing two centuries of English poetry.

Essential Facts

  1. Early in his career, Milton wrote court masques, which were short, musical, and dramatic interludes that often featured performances by royalty and members of the court.
  2. The famously contrary Milton was abandoned by his wife just a few months after their marriage. Shortly thereafter, he wrote a treatise in support of divorce.
  3. Milton was much maligned for his Republican status. He supported Oliver Cromwell during the interregnum period and defended the execution of Charles I.
  4. Milton went blind due to glaucoma and for the last two decades of his life had to write all of his works by dictation. In the 1920s, Helen Keller named an interfaith society for the blind after him.
  5. Though Paradise Lost earned Milton his reputation in posterity, it is actually a two-part work. Milton wrote a sequel, Paradise Regained, shortly before his death.
 

Recommended Resources

  1. John Milton - Cyclopedia of World Authors
  2. John Milton - Literary Criticism (1400-1800)
  3. Paradise Lost - Poetry Criticism
  4. Paradise Lost eText
  5. Paradise Lost Study Guide (eNotes)

All Resources

Display as: Categories, List
  1. Areopagitica Review - John Milton
  2. Areopagitica Summary - John Milton
  3. Areopagitica: A Speech of Mr John Milton for the Liberty of the Unlicenc'd Printing, to the Parliament of England: The Oxford Companion to English Literature
  4. Comus Character Analysis
  5. Comus Review - John Milton
  6. Comus Summary - John Milton
  7. Frank Waters Criticism | John Milton (essay Date Autumn 1977)
  8. Il Penseroso Summary - John Milton
  9. John Milton - Cyclopedia of World Authors
  10. John Milton - Literary Criticism (1400-1800)
  11. John Milton Biography
  12. John Milton Biography / Profile
  13. John Milton Biography / Profile
  14. John Milton Biography / Profile
  15. John Milton Paradise Lost Criticism
  16. John Milton Publishes Paradise Lost: Salem on History
  17. Lycidas Summary - John Milton
  18. L’ Allegro Summary - John Milton
  19. Milton, John: The Oxford Companion to English Literature
  20. Milton, John: The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare
  21. On His Having Arrived at the Age of Twenty-Three Summary and Study Guide - John Milton
  22. On Shakespeare Summary - John Milton
  23. Paradise Lost - Poetry Criticism
  24. Paradise Lost eText
  25. Paradise Lost Review - John Milton
  26. Paradise Lost Review - John Milton
  27. Paradise Lost Study Guide (eNotes)
  28. Paradise Lost Summary - John Milton
  29. Paradise Regained Review - John Milton
  30. Paradise Regained Review - John Milton
  31. Paradise Regained Summary - John Milton
  32. Samson Agonistes Review - John Milton
  33. Samson Agonistes Review - John Milton
  34. Samson Agonistes Summary - John Milton
  35. Sonnet XIX Summary - John Milton
  36. Sonnet XVI Summary - John Milton
  37. Sonnet XVIII Summary - John Milton
  38. Sonnet XXIII Summary - John Milton
  39. The Lyric Poetry of Milton Summary - John Milton
  40. What Were John Milton's Contributions To English Literature? - History Fact Finder