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What were John Milton's contributions to English literature?

The works of John Milton (1608–1674) have been the subject of more commentary than those of any other English writer except William Shakespeare (1564–1616). Scholars have placed Milton among "the small circle of great epic writers." His works reflect two major intellectual and social eras in European history: the Renaissance (the transition from medieval to modern times, c. 1350–c. 1600) and the Reformation (a religious revolution in the sixteenth century). Scholars point to Milton's use of classical (ancient Greek and Roman) references and the rich complexity of his work as being Renaissance in nature, while his "earnest and individually minded Christianity" conveys the themes of the Reformation.

Milton was the son of a wealthy scrivener (professional public copyist or writer) and was educated at Christ's College in Cambridge....

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