John Milton Criticism
John Milton (1608–1674) stands as a monumental figure in English literature, renowned for his epic poetry and incisive prose that reflect his profound religious, political, and intellectual convictions. His works like Paradise Lost, Paradise Regain'd, and Samson Agonistes are celebrated for their intricate artistry and deep engagement with themes of human fallibility, redemption, and the struggle for liberty. Notably, his epic poem Paradise Lost explores humanity's fall from grace and mirrors his religious sensibilities and political commitments, as discussed in Of Shakespeare and Milton.
Milton's early life was shaped by rigorous classical education and formative travels in Italy, which inspired his ambition to write a great national epic. Initially intended to be Arthurian, his focus shifted to Biblical themes, as explored in Milton and His Precursors. This shift reflects his deep engagement with Christian doctrine and the political upheavals of his time, further elaborated in The Religious Precept.
Milton's major works reveal a dichotomy between his poetic and prose endeavors; his poetry is celebrated for its "sublime simplicity" and rich imagery, noted by Coleridge. His prose works, including Areopagitica and The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, advocate for individual liberty and self-governance, embodying his libertarian thought. Milton's commitment to political self-determination and rejection of tyranny, as highlighted in The Political Implications of Paradise Regained, is a recurrent theme in his oeuvre.
Despite facing criticism from contemporaries like F. R. Leavis and Robert Graves, Milton's legacy endures, as explored by M.H. Abrams in Five Types of Lycidas. His influence extends beyond his era, impacting subsequent poets and thinkers and continuing to inspire critical analysis, as seen in Patriarchal Poetry and Women Readers and Milton's Hero.
Milton's synthesis of poetic innovation and political advocacy makes him a pivotal figure in both literary and historical discourse. His challenge to traditional authority models underscores his enduring relevance in discussions of civil liberty and governance, as noted by Richard F. Hardin. His complex legacy as a literary and political thinker ensures that his works continue to inspire and challenge readers and scholars alike.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Milton, John (Literary Criticism (1400-1800))
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The Political Implications of Paradise Regained
(summary)
In the essay below, Fink explores seventeenth-century political understandings of the notion of dictatorship. He maintains that the depiction of Satan as a dictator in Paradise Regained underscores Milton's rejection of the need for a dictator in a healthy commonwealth.
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Milton: Political Beliefs and Polemical Methods, 1659-60
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In the following essay Lewalski examines Milton's political pamphlets in the tumultuous years of 1659-60. She argues that his seeming inconsistencies and reversals are not evidence of fickleness or hypocrisy, but rather reveal a practical flexibility that allowed him to remain constant to his principles.
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Sytax and Persuasion
(summary)
Below, Stavely compares Milton's syntax and style with those of several contemporaneous political polemicists and demonstrates that his selective use of the Ciceronian model of rhetoric—unfashionable at the time—aptly facilitated his millennial message.
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Milton and the Sons of Orpheus
(summary)
In the essay below, Helgerson discusses Milton's role as laureate, a position which traditionally inhibited poetic creativity. Helgerson posits that Milton escaped this pitfall once he became less heedful of any obligations to the state, found his own voice, and fashioned a new self-presentation, as evidenced in Samson Agonistes, Paradise Lost, and Paradise Regained.
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Satan and King Charles: Milton's Royal Portraits
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Below, Bennett discusses Milton's response to the Eikon Basi like, the fraudulent prison reflections of Charles I, and Milton's use of Satan to represent Charles I in his writings.
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Great Acts and Great Eloquence: The Historical Imagination in the Later Revolutionary Prose
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In the following essay, Lowenstein examines tension in Milton's later revolutionary writings. The critic suggests that, in serving both historiographic and mythopoeic functions, Milton understood the need for a poet to be true to historical fact while also fulfilling artistic and creative criteria.
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Milton and Civil Idolatry
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Below, Hardin examines Milton's rejection of patriarchalism as a justification for kingship, discounting both the notions of fatherhood as the basis and origin for authority and the idea of the king as the father of the state.
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The Religious Precept
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In the following essay, Shawcross examines Milton's Calvinist beliefs and the role his father's and grandfather's experiences with the Church may have influenced his theological ideas. He adds that although Milton was hostile to the Roman Catholic Church and a fierce advocate of the separation of church and state, he—despite the common perception—was not an anti-Trinitarian.
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Milton and the Fit Reader: Paradise Lost and the Parliment of Hell
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Below, Achinstein examines Milton's political and ethical concerns in Paradise Lost and his belief that perceptive readers who possess self-knowledge are key to the maintaining of liberty in England.
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Political Theology and Reason of State in Samson Agonistes
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In the following excerpt, Kahn discusses Milton's Samson Agonistes in the context of Renaissance ideas of state authority, focusing on the tragic nature of the choices individuals had to make when ethical and political demands were at odds.
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The Political Implications of Paradise Regained
(summary)
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Milton, John (Poetry Criticism)
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Of Shakespeare and Milton
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Hazlitt provides an overview of Milton's religious sensibilities, his political commitments, and his literary influences from Biblical and Classical writings.
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Milton
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Coleridge praises the sublime simplicity of Paradise Lost.
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A French Critic on Milton
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In the following excerpt, Arnold describes Milton as the supreme English poet.
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The Taste for Milton
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In the following excerpt, Chesterton sees Milton as a seventeenth-century individualist, standing apart from the Classical tradition on which he drew.
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Milton
(summary)
In the following essay, Bush analyzes the influence of Christian humanism on Milton's poetry.
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Milton's Verse
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In the following essay, Leavis dismisses Milton's poetry as puritanical and pedantic.
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The Ghost of Milton
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In the following excerpt, Graves assesses Milton as "a minor poet with a remarkable ear for music, before diabolic ambition impelled him to renounce the true Muse and bloat himself up … into a towering rugged poet."
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Milton's Hero
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In the following essay, Kermode examines the depiction of Christ in Paradise Regained, establishing Christian heroic virtue as distinct from pagan.
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Five Types of Lycidas
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In the following essay, Abrams surveys interpretations of 'Lycidas.'
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What It's Like to Read 'L'Allegro' and Ί1 Penseroso'
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In the following essay, Fish offers a performative reading of 'L'Allegro' and 'Il Penseroso.'
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Milton and His Precursors
(summary)
In the following essay, Bloom identifies the literary antecedents of Paradise Lost.
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Patriarchal Poetry and Women Readers: Reflections on Milton's Bogey
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In the following essay, Gilbert studies the influence of Paradise Lost on female writers.
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Milton's Early Radicalism
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Wilding argues that Milton's democratic radicalism was present in his early work as well as his later writings.
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Demystifying Disguises: Adam, Eve, and the Subject of Desire
(summary)
Martin explores the role of desire in Milton's depictions of Paradise.
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Of Shakespeare and Milton
(summary)
- Further Reading