John Milton's Struggle With Society
John Milton, unlike so many other authors and public figures during the English Civil War, is remarkably easy to place within a historical context. As a vocal supporter of the Commonwealth, Milton left a great deal of information and writings behind to explain precisely how he fit into 17th century England. As Secretary for Foreign Tongues, or Latin Secretary, he worked closely with many of the foremost members of the anti-monarchial regime, such as Oliver Cromwell. As politically active as he was, Milton was equally vocal on matters of religion; he was prolific in his writings against both the Catholic and Apostolic churches. Milton's beliefs and political views were diverse and unique; thus, as Andrew Milner is quoted in Thomas Corn's work, Milton was, "in fact, an Independent pure and simple" (113).
Though Milton's political, social, and religious views are made stunningly clear through an examination of the large body of evidence he left behind, it remains difficult to comprehend the significance of his major epics, including Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes. While they are undoubtedly significant as reflections on biblical stories, there seems to be a deeper significance that relates directly to Milton's political and religious beliefs. Indeed, it seems clear that Milton intended not merely to retell the biblical stories, but to infuse them with significance beyond mere religion.
In order to understand most anything about Milton, one must first understand Milton's world; one must understand the English Revolution and its historical roots. The revolution began in 1579 with the reformation parliament that formed under Henry VIII. Though parliament itself w...
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Corns, Thomas N. "'Some rousing motions': the plurality of Miltonic ideology." Literature and the English Civil War. Ed. Thomas Healy, Jonathan Sawday. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. 110-126.
Fallon, Robert Thomas. "A Second Defence: Milton's Critique of Cromwell?" Milton Studies 39 (2000): 167-83.
---. Divided Empire: Milton's Political Imagery. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995.
Hill, Christopher. Milton and the English Revolution. New York: Viking, 1977.
Knoppers, Laura Lunger. Historicizing Milton: Spectacle, Power, and Poetry in Restoration England. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1994.
McAdams, James R. "The Pattern of Temptation in Paradise Regained." Milton Studies 4 (1972): 177-93.
Orgel, Stephen, and Jonathan Goldberg, eds. John Milton. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Steadman, John M., Milton's Epic Characters: Image and Idol, (University of North Carolina Press: North Carolina, 1968)
In the early years of China, the Chinese began a period of establishment in the world with ideas and teachings of new religions, changing powers, and building empires. In a nutshell the Chinese were progressing toward new technology, writings, and belief systems. The Chinese saw many dynasties come and go as well as many ups and downs experienced with societies over the course of history. As all nation’s go through change, the Chinese experienced changes from other lands far away and produced many concepts in which helped other realms to see change for themselves. The Chinese used many inventive innovations to prosper as an economic power and stabilize intellectually. Change mixed with innovation proved to be the roots of China’s success as a powerful nation to be reckoned with for the vast numbers appeared in China’s favor.
John Milton, born December 9, 1608, is considered one of England’s greatest poets. But Milton was not only a poet, he was also a political figure. Milton supported the British Civil War and the Puritan government of Oliver Cromwell. Knowing this background, it is no surprise that many of Milton’s writings contain his strong religious and political beliefs. Sonnet XV, a plea to Lord Fairfax to help the new Commonwealth government be successful, displays Milton’s concern with holy and virtuous ideals, his disdain for the rule of the English monarchy, and his pro-Puritan republican political beliefs.
Stengel, Richard. “Osama bin Laden and the Idea of Progress.” 21 Dec. 2001. Time. Web. 27 Nov. 2009.
The Tang dynasty was an era of major technological advancement. This can be very clearly seen in their revolutionary explosive powder or gun powder, as well as their very expensive porcelain. The gunpowder is perhaps China’s most groundbreaking invention. Although it was invented for mere fireworks purposes, the military saw great potential in a highly explosive substance. This set off a chain reaction of events that some may think as detrimental to our society. From this powder, the first set of gun powder based guns, or muskets were developed. This triggered an arms race up until the early 1900s. As with any sort of mass engineering of guns, only death was left in its wake. Although the powder was pr...
Paradise Lost is an epic poem portraying John Milton’s theological standpoints. The theme is knowledge and the fall of man. Milton uses his poem to state some of his theological beliefs and his personal reflections. Milton wrote Paradise Lost in the 17th century but uses influence from classic poets. Milton’s epic is an extremely important piece of literature. The excerpt used in this commentary takes on the subjects of sin and the punishment with regards to the atonement from God’s point of view. Milton’s states many of his own theological opinions but wants the reader to know that God is justified in everything that he does, and also wants them to know that man has free will.
Milton establishes himself as the legitimate teller of the tale – and this tale will take us beyond the mythology of the Greeks’Aonian Mount and inoculate us against Hell’s prodigiousness. He is taking us beyond mythological or explanatory pictures of ourselves, to an area where we may bask in a greater comfort:
Currie, Stephen. "Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda." Terrorists and Terrorist Groups. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2002. 69-83. Print.
Of all of the issues that effect the planet Earth from a Global Change standpoint, one of the most visible and highly publicized is the issue of rainforest destruction. The loss of this emerald on the planet's crown will end life as we know it, if something is not done...
Wright, L. (2008, June 2). The Rebellion Within: An Al Qaeda Mastermind Questions Terrorism. New Yorker.
Milton’s poetic license entitles him to write as he pleases and therefore justifies his adaptation of an allegory into his epic. It is clearly apparent that Milton recognizes this privilege when...
Williamson, George. ed. Milton: Formal Essays and Critical Asides. Cleveland: Case Western Reserve Univ. Press, 1970.
Loewenstein, David A Student Guide: Milton-Paradise Lost, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press, 1993, Second Edition 2004.
It is estimated that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual, according to Psychology Today. That means about 3.5 billion people use more than one language to communicate every day. There are commonly held benefits attributed to these people who were identified as bilingual or multilingual, the benefits are usually more concrete and personal. Here are a few firsthand accounts we gathered from multilinguals that help explain the daily benefits of being able to speak multiple languages.
Guibbory, Achsah. "Milton and English Poetry." A Companion to Milton. Thomas N. Corns, ed. Blackwell Publishing, 2003.