Light Association, Shaping Our Understanding

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Paradise Lost

Light Association, Shaping Our Understanding

Altering an audience's opinion is a struggle that many writers face; it is always possible, however, to unite the reader with the speaker's position. In Paradise Lost by John Milton, the author attempted to persuade his readers into thinking that the theme of obedience to God will keep you in a blissful state and disobedience will keep you in a wretched state by the use of light in his books. God is associated with a radiant white light; while on the other hand, Satan is affiliated with a dark shady black. With this use of this contrast of symbolism of light and dark, there is a clear distinction that light is righteousness and more desired than the darkness, which is evilness and bad.

John Milton tries to connect everything religious with light. It is a sign of pleasantness and delight. For instance, Milton said, "As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n" [1.73].This light is expressed in the same way in the Judeo-Christian traditions. In Genesis, it says, "God separated the light from the darkness" [1:4]. This light is powerful and better than the darkness and comes directly from God. The origin of light is from God and it's an important imagery symbol in religious concepts of goodness. This quote by Milton is saying, without God there is no light. The absence of light is a place in which no one in society wishes to be in because it is what makes them see and enjoy the things around them. The absence of this light is also a symbol of God's grace being removed. Milton took the words straight from the source, the bible.

In addition, Milton also said, "Dwell not unvisited of Heav'ns fair Light Secure, and at the brightening Orient beam" [2.299]. Heave...

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... the night time to give his reader vivid imagery of what is taking place so they too can hate Satan and he deserves to be punished for the evil he has done.

In conclusion, though Milton's bias thoughts, subliminal messages of society, of which he lived and his word choice he chose to use, he successfully persuaded his audience. He Elevated the use of light when referring to god and lowered the status of Satan by associating darkness with him. The idea of light and dark tells the reader which side Milton was on and what he tried to portray to his audience. Also, he used the symbols to portray light as day or positive and he used darkness as night, or something negative.

Citations:

Hewitt, Raymond "Light Versus Dark" The Unspoken Bible. 2004

http://www.usbible.com/Satan/light_versus_dark.htm

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. New York: Norton and Company, 2005.

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