What type of literature is paradise lost

When Eve finds Adam, he drops the wreath and is horrified to find that Eve has eaten from the forbidden tree. Knowing that she has fallen, he decides that he would rather be fallen with her than remain pure and lose her. So he eats from the fruit as well. Adam looks at Eve in a new way, and together they turn to lust.

God immediately knows of their disobedience. He tells the angels in Heaven that Adam and Eve must be punished, but with a display of both justice and mercy. He sends the Son to give out the punishments. The Son first punishes the serpent whose body Satan took, and condemns it never to walk upright again.

Then the Son tells Adam and Eve that they must now suffer pain and death. Eve and all women must suffer the pain of childbirth and must submit to their husbands, and Adam and all men must hunt and grow their own food on a depleted Earth. Meanwhile, Satan returns to Hell where he is greeted with cheers.

He speaks to the devils in Pandemonium, and everyone believes that he has beaten God. Sin and Death travel the bridge they built on their way to Earth. Shortly thereafter, the devils unwillingly transform into snakes and try to reach fruit from imaginary trees that shrivel and turn to dust as they reach them.

God tells the angels to transform the Earth. After the fall, humankind must suffer hot and cold seasons instead of the consistent temperatures before the fall.

On Earth, Adam and Eve fear their approaching doom. They blame each other for their disobedience and become increasingly angry at one another. In a fit of rage, Adam wonders why God ever created Eve.

Eve begs Adam not to abandon her. She tells him that they can survive by loving each other. She accepts the blame because she has disobeyed both God and Adam.

She ponders suicide. Adam, moved by her speech, forbids her from taking her own life. He remembers their punishment and believes that they can enact revenge on Satan by remaining obedient to God. Together they pray to God and repent.

God hears their prayers, and sends Michael down to Earth. Michael arrives on Earth, and tells them that they must leave Paradise. Horrified, he asks Michael if there is any alternative to death.

Generations to follow continue to sin by lust, greed, envy, and pride. Disobedience of God was seen by Milton as an act of cowardice.

True heroism, according to him, was obedience to God as against the exercise of free will, and submission to life, whatever its condition may be, without losing faith. Obedience also leads to the question of superiority.

There is a hierarchy in Heaven, Earth, and Hell with God being in the higher most position. Man was superior to women, superior to beasts, so they top the hierarchy on earth. This hierarchical structure, however, questions the right of man to rule man. The kings of England always had an aura of divinity to their subjects.

But Milton was of the view that kings, being men, cannot exercise divine power as they are in a lower position in the hierarchy and can govern their fellow men only if they are superior to their subjects. This explains why Milton supported the execution of King Charles I, whom he thought to be inferior and had no business in ruling men. When one understands the themes of Paradise Lost , one can see that Milton was driving at moral actions rather than on military actions as the basis for the creation of nations.

In this sense, his work resembles Dante's Divine Comedy. But that hadn't precluded Milton from drawing features from Homer's The Iliad. The battle scenes between Satan's army and Michael and Gabriel led heavenly forces resemble the battle between Greeks against the Trojans.

Milton's knowledge of Greek and Italian had helped him to borrow the right characteristics from these great epics to add strength and beauty to his own poem. Reading this epic poem wasn't daunting as I expected.

Rather, from Book I, I was drawn in. The story and the setting fascinated me. Mastering the limitations of the English language, Milton has painted a beautiful picture through his words. They bring Heaven, Eden, Hell, and the biblical characters so vividly that one could almost visualize them. The story, though known, had a fresh and new appeal when reading it from Milton's words.

Paradise Lost had always been a must-read in my reading repertoire. Being finally able to read and finish it is like satisfying a long-awaited need.

I truly enjoyed this masterpiece and can quite honestly say that it is the best epic poem that I've read after Dante's The Divine Comedy. View all 10 comments.

Apr 28, Rakhi Dalal rated it it was amazing Shelves: classics. Or is it an actual place somewhere in heaven which is the ultimate goal that humans wish to achieve? As a child, I had a profound belief in the idea of God and heaven too.

Yes, and perhaps the reason I wished to believe in him was the fact that world seemed a beautiful place, a place where everything was just as it should have been; Loving parents and siblings, affectionate neighbors, and an innocent belief, one which leads a child to trust even an unknown smiling stranger on the road.

But that was a long time ago. Times have changed faster since then. Faster than I could get a chance to put everything together and analyze the reason why it changed. It changed almost everyday since I grew big enough to understand that not every stranger could be trusted. The affectionate neighbors or relatives were not that amiable so as to forgive an innocent childhood indulgence, that parents were not the super humans, perfect and devoid of all faults, and that, nobody was perfect, not even me.

And then the whole world started to seem to be at disharmony. There were people belonging to different strata of society, people rich, and poor and in between, people belonging to different castes, creeds and countries, people fighting with each other over smaller issues like standing in a row to bigger issues like fighting for a territory in a country; Countries going at war, hatred and more hatred.

Slowly the faith started to crumble and ultimately it shattered. My Paradise was lost forever. At times it makes me shiver to consider that even my son, or for that matter any child, can go through the same experience. It is also a loss in the idea of necessity of human existence and of life itself. For me, the title also signifies the loss of the world as seen from the eyes of a child. This is the reason why the work fascinated me and I picked it up.

The book is a beautiful exploration into the biblical characters of Satan, Adam and Eve, their thoughts and conversations and their FALL.

Satan falls when he tries to become equal to GOD and Adam and Eve fall when they eat the prohibited fruit. Even if planted, was it necessary to warn them of the consequences of eating it? View all 45 comments. Nov 20, Manny rated it it was amazing Shelves: mentions-twilight , blame-jordan-if-you-like , too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts , why-not-call-it-poetry , parody-homage , story-review. Show me what you've got. We see the Garden of Eden. Nothing much is happening. Illumin, what is low raise and support; That to the highth of this great Argument I may assert Eternal Providence, And justifie the wayes of God to men.

Didn't she say you were like Hitler? BAY: Megan and I understand each other. Well, this oughta pack in the Twilight fans. But are you sure we should be showing his Wait, is he sparkling?

BAY: It's just the lights. We can fix that in post-editing. No one'll understand a word of it. BAY: Come on, Jerry. Think Passion of the Christ. Think Apocalypto. Think Inglourious Basterds Okay, we'll talk about that later. Show me some of the action sequences. CGI effects. Full soon Among them he arriv'd; in his right hand Grasping ten thousand Thunders, which he sent Before him, such as in thir Soules infix'd Plagues; they astonisht all resistance lost BAY: Who else?

We haven't decided yet if we're going to keep it. I'd say go with it. So I guess you have Dan Craig as Satan? BAY: Budget said we couldn't afford him. Let me show you what we came up with. I know thee not, nor ever saw till now Sight more detestable then him and thee. I haven't read this since high school. BAY: It's Sin. His ex. Becam'st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st With me in secret, that my womb conceiv'd A growing burden BAY: Research is working on that.

We're thinking she could maybe boil Eve's bunny. I'll show you another bit. Here we may reign secure; and in my choice To reign is worth ambition, though in hell: Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven. Too talky. BAY: Yup, that's what we thought too. It's out. I remember it had a crap ending. Total downer too. Raised voices. BAY: Hiss! View all 21 comments. Mar 07, J. Sebastian rated it it was amazing Shelves: english-classics. Upon arrival at the last page of this epic story, a rich symphony of beauty, expressing the loss of Paradise in gorgeous arrangements of language wherein each word is precisely chosen, I am left, book in hand, contemplating the rich tapestry of song that Milton has woven on the loom of English heroic verse; the finished whole is vast in its sweep and exquisite in its details.

I am stunned by its beauty, and left speechless as I follow Adam out of Eden, ruddy with a majestic glow in expectation o Upon arrival at the last page of this epic story, a rich symphony of beauty, expressing the loss of Paradise in gorgeous arrangements of language wherein each word is precisely chosen, I am left, book in hand, contemplating the rich tapestry of song that Milton has woven on the loom of English heroic verse; the finished whole is vast in its sweep and exquisite in its details.

I am stunned by its beauty, and left speechless as I follow Adam out of Eden, ruddy with a majestic glow in expectation of the birth and return of our loving King. Paradise Lost is full of Linguistic and literary allusions; Milton avails himself both of the words and the syntax of other languages, and makes purposeful allusions to famous passages in other books. As a minor example in Book I. This is in fact, trademark Miltonic multilingual artistry. Milton relishes in his languages, and uses them to great effect.

This is a very small and isolated example of the gems of linguistic virtuosity that lie waiting to be discovered by the astute and careful reader as the song progresses and unfolds. In Milton's Languages , John Hale argues that Milton's choice to write in English——in an age when Latin is still the obvious choice to ensure a wide audience——was motivated by the fact that English was, among all his languages, the one that allowed for the greatest versatility in this manner of interlinguistic and intertextual allusiveness.

Let Greece her Homer, Rome her Vergil boast. England boasts her Milton equal to them both. Milton is another reason I am happy to have learned English young; he celebrated his native English, addressing it thus with love Hail native Language, that by sinews weak Didst move my first endeavouring tongue to speak, and chose it for the language of his glorious and majestic English epic. Every English speaker should someday read it. See also : Milton's Languages , by John K. View all 13 comments.

Sep 05, James rated it really liked it Shelves: 1-fiction , 3-written-preth-century. Book Review 3. I've only read the first book in this series, but would like to read the second piece at some point.

These are epic poems telling of the battle between Satan and God for control over the human soul. It's truly an introspective piece, as I believe Milton threw so much of himself, as well as people in general, into this work.

It's captured the attention of so many people, an Book Review 3. It's captured the attention of so many people, and not just readers. It's the foundation of several films and television adaptions. Some argue it loses focus on the religious aspects; others praise it for being very open to different experiences. It's the kind of literature that pushes you to think about voice and characters. About different sides to a story and alternative opinions. How does it feel to agree with Satan?

Do you accept being disappointed in something God says because it's something you thought was OK to do? So much in the words, but also the message is even more powerful. It's a lot to digest, but if you haven't read it, look up a few passages to see if the lyrical tone is something you can absorb while reading the words. It may help give you some perspective on different aspects of life and death. About Me For those new to me or my reviews I write A LOT.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. View 2 comments. Aug 27, Jason Koivu rated it it was amazing Shelves: fantasy , fiction. Who but a blind man could so vividly write of the darkness of Hell? Paradise Lost is fire and passion. It is the pinnacle and the bottomless pit.

It is the struggle for all that is good. It is the struggle within the evil of all evils. In the mids John Milton, aging and gone blind, dictated his most famous work, Paradise Lost , an epic poem that harkens back to Homer and Virgil.

It not only tells the so very well-known story of Adam and Eve, it also describes the downfall of Satan in dramatic Who but a blind man could so vividly write of the darkness of Hell? It not only tells the so very well-known story of Adam and Eve, it also describes the downfall of Satan in dramatic fashion. The empathy shown for this most famous of fallen angels is, for me, one of the most outstanding sections of this early work of English literature. Epic is a laughably overused word these days.

However, the depiction of Mammon and Beelzebub marshaling their demonic minions for the coming war is the stuff of ancient epics. Tolkien and Lewis most definitely borrowed heavily from these passages of Milton's when penning their own epics. The language has aged. Some of this is archaic and occasionally difficult to understand. But stick with it and you shall be rewarded.

Mar 25, Bradley rated it it was amazing Shelves: traditional-fiction , shelf , fantasy. That's surprising, really, because, let's face it: not to many people in the modern crowd reads poetry these days.

Or they don't try because they assume it's going to be too difficult. Of course, they're probably not trying Milton. It's not only easy to read and gorgeously crafted, but it's also FULL of action, full of thrills, and it just plain kicks ass.

Don't let the topic fool you Next to Shakespeare, Milton's Paradise Lost is probably one of the best and most enduring of the English Classics. Don't let the topic fool you. It may have to do with the fall of Satan and then the fall of Adam and Eve, but Milton is a rockstar of the literature world.

We jump right into the thick of the fall of all the rebellious angels right after an epic war in heaven. Not only is Milton courageous enough to make Satan sympathetic and he's never once referred to as "evil", but he makes Satan even persuade ME. Make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven, indeed. We get the epic battle in heaven. We get all the dark and disturbing reasons for the rebellion. We get the jealousy, the sense of injustice, and we get it again when the same kind of predestined plot hits humanity.

So many of the darkest questions are explored. And this isn't a simple epic poem. It's not all flowery language, but it IS that at its best moments. It's intense and it's fantastically rich with mythology and history and scholarship -- as you might expect -- but more than that, it's just plain GOOD. It's classic in the sense that it will never go out of style. It's good in a way that when we read it now, it is like the best of our modern fiction.

Great stylistic and plot devices, fantastic characterization, and depth. Of course, when I first read this, I was in college and we were required to read the bible to get all the great references and compare the differences, and I DO recommend that if only for comparative analysis in literature, but it's not necessary.

This is an action movie. View all 12 comments. Jul 05, Michael rated it it was amazing. I still have my old grad school copy of this work, earnestly annotated with references to Ovid and Homer and once Terminator 2. But through all that Milton's words shine forth, depicting the struggle between good and evil, which is a struggle precisely because Satan is so alluring and interesting by far the most interesting character here, which of course didn't escape the notice of later Romantic writers who were themselves drawn to the anti-hero.

But the struggle isn't just between mythic I still have my old grad school copy of this work, earnestly annotated with references to Ovid and Homer and once Terminator 2. Still, this is a work that can be enjoyed on its own terms--a self-consciously grand epic. View all 6 comments. Jan 07, Liz Janet rated it it was amazing Shelves: favourites. This is the story of the Fall of Man from Eden, the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan, and the loss of their almost tangible relationship with God, however, later on, we realize the most beautiful story, is that of the fall of Satan, his descent into Tartarus, his role in the Angelic War, and his quest to destroy God's most precious creation, humanity.

Satan is the main protagonist, the protagonist of one of the greatest poems, not just of English literature, but of all time. This is not to say that it is his sole story, nor that this was Milton's purpose, but to the regular man, Satan represents most of what humanity is, a brash, arrogant, confident, flawed, curious, courageous, hypocritical, mostly all that encompasses the human experience. For his desire for more, his need to be appreciated over God's flawed creation, leads him to befall to the darkest pit of Hell, and he vows revenge, and boy does he get it.

The second strength of this poem, aside Satan, comes from the magnificent black verse in which it is written. What matter where, if I be still the same, And what I should be, all but less then he Whom Thunder hath made greater?

Here at least We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav'n. And then we remember it is because of him that many horrid things happen and we feel good that he is where he is again. Which has led many to question: Why does Satan have a political reason to rebel against God?

Why was God such a barbarian? Why is Satan our temptation still? Why is Gabriel such a do-gooder and butt-kisser? Why does he give Adam and Eve such vague hope, "a paradise within thee, happier far"? I am not sure we get the answers to these questions unless we look very close, I am of those that rather remain with the questions.

The debate is left to us, we make the final choice, and choosing wrong will lead us down a similar path to Lucifer. View all 7 comments. Aug 23, picoas picoas rated it really liked it Shelves: If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review. Thus, the apple on the tree of knowledge was imo something a religious-minded white Portuguese male would regard as sinful. As it stands, the sin no longer applies. It is , eating the If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review.

It is , eating the apple amounts to doing just that; eating an apple. Unless you have the apple representing something else, i. View all 4 comments. Jul 08, Alan rated it it was amazing.

Recently, I read PL during my morning walks. Often aloud, it went surprisingly fast--about half a book per day, completed in a month. Of course, so many of the allusions, even with good footnotes and a lifetime of reading and a Ph. But I read with the recognition that such allusions function as validating linkages, rather like real links online, or like Mercedes for the insecure. This may b Recently, I read PL during my morning walks.

This may be my fifth time through it in entirety, and I have taught principally Book 9, Adam and Eve, maybe two dozen times. Everytime through I discover a few lines that surprise me. This time, just after my retirement, I found a line I've been quoting to my still-working colleagues: "To sit in hateful Office, here confined I have in my memory perhaps 15 minutes of Paradise Lost, maybe my fave passage, "Men called him Mulciber, and how he fell From heav'n was fabled, thrown by angry Jove Sheer o'er the crystal battlements.

From morn To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve A summer's day, and with the setting sun Dropped from the zenith like a falling star On Lemnos and the Aegean isle: thus they report, Erring. And also, the added learned footnote and correction, so Puritanical, so Miltonic.

The organ voice of Milton's verse. The reserved parodic Andrew Marvell, my doctoral subject, Milton's assistant secretary of state, Latin Secretary--for all European countries and Russia then wrote in Latin. And the central figure is partly my great undergrad friend, the brilliant parodist esp of prose , Tom Weiskel, known principally for his book The Romantic Sublime--though I only hear his unique voice in a half-dozen spots in it; I have heard him parody both criticism and poetry.

We lost him at age 29, like Shelley. I still grieve him. For ex, Manny in my trans. Oct 28, Roy Lotz rated it it was amazing Shelves: best-words-best-order , highly-recommended-favorites , anglophilia , religion-mysticism-theology. In poetic genius, Milton is the only English poet who could seriously rival Shakespeare. As they both were from around the same time period, they use similar language; but in style and substance, the two are worlds apart.

Shakespeare has his feet firmly planted in human affairs—he can find the whole universe in a conversation on a lazy afternoon. Milton is epic in scale, taking the reader from the pit of Hell, through unformed Chaos, past Earth, all the way up to Heaven.

Milton, by contrast, gathers the world into himself, melts it down, and reforges it anew. This is one of the few books that repelled me on my first attempt. I was simply unprepared for the style of English, and I had too little reading experience to properly understand the many classical and Biblical references.

On my second attempt, I did manage to finish the poem, though it was quite a slog. Nonetheless, many sections made a lasting impression on me, and I often found myself reminiscing about the poem. I have just completed my second journey through this book.

Every time I go over a line in this epic, it yields more fruit. The poem is simply beautiful. I usually abhor re-reading books, but I anticipate reading Paradise Lost many times during my lifetime.

Part of why the poem is so compelling is Milton's portrayal of Lucifer. For those who wish to experience perhaps the best tragic character ever conceived—rivaling Oedipus, Faust, Hamlet, Captain Ahab, and King Lear—read this book.

Unlike Dante, whose Satan is a dumb, savage brute, Milton's Satan is exquisitely human. The universe of Paradise Lost is not carved up into unambiguous Good vs. Satan is not evil, but ambitious to the point of insanity. And who could not identify with that? But be warned: this book is difficult. Milton is one of the most educated writers of all time; his learning was vast and deep. The language, dense; the allusions, many; the journey, nigh endless.

For example, it's hard to take the battle seriously because we already know the outcome Satan loses, which we learn in the very first book of the poem ; if we've somehow forgotten the outcome, however, we always get the sense that God is going to win. The weirdness of Book 6 is explained at the beginning of Book 9, where Milton says flat out that he's not interested in the type of martial heroism typical of epic poetry.

And he sticks to his guns: one could very well characterize Paradise Lost as an epic poem about "patience," if only because it is Adam and Eve's impatience that is the cause of their downfall. Now you might be asking yourself, what's epic about patience, Adam, Eve, etc.? Well, for the Christian world, Adam and Eve's story is of comparable significance as the founding of Rome or the Trojan War.

According to the Judeo-Christian tradition, by eating the Forbidden Fruit, Adam and Eve introduced sin and death into the world, two very serious consequences. Seriously, who likes death?

Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide.