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The Poetry of John Milton
Purpose of Course showclose
Course Information showclose
Course Designer: Jennifer Shoop
Primary Resources: This course is comprised of a range of different free, online materials. However, the course makes primary use of the following materials:
- John Rogers, The Poetry of John Milton (Yale University: Open Yale Courses), http://oyc.yale.edu (Accessed November 11, 2010). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. The original version can be found here.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- Explain the social and historical context of John Milton’s work.
- Define some of the most important ideas related to Milton’s life and times, including (but not limited to) Calvinism, Puritanism, Protestantism, Neo-Classicism, and Predestination.
- Provide accounts of the life of Charles I, the significance of the British Commonwealth, and the Restoration of the Monarchy.
- Explain Milton’s major philosophies, his politics, and his religious beliefs.
- Describe Milton’s chosen literary forms and rhetoric.
- Provide a brief account of Milton’s life, his relationship to Cavalier Poetry, his early elegies and eulogies, and his pastoral elegies, sonnets, and odes.
- List and describe the major plot developments that occur in Paradise Lost as well as Paradise Regained.
- Analyze and describe both Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained in terms of their respective treatments of Biblical versions of Heaven and Hell, the Creation, Predestination, gender relations, representations of human nature, and the Fall of humankind.
- Discuss the formal aspects and structure of both Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained and analyze and describe both of these works in terms of their epic styles and conventions.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g., Adobe Reader or Flash).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).
√ Be competent in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
Unit Outline show close
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Unit 1: The Life and Times of John Milton
John Milton lived in a period of great religious turmoil, intellectual and artistic exploration, and political change. He witnessed a series of intense political and military conflicts pitting the Parliamentarians against the Royalists, the execution of King Charles I, the institution of a Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell, and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660—not to mention a number of developments in the relatively young Church of England. It is nearly impossible to read his poetry without attending to this context, as he actively contributed to lively debates on public affairs and frequently (urgently!) commented on these situations in his literary work.
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
In this unit, we will contextualize Milton within these dramatic times, stopping to review his core beliefs (as articulated through his prose writings as well as his literary works) and introduce ourselves to the breadth of his oeuvre.
- 1.1 Milton’s Times
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1.1.1 Religion in Peril: Catholicism, Puritanism, and the Protestant Reformation
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Religious Context”
Link: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Religious Context” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage in order to get a sense for the tense religious climate into which Milton was born.
About the link: The “Darkness Visible” website was developed and designed by students and faculty at Christ’s College in Cambridge – Milton’s own alma mater.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Religious Context”
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1.1.2 Political Changes: Charles I, the Commonwealth, and the Restoration of the Monarchy
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Political Context”
Link: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Political Context” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of this webpage in order to get a sense for the political climate in which Milton lived.
About the link: The “Darkness Visible” website was developed and designed by students and faculty at Christ’s College in Cambridge – Milton’s own alma mater.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Political Context”
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1.1.3 Neo-Classical Intellectual and Artistic Trends
- Reading: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” and Dr. Ruth Nestvold’s “The Augustan Age”
Links: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” (PDF) and Dr. Ruth Nestvold’s “The Augustan Age.” (HTML)
"Neoclassicism: An Introduction" Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please read these brief overviews of the literature and intellectual trends that defined the neo-classical period.
About the links: Material on the VictorianWeb comes from a number of different academic contributors, but the site itself is the brainchild of Brown University’s George P. Landow. The Ruth Nestvoldt, Ph.D. page features the author’s original content.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above. "Neoclassicism: An Introduction" may be reproduced for educational or scholarly use under these (HTML) conditions.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” and Dr. Ruth Nestvold’s “The Augustan Age”
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1.1.4 The Renaissance’s Legacy
- Reading: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” and The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s “Introduction to Renaissance/16th Century Literature”
Links: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” (PDF) and The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s Introduction to Renaissance/16th Century Literature (HTML)
"Neoclassicism: An Introduction" Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please revisit the third paragraph of VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” (HTML) and read the entirety of The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s Introduction to Renaissance/16th Century Literature. (HTML)
About the links: Material on the VictorianWeb comes from a number of different academic contributors, but the site itself is the brainchild of Brown University’s George P. Landow. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Norton Topics Online webpage is a free, web-based companion to the print anthologies (which contain the canonical works for every period of English literary history) that many English Literature programs around the country use.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. "Neoclassicism: An Introduction" may be reproduced for educational or scholarly use under these (HTML) conditions.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: VictorianWeb’s “Neoclassicism: An Introduction” and The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s “Introduction to Renaissance/16th Century Literature”
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1.2 Milton’s Life
- Reading: Luminarium’s “Life of John Milton” and Darkness Visible’s “A Biography of John Milton”
Links: Luminarium’s “Life of John Milton” (HTML) and Darkness Visible’s “A Biography of John Milton.” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read these brief, excellent biographies on Milton’s life in their entirety. As you progress through the sub-units below, test yourself on what you have retained. For example, once you have read the above selections, ask yourself to describe his “Early Life and Education” when you reach point 1.2.1 and discuss his preparation for a career as a poet when you reach point 1.2.2.
About the links: Luminarium is a site featuring contextual and critical literature on Medieval, Renaissance, 17th Century, and 18th Century literature. The site was created and developed by Anniina Jokinen in 1996. The “Darkness Visible” website was developed and designed by students and faculty at Christ’s College in Cambridge – Milton’s own alma mater.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Luminarium’s “Life of John Milton” and Darkness Visible’s “A Biography of John Milton”
- 1.2.1 Early Life and Education
- 1.2.2 Preparing for a Career in Poetry: Rigorous Scholarship in the Humanities and Languages
- 1.2.3 Contemplating the Priesthood in the Anglican Church
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1.2.4 Involvement in Political Controversy and Imprisonment
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Of Reformation
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Of Reformation (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Read this version of “Book 1” of John Milton’s Of Reformation.
Note on the text: In Of Reformation, Milton discusses changes in the Church of England since its establishment under Henry VIII, arguing that the Church should continue to further distance itself from the Catholic Church.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Of Reformation
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1.2.5 Milton’s Wives
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s "The Doctrine of Discipline and Divorce"
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please click the link above and read the excerpt in its entirety.
Note on the text: Denied the right to apply for divorce and facing intense humiliation, Milton wrote The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce just after separating from his wife, Marie Powell, in order to promote the legality of his separation. The full text of Milton’s tract has been made available through Early Modern Literary Studies, a refereed literary journal.
Terms of Use: This material is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s "The Doctrine of Discipline and Divorce"
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1.2.6 Milton’s Blindness
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Blind Prophet”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #12, “The Blind Prophet” (Youtube)
Also available in:
HTML, Quicktime, MP3
Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lecture #12, “The Blind Prophet,” from Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ “The Poetry of John Milton” course.
About the link: Yale University offers a variety of free, open educational materials online, including the above lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Sonnet XXII and Paradise Lost 3.22-55
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Sonnet XXII” (PDF) and Paradise Lost 3.22-55 (HTML)
Also available in:
HTML (Sonnet XXII)
HTML (Paradise Lost 3.22-55)
eText format in Google Books (Available for free)
Instructions: Please read Milton’s Sonnet XXII and verses 22-55 of Paradise Lost Book 3. When we refer to portions of Paradise Lost in this course, the first number (before the period) refers to the book number; the second number (after the period) refers to the line number.
Note on the texts: In “Sonnet XXII” and the Paradise Lost excerpt, Milton addresses the experience of blindness and mourns his own loss of sight. The majority of the Milton poetical and prose works you will read throughout this semester, including the two pieces above, are accessible through Dartmouth University’s John Milton Reading Room.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora Schwartz’s “An Approach to Reading and Writing about Poems”
Link: California Polytechnic State University: Dr. Debora Schwartz’s “An Approach to Reading and Writing about Poems” (HTML)
Instructions: In this course, you will read a number of Milton’s poems. While your previous coursework should have prepared you for the critical process of reading poetry and responding to it, you should brush up with Dr. Schwartz’s guide prior to reading the first poem of Milton’s we will encounter in this course.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Milton’s Blindness”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Milton’s Blindness” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the brief reading above for a background on Milton’s loss of eyesight.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Blind Prophet”
- 1.3 An Overview of Milton’s Beliefs
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1.3.1 The Concept of a Meaningful Universe
- Web Media: The Saylor Foundation: University of California Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki's “A Diagram of Milton’s Universe”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: University of California Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki's Diagram of Milton’s Universe (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Milton conceived of the universe as an extremely ordered entity. See this visual to get a sense for his vision.
About the link: The UCSB Knowledge Base Wiki is an online archive of materials used in various English courses at UCSB.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License (HTML). It is attributed to the University of California Santa Barbara English Department, and the original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: The Saylor Foundation: University of California Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki's “A Diagram of Milton’s Universe”
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1.3.2 Thoughts on Free Will and Providence
- Reading: John Carey’s Note on John Milton’s Christian Doctrine
Link: Excerpt from John Carey’s Introduction to John Milton’s Christian Doctrine (HTML)
Instructions: Read the paragraph-long “Note 1” under the heading “John Milton, from Christian Doctrine.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: John Carey’s Note on John Milton’s Christian Doctrine
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1.3.3 Milton’s Politics: Support for the Commonwealth
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Ideal Republic”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Ideal Republic” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Read the entirety of this resource. If you are using the HTML version, once you click on the link above, please scroll down to the section under the heading: “D. Milton’s Ideal Republic” and read the entirety of its content.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s The Readie and Easie Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s The Readie and Easie Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Read the first few paragraphs of Milton’sThe Readie and Easie Way for a sense of tone and argument.
Note on the text: In The Readie and Easie Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth, Milton argues that the monarchy should be replaced by a free commonwealth, a position that he stalwartly defended throughout his life.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Ideal Republic”
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1.3.4 Human Virtue and Milton’s View of the Hereafter: Election and Salvation
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Own Beliefs” as well as UC Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki’s “Milton’s Theology”
Link: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Own Beliefs” (HTML) and UC Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki’s “Milton’s Theology” (PDF)
Milton's Theology Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Read the entirety of the webpages indicated above for a glimpse into Milton’s religious beliefs. Pay particular attention to the ways in which he conceives of election and salvation.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above. "Milton's Theology" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License (HTML). It is attributed to the UC Santa Barbara English Department, and the original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Own Beliefs” as well as UC Santa Barbara English Department Knowledge Base Wiki’s “Milton’s Theology”
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1.3.5 Milton’s Puritanism Versus His Heterodoxy
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Puritanism”
Link: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Puritanism” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the webpage above, paying careful attention to Milton’s Puritanical views.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Darkness Visible’s “Milton’s Puritanism”
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1.3.6 Milton’s View of His Role as a Poet
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton and the Role of the Poet”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton and the Role of the Poet” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the paragraph linked above.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton and the Role of the Poet”
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1.4 Crossing Genres
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: The Cambridge History of English and American Literature’s “Milton’s Literary Form”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Vol. VII: Cavalier and Puritan, “Milton’s Literary Form” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the above resource for a sense of Milton’s literary style and formal choices. You may find the prose a bit archaic and even difficult to read as it was originally published in the early 1900s, but the content remains pertinent: it provides a useful albeit somewhat critical overview of Milton’s style and form.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: The Cambridge History of English and American Literature’s “Milton’s Literary Form”
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1.4.1 Milton the Lyrical Poet: Forms and Legacies
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton the Lyrical Poet”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton the Lyrical Poet” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the page linked above.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton the Lyrical Poet”
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1.4.2 Milton as Dramatist: the Masque
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Poetry and Virginity”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #4, “Poetry and Virginity” (Youtube)
Also Available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime
Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lecture #4, “Poetry and Virginity,” from Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ “The Poetry of John Milton” course.
About the link: Yale University offers a variety of free, open educational materials online, including the above lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Comus” and “Samson Agonistes”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Comus” (PDF)
Also available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
and “Samson Agonistes” (PDF)
Also available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
Instructions: Please read “Comus” in its entirety. You will likely find the notes beneath the text useful in guiding your reading—please use according to your own needs. You needn’t read “Samson Agonistes” in its entirety; just get a sense for the style and tone by reading through line 250 or so.
Note on the texts: Comus is a masque, or brief theatrical production typically performed before aristocrats, often as an introduction to a masked ball, in which Milton promotes the virtues of chastity and temperance. Written late in his life, Milton’s classical tragedy “Samson Agonistes” is self-critically semi-autobiographical, presenting a flawed, blind, and defeated Samson seeking self-knowledge.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Felix Schelling’s Elizabethan Drama: “The English Masque”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Felix Schelling’s Elizabethan Drama, 1558-1642: “XV: The English Masque” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Milton experimented with the masque form. In order to gain a better understanding of this dramatic tradition, read the first two paragraphs of Felix Schelling’s Elizabethan Drama, 1558-1642: “XV: The English Masque”(ends with “…congeners that accompanied it.”)
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Poetry and Virginity”
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1.4.3 Milton, Epic Poet: “Paradise Lost” and “Paradise Regained”
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Milton, Epic Poet”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Milton, Epic Poet” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the linked paragraph above for a sense of Milton’s vision of himself as an epic poet.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Milton, Epic Poet”
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1.4.4 Milton and Rhetoric: Polemical Prose
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Areopagitica”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #8, “Areopagitica” (Youtube)
Also Available in:
QuickTime
Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lecture #8, “Areopagitica,” from Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ “The Poetry of John Milton” course at Yale University.
About the link: Yale University offers a variety of free, open educational materials online, including the above lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton and Rhetoric”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton and Rhetoric” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the linked paragraph to learn about Milton’s polemical prose.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Areopagitica
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Areopagitica (PDF)
Also available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please read the first couple of paragraphs of Milton’s polemical work on censorship and the freedom of the press to get a sense for his tone and style of argumentation. You will likely find the Dartmouth Reading Room’s notes (see below the text) useful as you read.
Note on the text: In Areopagitica, a good example of Milton’s sharp rhetorical prose, Milton denounces restrictive censorship, arguing for freedom of the press.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Areopagitica”
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Unit 2: Milton’s Short Poetry
Though best known for his epic poetry, Milton was a talented lyric poet in his own right. He consciously opted to begin his career as a lyrical poet and to reach towards the more grandiose epic genre later in life, modeling himself after the classical poet Virgil.
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
In this section, we will explore a number of Milton’s shorter poems, looking first at some of his earliest works in order to get a sense of his preoccupations and stylistic idiosyncrasies. We will then examine verses from his more mature years, tracing various elements that he continued to play with over the course of his poetic career and attending to the various influences from which he repeatedly drew.
- 2.1 Influences and Early Poetry
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2.1.1 Exposure to Poetry as a Student
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Exposure to Poetry as a Student”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton's Exposure to Poetry as a Student” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the linked paragraph.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Exposure to Poetry as a Student”
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2.1.2 Milton’s Rejection of Cavalier Poetry
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Rejection of Cavalier Poetry”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Rejection of Cavalier Poetry” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the brief linked paragraph.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Richard Lovelace’s “To Amarantha, that she would dishevel her Hair”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Richard Lovelace’s “To Amarantha, that she would dishevel her Hair” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of Lovelace’s cavalier poem, attempting to view it from Milton’s perspective. Keep in mind his opinions on the seriousness of poetry and the role of the poet in society.
Note on the text: In Lovelace’s poem, the speaker begs his lady to let her hair down—a good example of the Cavalier poet’s playful tone and light subject matter.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Rejection of Cavalier Poetry”
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2.1.3 Experimentations with Mood
- Reading: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes on “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso”
Link: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes on “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the linked webpage for an overview of these companion poems, their relationship to one another, and their collective accomplishments.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Lecture on “L’Allegro and Il Penseroso”
Link: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Lecture on “L’Allegro and Il Penseroso” (MP3 Audio)
Instructions: On the linked webpage above, click on the link “Introduction (1 MB)” at the bottom of the entry for these companion poems and listen to Nancy Bogen’s overview of the poem.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “L’Allegro” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
and “Il Penseroso”(PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
Instructions: Please read the entirety of Milton’s two poems above; work to identify the poetic techniques Milton uses in order to convey the moods that define each.
Note on the text: “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso” are companion poems; while both are written in tetrameter couplets, they explore two entirely different moods—the cheerful and the melancholy, respectively—through tempo, language, and sound.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes on “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso”
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2.1.4 The Early Elegy / Eulogy
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Elegy”
Link: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Elegy” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this brief overview of the elegy as a poetic form.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet, W. Shakespeare”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet, W. Shakespeare” (PDF)
Also available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
Instructions: Please read the above poem, considering the way in which this poem fits the elegy conventions.
Note on the text: Milton wrote a number of elegiac poems over the course of his career; in this tribute to Shakespeare, he tries his hand at the genre.
Terms of Use: This poem is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Elegy”
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2.1.5 Early Explorations of the Role of the Poet and the Nature of Work
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Ad Patrem” (“To His Father”)
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Ad Patrem” (“To His Father”) (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please read the above poem, keeping in mind what we have learned about Milton’s view of the social function of the poet.
Note on the text: Milton dedicated “Ad Patrem” to his father; in it, he addresses anxieties about his career choice, offering some early thoughts on his understanding of the poet’s role in the world.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Credible Employment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #3, “Credible Employment” (YouTube)
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Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lecture #3, “Credible Employment,” from Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ “The Poetry of John Milton” course.
About the link: Yale University offers a variety of free, open educational materials online, including the above lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Ad Patrem” (“To His Father”)
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2.2 Milton’s Pastoral Elegy: “Lycidas”
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Pastoral Elegy”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Pastoral Elegy” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this brief definition of the “pastoral elegy” as a poetic form.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s “Lycidas” Lecture
Link: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s “Lycidas” Lecture (MP3 Audio)
Instructions: On the linked webpage, click on the “Introduction to ‘Lycidas’ Link” underneath the “Audio Previews” sections on the left side of the page. Please listen to this excellent, brief overview of Milton’s “Lycidas.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Lycidas”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Lycidas” (PDF)
Also Available in:
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eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
Instructions: Read the entire poem. Be sure to read all of the notes provided beneath the text; they will provide the content for much of the subsequent subunits.
Note on the text: In “Lycidas,” Milton mourns the death of his college classmate Edward King, who died in a shipwreck, contemplating the unpredictability of life and all human endeavors.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Pastoral Elegy”
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2.2.1 The Tradition of the Pastoral Elegy
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “The Tradition of the Pastoral Elegy”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “The Tradition of the Pastoral Elegy” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the linked paragraph to learn about Milton’s use of the pastoral elegy form.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “The Tradition of the Pastoral Elegy”
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2.2.2 Milton’s Variation on the Elegy
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Variation on the Elegy”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Variation on the Elegy” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the linked paragraph to learn about how Milton adapted the elegiac form to his own needs.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Milton’s Variation on the Elegy”
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2.2.3 Edward King and the Autobiographical Context for the Poem
- Reading: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes for her “Lycidas” Lecture
Link: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes for her “Lycidas” Lecture (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entirety of Professor Nancy Bogen’s program notes above for a better understanding of the poem’s relationship to Milton’s personal life.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Twickenham Press: Professor Nancy Bogen’s Program Notes for her “Lycidas” Lecture
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2.2.4 Grief, Art, and Milton’s Reflections on Death
- Web Media: Winthrop University: Professor Matthew Fike’s Powerpoint on “Lycidas”
Link: Winthrop University: Professor Matthew Fike’s Powerpoint on “Lycidas” (HTML)
Instructions: On Professor Fike’s class page, please scroll down to “Lycidas Slide Show.” His slides were an accompaniment to his lecture, but you will learn a lot reading through this powerpoint. Pay particular attention to slide 11: “Elements of the Pastoral Elegy” through slide 24: “More on Death.” Much of the initial information, especially on the elegy, will be a review, but will further reinforce what we have discussed thus far.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Winthrop University: Professor Matthew Fike’s Powerpoint on “Lycidas”
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2.2.5 Classical Influences
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue X”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue X” (PDF)
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of Virgil’s poem above, working to understand how this poem and its conventions and techniques influenced Milton’s “Lycidas.”
Terms of Use: This poem is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue X”
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2.2.6 Mixing the High and the Low: “Trifling Fictions” Meet “Sacred Truths”
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Samuel Johnson’s “Life of Milton”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Samuel Johnson’s Life of Milton (PDF)
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Instructions: Read Samuel Johnson’s scathing critique of Milton’s “Lycidas” in lines 180-184 of his Life of Milton.
Note on the text: Samuel Johnson was an English writer and essayist who lived from 1709-1784; note that Milton lived and wrote half a century earlier, and that this age gap may in part explain or contextualize some of Johnson’s critique.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Samuel Johnson’s “Life of Milton”
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2.2.7 An Overview of “Lycidas,” Its Accomplishments, and Its Legacy
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Lycidas” and “Lycidas, Cont.”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #6, “Lycidas” (YouTube)
Also available in:
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Lecture #7, “Lycidas, Cont.” (YouTube)
Also available in:
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Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lecture #6, “Lycidas” and Lecture #7, “Lycidas, Cont.,” from Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ “The Poetry of John Milton” course. It is a lot of content, but you will be better suited towards understanding Milton’s poetry and poetics after viewing these videos.
About the links: Yale University offers a variety of free, open educational materials online, including the above lectures.
Terms of Use: These videos are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The videos are reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original versions can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Lycidas” and “Lycidas, Cont.”
- 2.3 Sonnets
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2.3.1 What Is a Sonnet?—Matters of Form and Subject
- Reading: Poets.org’s “The Poetic Form: The Sonnet”
Link: Poets.org’s The Poetic Form: The Sonnet (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the above link to learn about the sonnet’s literary history as well as the specifications of its form.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Poets.org’s “The Poetic Form: The Sonnet”
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2.3.2 Revitalizing a Dying Tradition
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Revitalizing a Dying Tradition”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “Revitalizing a Dying Tradition” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the linked paragraph about Milton and the tradition of the sonnet.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (HTML). It is attributed to the Saylor Foundation.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: California State Polytechnic University: Dr. Debora Schwartz’s Note #2 on Milton’s Sonnets
Link: California State Polytechnic University: Dr. Debora Schwartz’s Note #2 on Milton’s Sonnets (HTML)
Instructions: Read this brief set of notes on Milton’s sonnets from Dr. Debora Schwartz’s course on Renaissance Literature at California State Polytechnic University.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “Revitalizing a Dying Tradition”
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2.3.3 Sonnets as Autobiography?
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “How Soon Hath Time” (Sonnet 7), “Captain or Colonel” (Sonnet 8), “Avenge O Lord” (Sonnet 18), “When I Consider” (Sonnet 19), and “Methought I Saw” (Sonnet 23)
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “How Soon Hath Time” (Sonnet 7), (PDF) “Captain or Colonel” (Sonnet 8), (PDF) “Avenge O Lord” (Sonnet 18), (PDF) “When I Consider” (Sonnet 19), (PDF) and “Methought I Saw” (Sonnet 23) (PDF)
Also Available in:
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HTML (Sonnet 8)
HTML (Sonnet 18)
HTML (Sonnet 19)
HTML (Sonnet 23)
Instructions: Read all of the poems above with Milton’s personal history in mind. Consider the ways in which Milton used the sonnet form to convey his own personal experiences.
Note on the text: While sonnets were conventionally affiliated with love and romance, Milton often used the form to explore personal crises and emotions, as here: in these autobiographical sonnets, readers catch a glimpse of Milton’s personal means of filtering and experiencing the world around him and the events of his own life.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “How Soon Hath Time” (Sonnet 7), “Captain or Colonel” (Sonnet 8), “Avenge O Lord” (Sonnet 18), “When I Consider” (Sonnet 19), and “Methought I Saw” (Sonnet 23)
- 2.4 Milton and the Ode
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2.4.1 What Is an Ode?—Convention and Innovation
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Ode”
Link: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Ode” (HTML)
Instructions: Read the entirety of the above link to learn about the ode’s literary history as well as the specifications of its form. Recall that both the sonnet and the ode fall under the category of “lyrical poetry.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Ode”
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2.4.2 Classical Influences on the Miltonic Ode
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “The Fifth Ode of Horace, Lib. 1”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “The Fifth Ode of Horace, Lib. 1” (PDF)
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of the ode above.
Note on the text: In “The Fifth Ode,” Milton extols the classical poet Horace while exploring the form of the ode.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity” by Alison Moe and Thomas H. Luxon
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Introduction to “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity” by Alison Moe and Thomas H. Luxon (PDF)
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Instructions: Though we will be reading this poem two sub-units later, please reader the “Introduction” to the poem, which can be found beneath the poem itself. Moe and Luxon explain the ways in which Milton’s ode fits into a more general, classical tradition.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “The Fifth Ode of Horace, Lib. 1”
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2.4.3 The Funeral Ode
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of Cough”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of Cough” (PDF)
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of the poem.
Note on the text: Milton’s first major poem in English, “On the Death of a Fair Infant” has been attributed to the death of Milton’s niece. In the poem, Milton experiments with the ode, drawing from Spenser in terms of form and patterns of alliteration and assonance, as well as Pindar in terms of his incorporation of classical mythology.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of Cough”
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2.5 The Nativity Ode
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Infant Cry of God”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #2, “The Infant Cry of God” (YouTube)
Also Available in:
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Instructions: Please watch the entirety of the lecture above. Professor Rogers will cover the material you will need to know in subunits 2.5.1-2.5.7.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity” (PDF)
Also Available in:
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of the poem as well as the notes in the frame beneath the text.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Infant Cry of God”
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2.5.1 Milton’s Vision of the Nativity Versus Traditional Representations
- Reading: Project The Saylor Foundation: Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2
Link: The Saylor Foundation: The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2 (PDF)
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Instructions: On the version of the Bible above, read Luke 2.1 – 2.52.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Project The Saylor Foundation: Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2
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2.5.2 The Ode’s Adaptation of Virgil’s Messianic Eclogue and Issues of Influence
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue IV”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue IV” (PDF)
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of Virgil’s “Eclogue IV.”
Terms of Use: This poem is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Virgil’s “Eclogue IV”
- 2.5.3 Milton as Priest-Poet and Protestant Poetics in the Nativity Ode
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2.5.4 Autobiographical Readings of the Poem
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Elegy VI”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Elegy VI” or “The Sixth Elegy” (PDF)
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Instructions: Please read the entirety of Milton’s “Elegy VI” as well as the explanatory notes below the text.
Note on the text: “Elegy VI” is one of a series of letters and epistolary poems that Milton exchanged with his friend Charles Diodati; in it, he references his nativity poem.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s “Elegy VI”
- 2.5.5 Milton’s View of Redemption
- 2.5.6 Questions of Form: Elements of Chaucer, Spenser, and Milton’s Innovation
- 2.5.7 The Intermingling of Classical/Pagan and Christian Elements
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Unit 3: Paradise Lost
We will now turn to Milton’s most famous work, his epic poem Paradise Lost. The poem addresses the human condition—man’s fall from grace and the promise of his restoration. We will first examine the intertextual nature of the work—its relationship to existing traditions and works—before progressing through the length of the epic book-by-book, focusing on particular thematic concerns as they emerge. Finally, we will take a broader view of the work, considering its formal and stylistic achievements on the whole.
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: UC-Santa Barbara’s English Department Knowledge Base's “Surviving Milton”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: UC-Santa Barbara’s English Department Knowledge Base's “Surviving Milton” (PDF)
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Instructions: Prior to launching into Paradise Lost, please read this guide from UC-Santa Barbara’s English Department Knowledge Base.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License (HTML). It is attributed to the UC-Santa Barbara English Department, and the original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: UC-Santa Barbara’s English Department Knowledge Base's “Surviving Milton”
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3.1 Intertextual Situation
- Reading: The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s “Paradise Lost in Context” and Darkness Visible’s “Rewriting Convention” through “Rethinking Genre”
Link: The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s “Paradise Lost in Context” (HTML) and Darkness Visible’s “Rewriting Convention” through “Rethinking Genre” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read the two pages linked above for information on the relationship between Paradise Lost and other literary works and cultural productions. The material you will cover here will apply to units 3.1.1-3.1.5.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Norton Anthology of English Literature’s “Paradise Lost in Context” and Darkness Visible’s “Rewriting Convention” through “Rethinking Genre”
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3.1.1 The Biblical Version of Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Fall from Grace
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Book of Genesis, Verses 1-3
Link: The Saylor Foundation: The Book of Genesis, Verses 1-3 (PDF)
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Instructions: The link above will direct you to a version of the Bible. Please read Genesis verses 1.1 – 3.22.
Note on the text: Milton drew heavily from the existing Biblical narrative; this is the touchstone for his epic poem; readers must be familiar with what he was re-writing before diving into the poem.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Book of Genesis, Verses 1-3
- 3.1.2 Allusions to and Adaptations of Classical Mythology
- 3.1.3 The Stylistic Influence of Vergil’s Aeneid
- 3.1.4 Borrowing from Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen
- 3.1.5 The Homeric Epic and Milton’s Adaptation of Its Conventions
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3.2 The Progression of the Epic
- Reading: ParadiseLost.org’s Book Summaries
Link: ParadiseLost.org’s Book Summaries (HTML)
Instructions: Paradise Lost is a long, complex poem. You may find it useful to read it book-by-book and write brief summaries of each as you progress. You can then cross-check with summaries of each of the books via the summaries linked above.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: ParadiseLost.org’s Book Summaries
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3.2.1 Book I: Invocation and Initial Thoughts on Style
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book I
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book I (PDF)
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Instructions: Read the entirety of Book I, using the explanatory notes below whenever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Lost, Book I”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #9, “Paradise Lost, Book I” (YouTube)
Also available in:
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Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
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Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section J: “The Opening Drama” for Professor Johnston’s useful interpretation of the opening scenes of Paradise Lost.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book I
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3.2.2 Books I-II: Representations of Hell and Its Inhabitants
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book II
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book II (PDF)
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Instructions: Read the entirety of Book II, using the explanatory notes below whenever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “God and Mammon”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture # 10, “God and Mammon” (YouTube)
Also available in:
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Instructions: Please watch the entirety of this video lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
Also Available in:
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Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section K: “Satan” for Professor Johnston’s analysis of Satan and his figuration in the poem.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book II
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3.2.3 Book III: Relationship between Father and Son; Predestination
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book III
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book III (PDF)
Also Available in:
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Instructions: Read the entirety of Book III, using the explanatory notes below whenever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book III
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3.2.4 Books IV-VI: The Representation of Adam and Eve and Gender Relations
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IV, Book V, Book VI
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IV (PDF) , Book V (PDF) , Book VI (PDF)
All Books also Available in:
HTML (Book IV)
HTML (Book V)
HTML (Book VI)
Instructions: Read the entirety of Books IV-VI, using the explanatory notes below whenever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Lost, Book IV” and “Paradise Lost, Books V-VI”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #14, “Paradise Lost, Book IV” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Flash, Quicktime, MP3
Lecture #15, “Paradise Lost, Books V-VI” (YouTube)
Also available in:
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Instructions: Please watch the entirety of these video lectures.
Terms of Use: These videos are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The videos are reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original versions can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
Also Available in:
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Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section L: “Adam & Eve” for Professor Johnston’s thoughts on the ways in which Milton conceives of and conveys the relationship between Adam and Eve.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IV, Book V, Book VI
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3.2.5 Books VII-VIII: Milton’s Representation of the Creation Story
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book VII and Book VIII
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book VII (PDF) and Book VIII (HTML)
Both Books available in:
HTML (Book VII)
HTML (Book VIII)
Instructions: Read the entirety of Books VII-VIII, using the explanatory notes below whenever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Lost, Books VII-VIII”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #16, “Paradise Lost, Books VII-VIII” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, Flash, Quicktime, MP3http://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-220/lecture-16
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of the above lecture.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book VII and Book VIII
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3.2.6 Books IX-X: Human Nature and the Fall of Man
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IX and Book X
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IX (PDF) and Book X (PDF)
Both Books Also Available in:
HTML (Book IX)
HTML (Book X)
Instructions: Read the entirety of Books IX-X, using the explanatory notes below wherever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Lost, Book IX” and “Paradise Lost, Books IX-X”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #17, “Paradise Lost, Book IX” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash
Yale University: Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #18, “Paradise Lost, Book IX-X” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash,
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of these video lectures.
Terms of Use: These videos are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The videos are reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original versions can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book IX and Book X
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3.2.7 Books XI-XII: The Aftermath
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book XI and Book XII
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Paradise Lost, Book XI (PDF) and Book XII (PDF)
Both Books Also Available in:
HTML (Book XI)
HTML (Book XII)
Instructions: Read the entirety of Books XI-XII, using the explanatory notes below wherever necessary.
Terms of Use: The resources above are from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original versions can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Lost, Books XI-XII” and “Paradise Lost, Books XI-XII (Cont.)”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #19, “Paradise Lost, Books XI-XII” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash
Lecture #20, “Paradise Lost, Books XI-XII (Cont.)” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash
Instructions: Please watch the entirety of these video lectures.
Terms of Use: These videos are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The videos are reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original versions can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Lost, Book XI and Book XII
- 3.3 The Function of Form
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3.3.1 In Media Res Opening, the Invocation of the Muse, and Other Epic Conventions in Paradise Lost
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Epic”
Link: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Epic” (HTML)
Instructions: While you should have a solid grasp on epic conventions and the epic tradition through your earlier readings, this brief overview will further contextualize Milton’s oeuvre.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Poets.org’s “Poetic Form: The Epic”
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3.3.2 Why an Epic?—Issues of Genre, Form, Tone, and Subject
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “‘Answerable Style’: The Genre of Paradise Lost”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: “‘Answerable Style’: The Genre of Paradise Lost” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please read this brief analysis of Milton’s use of genre. Consider the other forms that Milton used; why would he opt for the epic?
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The work is attributed to Thomas H. Luxon and Cordelia Zukerman. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section B: “Paradise Lost as an Epic Poem.”
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: “‘Answerable Style’: The Genre of Paradise Lost”
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3.3.3 The Books: Questions of Structure and Organization
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section F: “Some Narrative Considerations” for Professor Johnston’s take on the structure and organization of the epic.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
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3.4 Style Points
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Miltonic Simile”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #11, “The Miltonic Simile” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML
Mp3
Quicktime (low-bandwith)
Quicktime (high-bandwith)
Adobe Flash
Instructions: Please view the entirety of the lecture above.
Terms of Use: This video is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The video is reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original version can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Lee Jacobus' “Milton’s Rhetoric” and The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Vol. VII: Cavalier and Puritan, “Milton’s Versification and Style”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Lee Jacobus' “Milton’s Rhetoric" (PDF) and The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Vol. VII: Cavalier and Puritan, “Milton’s Versification and Style” (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML ("Milton's Rhetoric")
HTML ("Milton's Versification and Style")
Instructions: Please read the entirety of the two webpages linked above as you work through some of your own observations as to Milton’s poetic and rhetorical style. The first link is a list of terms that will provide you with the terminology you need in order to discuss Milton’s poetry. These readings, in addition to the lecture above, will cover subunits 3.4.1-3.4.4.
Terms of Use: "Milton's Rhetoric" is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The work is attributed to Lee Jacobus. The original version can be found here (HTML). The Cambridge History of English and American Literature is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “The Miltonic Simile”
- 3.4.1 Absence of Rhyme
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3.4.2 Enjambment and Syntactical Idiosyncrasies
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Scroll down and read the entirety of Section D: “The Critical Debate Over Paradise Lost” for Professor Johnston’s explanation of some of Milton’s idiosyncratic style choices.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Malaspina University College Professor Ian Johnston’s “Lecture on Milton’s Paradise Lost” Transcription
- 3.4.3 Elevated Tone
- 3.4.4 The Miltonic Simile
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Unit 4: Paradise Regained
In this final unit, we will explore one of Milton’s very last works, his brief epic Paradise Regained, which tells the story of Jesus’ temptation in the Desert, and the quest for knowledge of self and self-purpose. As with the Paradise Lostunit, we will begin by placing the work in dialogue with other texts and traditions from which Milton drew. We will then trace a number of the work’s major concerns and achievements.
Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Regained
Link: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Regained (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
eText format in Google Books (Available for Free)
Instructions: Read Book I of Milton’s Paradise Regained to get a sense for the continuation of the story and drama of Paradise Lost. Pay attention to his style, noting consistencies between this work and his previous ones.
Terms of Use: The resource above is from the Dartmouth John Milton Reading Room and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (HTML). The original version can be found here (HTML). The text by John Milton is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Vol. VII: Cavalier and Puritan, “Paradise Regained”
Link: The Saylor Foundation: The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Vol. VII: Cavalier and Puritan, “Paradise Regained” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read this overview of “Paradise Regained” to further contextualize the work. They will—in conjunction with the pair of lectures beneath—cover the units below.
Terms of Use: This reading is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Lecture: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ “Paradise Regained, Books I-II” and “Paradise Regained, Books III-IV”
Links: The Saylor Foundation: Yale University Professor John Rogers’ Lecture #21, “Paradise Regained, Books I-II” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash
Lecture #22, “Paradise Regained, Books III-IV” (YouTube)
Also available in:
HTML, MP3, Quicktime, Flash
Instructions: Please view the entirety of these lectures. They will cover the subunits below.
Terms of Use: These videos are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License (HTML). The videos are reposted from Yale Open Courseware and attributed to John Rogers. The original versions can be found here (HTML).See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: Milton’s Paradise Regained
- 4.1 Intertextual Situation
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4.1.1 Biographical Relationship to Paradise Lost
- Reading: Western New England College: Dr. Gerhard Rempel’s “Dicken’s London” Lecture
Link: Western New England College: Dr. Gerhard Rempel’s “Dicken’s London” Lecture
Instructions: Please read all of Lecture #23, “Dicken’s London” for an introduction to the social, economic, and political factors that shaped the work of Victorian authors. Although Dr. Rempel bases his study on Dickens, this article should be read more generally as a basic overview of the 19th century.
About the link: The lecture on “Victoria’s London” is part of a series of lectures and resources developed by Professor Gerhard Rempel of Western New England College.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Reading: Western New England College: Dr. Gerhard Rempel’s “Dicken’s London” Lecture
- 4.1.2 Stylistic Relationship to Paradise Lost
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4.1.3 The Biblical Version of Jesus’ Temptation
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4: 1-13; The Book of Job
Links: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Matthew 4: 1-11 (PDF); Luke 4: 1-13 (PDF); The Book of Job (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML (Matthew)
HTML (Luke)
HTML (Job)
Instructions: Please read the noted verses of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke above by clicking on the individual links. Then read the entirety of the Book of Job. You will likely need this Biblical background in order to make sense of Paradise Lost.
Terms of Use: The resources above are in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Matthew 4: 1-11; Luke 4: 1-13; The Book of Job
- 4.2 Thematic Concerns
- 4.2.1 Representation of Christ as Human
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4.2.2 Milton’s Doctrine of Redemption Versus Traditional Versions
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Luke 4: 1-13
Link: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Luke 4: 1-13 (PDF)
Also Available in:
HTML
Instructions: Please click on the link above and read chapter 4, verses 1-13 from the Gospel of Luke. Milton’s own reading of this redemption scene is rather distinctive.
Terms of Use: This resource is in the public domain.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation: World English Bible: Luke 4: 1-13
- 4.2.3 Autobiographical Inflection: Elements of Milton’s Own Development as an Artist in Paradise Regained
- 4.2.4 Treatment of Classical/Pagan Literature
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's “ENGL402 Final Exam”
Link: The Saylor Foundation's “ENGL402 Final Exam”
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's “ENGL402 Final Exam”
