proclaimed himself future author of a great english work almost wrote paradise lost in latin wanted to glorify england and english in poetry attended cambridge undertook 6 eyar program of self-reading very well educated because father was rich wanted to be poet wrote many pamphlets, court, education of press allied with puritans at 33, had disastrous marriage, 16 or 17yo woman she left him very soon, wrote pamphlet on right to divorce very outspoken about subject became totally blind in 1652 got back together with young wife, she died, married again, she died believed in republican gov't was in danger while charles was on throne marvell got him out of prison and pardoned for opposing king 1608-1674 did he think he was writing the greatest epic poem? was actually explaining god to man only got paid 5 pounds for writing poem deeply religious great undertaking, trying to adapt style of bible and great epics which version of bible? latin? what to do? writing story of adam/eve in language puritans could read ended up as a combination of english and latin poem creates wall around itself keeping people out very hard to get into better if stuck to everyday language? yes and no milton wanted to know what to do to tell tale influenced by marlow speech in book 4 taken from a play he had started years before this is why satan seems like the best speaker others think milton liked satan and pushed his beliefs through satan apple wasn't just a test of temptation oozes male chauvanism milton can't keep his opinions out of it both in image of god, but not equal eve is stereotypically female with wild hair adam's hair is combed and straigt adam's fault, he was supposed to rule over her they "know" each other before they know each other denounces women written after he was blind dictated to someone, written during civil war (hobbes says this can't happen) difficult poem, but great achievement for english literature paradise lost satan leading revolution against absolute monarch(god) satan may be true hero in poem state of innocence, but have sex/passion, make mistakes in judgement, work in eden (pruning/gardening) whole poem: to justify the ways of god to men for us to learn how god works starts with intro about story tells how lucifer is a fallen angel trying to get angels to rebel against god good description of hell on 730 telling us about satan, everywhere, disguise himself gives us physical description of EVERYTHING, most of this is not in the bible line 254 on 731: the mind in its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven (good place without god can be bad, bad place with god can be good) once angels kicked out of heaven, start hanging out in hell 734: meeting of fallen angels, want to wreak havoc on adam and eve satan gets directions to eden, near iran, possibly africa, possibly fertile crescent sees eden and realizes what he has lost makes a speech on line 32, this was originally in a drama pride and ambition is what brings man down, closer to devil a greatful mind by owing owes not line 75: satan brings hell with him because it is hell in his mind since he is without god more god talk line 80 on 780: no pardon remaining, once filled with hate for god, can't be repented, will relapse and get worse, farewell hope, farewell fear satan's face becomes disfigured as he looks on eden, allows gabriel/uriel to recognize him as evil this place tortures satan line 198: satan devises revenge and death why preoccupied with origin of hatred? unfortunate life, civil war, can divide families and communities evil likes to bring down beauty satan wants to show god that he can destroy god's creations what can we get from poem from this lesson? you create your own hell, learning personality traits for damnation they were having a good old time, satan ruined it so he could have company in hell line 290: adam is tall and godlike, made for god, she is made for him, two most beautiful people ever created satan is envious jealousy kills us as well serpent on 346, closeby all of this, satan is not a serpent right now satan changes shape to look like an animal to get info on adam and eve "in the midst of eden, there's satan" - still evil in a perfect place, just disguised eve falls in love with herself first, then adam would it be better without the male chauvanism?