Paradise Lost, John Milton
Paradise Lost, John Milton
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Paradise Lost

Author: John Milton

Narrator: Jason Smith (Male Synthesized Voice)

Unabridged: 8 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Loudly

Published: 10/02/2023


Synopsis

"Paradise Lost" is an epic poem written by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. First published in 1667, the poem tells the biblical tale of the fall of man, detailing the rebellion of Satan and his followers, their expulsion from Heaven, and the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. Written in blank verse, the poem grapples with intricate theological issues, including fate, free will, and the nature of evil, while also exploring the human condition and the complexities of temptation and redemption. "Paradise Lost" is considered one of the most important works in the English literary canon.

About John Milton

John Milton was born in London, England, on December 9, 1608, into a middle-class family. He was educated at St. Paul's School, then at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he began to write poetry in Latin, Italian, and English, while preparing to enter the clergy.

After university, however, he abandoned his plans to join the priesthood and spent the next six years in his father's country home in Buckinghamshire studying and preparing for a career as a poet. He gained proficiency in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and Italian, and obtained a familiarity with Old English and Dutch as well.

In 1642, Milton returned from a trip into the countryside with a sixteen-year-old bride, Mary Powell. Even though they were estranged for most of their marriage, she bore him three daughters and a son before her death in 1652. Milton later married twice more.

During the English Civil War, Milton championed the cause of the Puritans and Oliver Cromwell, and wrote a series of pamphlets advocating radical political topics, including the morality of divorce, the freedom of the press, populism, and sanctioned regicide. Milton served as secretary for foreign languages in Cromwell's government, composing official statements defending the Commonwealth. During this time, Milton steadily lost his eyesight and was completely blind by 1651. He continued his duties, however, with the aid of Andrew Marvell and other assistants.

After the Restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, Milton was arrested as a defender of the Commonwealth, fined, and soon released. He lived the rest of his life in seclusion in the country, completing the blank-verse epic poem Paradise Lost, which is widely regarded as his masterpiece and one of the greatest epic poems in world literature. Milton also produced a sequel, Paradise Regained, and the tragedy Samson Agonistes. Milton oversaw the printing of a second edition of Paradise Lost in 1674, which included an explanation of "why the poem rhymes not," clarifying his use of blank verse, along with introductory notes by Marvell. He died shortly afterwards, on November 8, 1674, in Buckinghamshire, England.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alex

There's all this debate over why Satan is so appealing in Paradise Lost. Did Milton screw up? Is he being cynical, or a double-secret atheist? And why is God such a dick? But no one asks whether, say, Shakespeare screwed up in making Iago so much fun; they just give him credit for writing an awesome......more

Goodreads review by Meg

in middle school i had seen this book lying around the house and for some reason it struck me as very impressive. i didn't ever want to read it but i wanted to give off the impression that i was the type of person who would read it. i did this with a few other books too (catcher in the rye, on the r......more

Paradise Lost is the quintessential epic poem and its protagonist, Satan, is the quintessential anti-hero. “Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven.” It’s almost impossible to read this without, in some way, sympathising with him. Although he is vain, full of pride and evil, he is still......more