John Milton
John Milton
John Miltonwas an English poet, polemicist, and man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, written in blank verse...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth9 December 1608
brought shadow sin
Man's disobedience) brought into this World a world of woe, Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery, Death's Harbinger
surprised unjust virtue
Virtue may be assailed, but never hurt, / Surprised by unjust force, but not enthralled.
flat moon radiant sea sun though virtue
Virtue could see to do what Virtue would / By her own radiant light, though sun and moon / Were in the flat sea sunk.
conscience unsought virtue
Her virtue and the conscience of her worth,/ That would be wooed, and not unsought be won.
ambition choice heaven hell reign serve though worth
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
daily fond lies prime
To know That which before us lies in daily life, Is the prime Wisdom; what is more, is fume, Or emptiness, or fond impertinence
daily lies life prime wisdom
To know that which before us lies in daily life is the prime wisdom.
came fair forth morning pilgrim steps till
Till morning fair / Came forth with pilgrim steps in amice grey.
land ocean post serve stand thousands wait
Thousands at his bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait
free themselves till
I form'd them free, and free they must remain, Till they enthral themselves
above according argue english-poet freely liberty
Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to my conscience, above all liberties.
freely love serve stand
Freely we serve / Because we freely love, as in our will / To love or not; in this we stand or fall.
best retirement return short solitude sweet urges
For solitude is sometimes best society, And short retirement urges sweet return
blank book cheerful cut entrance fair knowledge men presented quite shut universal ways wisdom works
From the cheerful ways of men / Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair / Presented with a universal blank / Of nature's works to me expunged and razed, / And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out.