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
engine ready stands
But that two-handed engine at the door, / Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.
felt
If they felt someone was out of line, they would tell them,
base built firmament
If this fail, / The pillared firmament is rottenness, / And earth's base built on stubble.
indeed less poetry rather rhetoric sensuous subtle
Rhetoric . . . To which poetry would be made subsequent, or indeed rather precedent, as being less subtle and fine, but more simple, sensuous and passionate.
against begins eastern great sun
Right against the eastern gate, / Where the great sun begins his state.
choose eden hand natural providence slow solitary steps tears took wandering wiped
Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; / The world was all before them, where to choose / Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: / They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow / Through Eden took their solitary way.
divinely fit love
She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods.
beginning heroic pleased since song subject
Since first this subject for heroic song / Pleased me long choosing, and beginning late.
both creatures earth millions sleep spiritual wake walk
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep
both creatures earth millions sleep spiritual walk
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, both when we sleep and when we awake.
best creation creature excelled last sight whatever whom
O fairest of creation! last and best / Of all God's works! Creature in whom excelled / Whatever can to sight or thought be formed, / Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
blown fading soft sooner
O fairest flower, no sooner blown but blasted, / Soft silken primrose fading timelessly.
fiery shades
O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp, / Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death.
blaze eclipse hope total
O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,/ Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse / Without all hope of day!