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
audience fit govern thou though
Still govern thou my song, / Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
winning government voice
Is it just or reasonable, that most voices against the main end of government should enslave the less number that would be free? more just it is, doubtless, if it come to force, that a less number compel a greater to retain, which can be no wrong to them, their liberty, than that a greater number, for the pleasure of their baseness, compel a less most injuriously to be their fellow-slaves. They who seek nothing but their own just liberty, have always right to win it and to keep it, whenever they have power, be the voices never so numerous that oppose it.
chronicle fighting fights-and-fighting wars
To chronicle the wars of kites and crows, fighting in the air.
flown forth insolence night sons wander wine
When night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine
faith angel wings
O welcome pure-eyed Faith, white handed Hope, Thou hovering angel girt with golden wings.
music sweet lying
Such sweet compulsion doth in music lie.
ambition reign serve though worth
To reign is worth ambition though in hell: Better to reign in hell, than serve in heav'n
darkness discover flames hope peace rather regions rest served shades sights visible
Yet from those flames / No light, but rather darkness visible / Served only to discover sights of woe, / Regions of sorrow, doleful shades where peace / And rest can never dwell, hope never comes / That comes to all.
hath love offense regain strange though
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offense returning, to regain Love once possess'd
astray behold head highest led near riding wandering wide
To behold the wandering moon, / Riding near her highest noon, / Like one that had been led astray / Through the heav'n's wide pathless way; / And oft, as if her head she bowed, / Stooping through a fleecy cloud.
busy cities hum please
Towered cities please us then / And the busy hum of men.
love obey whom
Be strong, live happy, and love, but first of all Him whom to love is to obey
heaven hell rule serve
Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven
blest pair voice
Blest pair of Sirens, pledges of Heav'n's joy,/ Sphere-born harmonious sisters, voice and verse.