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
art knitting listen loose thou thy train twisted
Sabrina fair, / Listen where thou art sitting/ Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave, / In twisted braids of lilies knitting / The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair.
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.
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
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
dangers days evil mortal mute safe sing though unchanged
More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchanged / To hoarse or mute though fall'n on evil days, / On evil days though fall'n, and evil tongues; / In darkness, and with dangers compassed round, / And solitude.
ambition reign serve though worth
To reign is worth ambition though in hell: Better to reign in hell, than serve in heav'n
hath love offense regain strange though
Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offense returning, to regain Love once possess'd
art heavy thou
But O the heavy change, now thou art gone, / Now thou art gone, and never must return!
audience fit govern thou though
Still govern thou my song, / Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
dost heart prefer pure temples thou upright
Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure
angel golden hovering thou welcome
O welcome pure-eyed Faith, white-handed Hope, / Thou hovering angel girt with golden wings.
dear fame great heir son thou thy weak witness
Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, / What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name?
love nor permit short thou thy
Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st, Live well, how long or short permit to heav'n
god happiest thou thy
God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more / Is woman's happiest knowledge, and her praise.