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
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
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 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
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.
dark foul hides himself secrets soul thoughts walks
But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself is his own dungeon.
audience fit govern thou though
Still govern thou my song, / Urania, and fit audience find, though few.
oft though
All is best, though we oft doubt, / What the unsearchable dispose.
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.
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.
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.