英国文学第五讲弥尔顿课件.ppt

John Milton 约翰·弥尔顿 John Milton’s life John Milton was born in London in 1608. From boyhood he was a hard-working student, and at twelve he was already a scholar in spirit: “when I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleasing; all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to public good; myself I thought Born to that end, Born to promote a truth, All righteous things.” John Milton’s life Cambridge Days: Early recognizing his son’s exceptional abilities, old Milton send his son to Christ’s college, Cambridge, where he acquired a good knowledge of Latin. He strongly condemned the subjects and methods of study at the college and defined the true aim of knowledge as making the spirit of man “reach out far and wide, until it fills the whole world and the space far beyond with the expasion of its divine greatness.” Bachelor of Arts degree in March 1629 and Master of Arts in July 1632. John Milton’s life After graduation, he spent six years at his father’s country home on solitary study. He roamed over the wide fields of classical, Hebrew希伯来语,Italian and English literature, and studied science, theology and music. Milton prepared himself for the calling of a poet. John Milton’s life While in Cambridge, in 1637, Edward King, a young minister, who had been a classmate of Milton’s at college and had shared his ambition to write poetry, was drowned at sea. Milton was asked to contribute to write a memorial volume, which was “Lycidas”, an elegy. At 29, 1638, Milton set out for a tour on the Continent. He travelled in France, Switzerland and Italy, meeting and winning the friendship of many artists and leading intelletuals, including Galileo. Milton was fasinated with art and music in Italy, but Rome, the centre jof the Catholic Church , was for him the “grim wolf.” John Milton’s life In 1642, Milton married Mary Powell, but the marriage was an unhappy one. The Powell family was stronly royalist, and Mary was altogether unable to share he