英美文学Lecture2,JohnMilton.ppt

Paradise Lost John Milton John Milton was born?on December?9,?1608, in London. Milton’s father was a prosperous merchant, despite the fact that he had been disowned by his family when he converted from Catholicism to Protestantism. Milton excelled in school, and went on to study privately in his twenties and thirties.? In?1638?he made a trip to Italy, studying in Florence, and Rome, but felt obliged to return home upon the outbreak of civil war in England, in?1639. Upon his return from Italy, he began planning an epic poem, the first ever written in English. ? After serving for a few years in a civil position, he retired briefly to his house in Westminster because his eyesight was failing. By?1652?he was completely blind. faith in God ? Milton is adept at writing narrative, dramatic, elegiac, philosophical, and lyrical poetry. He had built a firm poetic foundation through his intense study of languages, philosophy, and politics. Even in early poems, Milton’s literary output was guided by his faith in God. Milton believed that all poetry served a social, philosophical, and religious purpose. He thought that poetry should glorify God, promote religious values, enlighten readers, and help people to become better Christians. Other Achievements Aside from his poetic successes, Milton was also a prolific writer of essays and pamphlets. These prose writings did not bring Milton public acclaim. In fact, since his essays and pamphlets argued against the established views of most of England, Milton was even the object of threats. Nevertheless, he continued to form the basis for his political and theological beliefs in the form of essays and pamphlets. Religious Points Milton despised the corruption he saw in the Catholic Church, repeatedly attacking it both in his poetry and prose. In “Lycidas (a collection of elegies dedicated to Edward King),” he likens Catholics to hungry wolves leaping into a sheep’s pen, an image similar to his depiction of Satan lea