Review: Paradise Lost by John Milton
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Epic Poem
Summary:
Milton himself provided no summary but Paradise Lost (pub. 1667) is an epic poem which follows the Lucifer's rebellion in Heaven and the eventual fall of Lucifer and his angels after his defeat. Additionally, Paradise Lost also follows the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and shows how Lucifer, now Satan, and his fellow fallen angels would scheme to seduce the pair away from Heaven's grace.
My Thoughts:
I have never personally felt a strong pull to any one religion, but the story told in Paradise Lost is a retelling of the Bible's Book of Genesis in a way that makes both angels and demons seem familiar and sympathetic characters rather than lofty beings we cannot hope to understand.
The poem opens shortly after the defeat of the rebellion in Heaven led by the angel Lucifer, who would later become known as Satan. Though these fallen angels failed in their rebellion and were banished to Hell, Lucifer urges his comrades not to give up hope through a speech lasting much of the first book (the poem is divided into 12 chapters, called books) and culminating in what may be the most human moment in the poem:
"Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in hell;
Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven"
Does it get any more human than when, after a devastating defeat and subsequent banishment to the most torturous place in existence, the leader of the defeated army declares that even Hell is an acceptable price to pay for freedom from the shackles of another's rule?
What follows Lucifer's speech to his fellow fallen angels is an odyssey that will take him, alone, through the realms of the abyss in order to enact a plan in the name of himself and his comrades in order to prove the corruptibility of Heaven's favorite creation.
While an epic poem with archaic language may certainly not be for everyone, I found Paradise Lost to be a very enjoyable experience. I did, however, find it to be a slow experience as well due to the dense, old language and the poem structure that the story follows. While some background knowledge about the stories of the Book of Genesis, the Fall of Lucifer, and Adam and Eve may help to enhance your understanding of Paradise Lost I would not go so far as to say that any background knowledge is required in order to get the full story.
Happy reading!
Zach