John Milton's 1667 epic poem follows Satan's rebellion against God and the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Written in blank verse, this foundational work of English poetry explores themes of free will, temptation, and redemption through its portrayal of humanity's first disobedience.
Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste Brought death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, Heavenly Muse, that, on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed In the beginning how the heavens and earth Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed Fast by the oracle of God, I thence Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song, That with no middle flight intends to soar Above th' Aonian mount, while it pursues Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme. And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all temples th' upright heart and pure, Instruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first Wast present, and, with mighty wings outspread, Dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast …Continue reading →
A 17th-century English poet who went blind yet created some of literature's most vivid imagery, this Puritan revolutionary penned the epic "Paradise Lost" while navigating political upheaval and personal tragedy. His masterwork reimagined the biblical fall of humanity with psychological depth that influenced centuries of writers and established him as England's greatest epic poet. All works by John Milton →
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