**********************************
The Western Canon Mailing List
Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr.
Activation Date: March 8, 1997
Current Date:  May 10, 1997
Current Membership: 51
**********************************


I've just finished reading the first three books of
Paradise Lost and decided to give my thoughts thus far.

First of all, I realize that Milton is not an easy read.
In comparison, Veblen was like reading the morning paper.
Here are some suggestion that may help in trying to read
Paradise Lost. 

(1) Try reading a few small sections out loud. I find this
to be very helpful in becoming comfortable with Milton's
style. In fact, even when I am reading normally, I
pretend that I am actually reading out loud.

(2)Obtain an actual copy of the book. One that contains
footnotes. Perhaps your local library has one available.
There is a rather inexpensive paperback version that is
part of the signet classic series. It contains both 
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. This is the particular
copy that I myself am currently using.

(3)Utilize any supplementary material that you can find
on the poem, even Cliffs Notes if need be. But please use
such material as a guide in reading the poem and not as a
substitute. And be aware that any such material will be
someone's interpretation of the poem which you might not
necessarily agree with. Always try to allow the work to
speak to you directly. Perhaps you may get lucky and notice
something that no one else has seen.

I hope these suggestions help. Even though it may be
difficult I believe that Milton is worth the effort. I
also find that the more I read the better I understand
because I am getting comfortable with Milton's voice. So
please do not allow any initial difficulty to put you off from
reading the entire poem. With patience and effort it does
get easier as you work through it. And now, on to some 
comments on the first three books.

Book I.

The first book begins with a brief intro wherein Milton
states that this poem "pursues Things unattempted yet in
Prose or Rhyme" (what humility!) and then gets right down to
business by showing Satan and his hoard in Hell right after
the fall. The book introduces Satan and his principle demons
while they collect themselves after such a great defeat. They
also construct a grand palace/city in Hell called Pandemonium
(how I love that title!) wherein they gather to begin to discuss
their future plans. The following are my two favorite quotes in
Book I and they are both spoken by Satan himself.

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of
Hell, a Hell of Heaven."

"Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heaven."

Why does Milton spend the first two books with Satan? I find this
rather odd considering that he is trying to argue God's side of the
case. Is it solely due to dramatic/aesthetic reasons or is there more
going on here than meets the eye?

I also find the manner in which Satan interacts with his fellow 
demons to remind me of the way in which members of the British
Army act toward each other. Is Milton simply drawing on his own
professional experience to establish the scene, or is he up to
something more?

I also love the idea of a palace in Hell. Makes a lot of sense
if you think about it.


Book II.

Book II opens with a debate on what to do next. They decide to attempt
to corrupt God's new creation, Mankind, and Satan volunteers to be the
one to do the dirty work. The rest of the book describes Satan's
journey out of hell and through Chaos toward our world.

The section at the gate of hell, where Satan meets both Sin and
Death, is far and away my favorite part of the poem thus far. The
descriptions are so vivid and utterly grotesque that many a horror
writer would be envious of Milton's power of imagination here. I will
say no more just in case you have not read it yet.

While reading the debate in Pandemonium I was struck by the fact that
I was reminded of the debates I have seen in the British House of
Commons. Again, is Milton simply drawing on personal experience here
or is he delving into political satire? Is Satan modelled on Cromwell?
Is such a suggestion nothing more than me reading too much into the
poem?

Book III.

Finally Book III introduces us to Heaven and the heavenly host. God
and his Son (who is never referred to as Jesus) are shown in
conversation with each other. Personally I found myself rushing
through this section to get back to Satan, where all the action is. Am
I alone in this reaction? 

Once back to Satan the poem enters into what I find to be a rather
troubling section. Satan enters an area know as the "Limbo of Vanity"
or the "Paradise of Fools", where he sees those who have chosen the
wrong path toward God. Pagans are here, as one would expect, but there
are also many Catholics. In fact, Milton goes through a rather nasty
anti-catholic diatribe here.

"...then might ye see Cowls, Hoods and Habits with their wearers tost
and fluttered into Rags, then Relics, Beads, Indulgences, Dispenses,
Pardons, Bulls, the sport of Winds.."

I know that this was a sign of Milton's times, when Catholics and
Protestants were spilling each other's blood all over Europe. Anti-
catholic sentiment from an English Protestant such as Milton would
not have been unusual, but is Milton not also taking shot at his chief
poetic rival here, the great Catholic poet Dante? Are not the names
"Limbo of Vanity" and "Paradise of Fools" rather Dante sounding?

At the end of Book III Satan disguises himself and fools the Angel
Uriel into telling him there whereabouts of Adam and Eve. This section
also contains one of my favorite quotes. Spoken by Milton himself.

"For neither Man nor Angel can discern Hypocrisy, the only evil
that walks invisible, except to God alone, by his permissive will,
through Heaven and Earth."

Thats all for now. Please post any comments that you may have. That's
what this list is here for.

Paul John Barnette Jr.


*********************************************************
The Western Canon Mailing List
pbarnett@geocities.com
The Western Canon WWW Site
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/index.html
*********************************************************