John Milton Great English poet Date of Birth: 09.12.1608 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of John Milton
2. Education and Early Works
3. Travels and Political Involvement
4. The Civil War and Blindness
5. Later Works
6. Paradise Lost and Later Works
7. John Milton died on November 8, 1674 in London.

Biography of John Milton

John Milton, a great English poet, was born on December 9, 1608 in London. He came from a successful family - his father was a prosperous notary, a musician, and a well-educated man. In 1625, at the age of sixteen, Milton enrolled at Christ's College, Cambridge University, with the intention of obtaining a bachelor's and a master's degree in arts, both of which required taking holy orders. After much contemplation, Milton decided to abandon a career in the church.

Education and Early Works

In his early twenties, Milton left Cambridge and spent six years at his family estate in Horton, Buckinghamshire. During this time, he wrote at least four poetic works that secured his place in the annals of English poetry. L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, both written around 1632, are small idylls exploring contrasting temperaments. Comus, a "masque" or semi-dramatic work, was written in 1634. In 1637, Milton wrote a pastoral elegy in memory of his university friend Lycidas. Comus and Lycidas are the most notable examples of Milton's early work. Comus portrays the triumph of chastity over temptation through magical forces. Lycidas, on the other hand, reflects on pastoral calling and showcases Milton's skill in crafting powerful syntax and rich melody.

Travels and Political Involvement

After seven years of college and six years of independent study in Horton, Milton's thirst for knowledge was not quenched. With his father's blessing, he embarked on a two-year journey across Europe in early 1638. However, rumors of an impending civil war prompted him to hastily return to England in 1639. After completing his Latin elegy Epitaphium Damonis in memory of a schoolmate, Milton opened a private school in St. Bride's Churchyard for his nephews, John and Edward Phillips. However, he soon became engrossed in more pressing matters. In 1641, he published his first prose pamphlet, "Of Reformation in England." This was followed by "Of Prelatical Episcopacy" and "Animadversions upon the Remonstrant's Defence" in the same year. He then wrote "The Reason of Church Government" (1641-1642) and "An Apology for Smectymnuus" (1642). In the summer of 1642, Milton spent a month near Oxford, his ancestral home, and returned with a new bride, Mary Powell. However, tensions arose due to their contrasting political affiliations - Milton was a Puritan and opposed the monarchy, while Mary's family were staunch royalists. She requested a two-month visit to her parents shortly after their marriage and only returned in the summer of 1645.

The Civil War and Blindness

From 1645 to 1649, Milton stepped away from public affairs. Biographers believe that he spent this time contemplating and gathering materials for his "History of Britain" or working on a comprehensive treatise on Christian doctrine, "Of Christian Doctrine." However, in 1649, a case arose that interrupted Milton's seclusion. In the last day of January 1649, Charles I was publicly executed, and within two weeks, Milton published a pamphlet called "The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates." In March 1649, he was appointed as a secretary for foreign languages in the State Council. As opposition to the execution of Charles grew louder in Europe, Milton felt the need to provide new clear and persuasive justifications for regicide. He wrote three Latin apologies defending the execution of the king: "Defensio pro populo Anglicano" (1651), "Defensio secunda" (1654), and "Defensio pro se" (1655). The 1650s were a decade of personal tragedies for Milton - he lost his sight in February 1652 and his wife died during the birth of their third daughter, Deborah, in May. In June, his only son, John, died before reaching a year old. In early 1658, Milton remarried Catherine Woodcock, but she died shortly after. Meanwhile, political and religious turmoil plagued the country, with Milton's view that the revolution had failed and the desire to restore the monarchy gaining momentum.

Later Works

Despite his blindness, Milton continued to fulfill his duties as a secretary for the State Council until 1655 with the help of readers, assistants, and scribes. After resigning, he entered another period of four years without any official positions. When it became clear that the revolution had failed and the Restoration was on the horizon, Milton published three daring and candid pamphlets in support of the "Right Cause." "A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes" and "Considerations Touching the Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings out of the Church" were printed in 1659, and "The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth" in February 1660, just before the Restoration of Charles II. The ascension of Charles II was a catastrophe for Milton. He was briefly imprisoned and his life was in danger, but with the help of friends, particularly Andrew Marvell, who once served as his assistant and represented Hull in Parliament during the 1660s, he soon regained his freedom.

Paradise Lost and Later Works

The subject of "Paradise Lost" (1667) is clearly defined in the first three lines of the epic poem. Milton informs us that he intends to sing of the first disobedience, the forbidden fruit that brought death and all our hardships into the world. Although Man only appears in the poem in the second half of Book IV, Satan dominates the stage almost exclusively until then. This led critics in the early 19th century to view Satan as the hero of the poem. However, Satan's heroism, while undeniable, is limited, ultimately serving the triumph of Christ and Adam's heroism. In the final part of the poem, Satan is humiliated, and it is Adam's response to his fall that allows the Fall to be seen as a beneficial event.

"Paradise Lost" is richly adorned with retellings of classical myths, metaphors, biblical echoes, figures of speech, rhetorical patterns, metric variety, allegorical imagery, puns, and even hidden rhymes. The choice of words, grammar, and word order sometimes bear a Latinized quality, and the tone of the narrative is elevated and solemn, befitting an epic, devoid of psychological nuances, vernacular intonations, and lively conversational expressions typical in lyric and dramatic poetry.

Although "Paradise Regained" (1671) is often considered a continuation of "Paradise Lost," it is actually a standalone work and the two poems have very little connection. If "Paradise Lost" is an example of an expansive epic, then "Paradise Regained" is an example of a condensed one.

"Samson Agonistes" (1671), like "Comus," is another attempt by Milton in the dramatic genre, although it is more of a poem for reading rather than a play to be performed on stage. Nevertheless, "Samson Agonistes" serves as a fitting conclusion to Milton's literary journey with its characteristic audacity and heroic energy.

John Milton died on November 8, 1674 in London.