Tariq Mahmood Awan
John Milton was a remarkable personality who combined his poetic genius with his political and religious convictions. He was a staunch defender of liberty, democracy, and Protestantism, and he used his pen to advocate for these causes in various pamphlets and treatises. He was also a scholar of many languages and disciplines, and he had a vast knowledge of classical and biblical sources. He was blind for the last two decades of his life, but he continued to write and dictate his works with the help of his daughters and friends. He was a man of great courage, faith, and vision who sought to glorify God and enlighten humanity through his poetry.
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Paradise Lost is widely regarded as one of the greatest English poems and a masterpiece of literature. It is an epic poem that tells the story of the fall of man from God’s grace, following the rebellion of Satan and his angels against God in heaven. It is written in blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter, a form that allows for flexibility and variety in expression. It is also influenced by the classical epics of Homer and Virgil, as well as by the biblical narratives of Genesis and Revelation. It has many features of an epic poem, such as the invocation of a muse, the use of similes and metaphors, the description of battles and journeys, and the portrayal of heroic characters.
The speeches of Satan in Paradise Lost are among the most memorable and controversial parts of the poem. Satan is a complex and charismatic character who appeals to the reader’s sympathy and admiration with his eloquence, intrepidity, and ambition. He is also a master of rhetoric who uses persuasive techniques to manipulate his followers and deceive Adam and Eve. He often employs paradoxes, antitheses, irony, and allusions to make his arguments seem plausible and attractive. However, he is also a liar, a hypocrite, a tyrant, and a traitor, who contradicts himself and betrays his own principles. His speeches reveal his pride, envy, malice, and despair, as well as his futile resistance to God’s will.
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Paradise Lost is indeed an epic poem, as it meets the criteria of this genre in terms of its form, style, theme, and scope. It is written in a lofty and dignified language that suits its subject matter. It deals with universal issues such as free will, obedience, sin, grace, redemption, and providence. It covers a vast span of time and space, from the creation of the world to the promise of salvation. It also presents a grand vision of God’s plan for humanity, which transcends the limitations of human history and reason. Paradise Lost is not only an epic poem but also a Christian epic poem that aims to “justify the ways of God to men”.
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Lastly, the poem has literary merit, irrespective of the ideological dimensions. Therefore, readers enjoy it the most as it gratifies their aesthetical reading compulsions. Hence, it is a classical masterpiece of English literature.
