What the Hell
(A Critique of Milton’s Theology) C. S. Lewis wrote, "Every poem can be considered in two ways — as what the poet has to say, and as a thing which he makes.” Poetry is often a thing humanity puts on a pedestal, something to awe and revere. We wish to interpret and pick apart every line, every stanza, every couplet until we know the entirety of the piece. Epic poems are particularly picked apart by critics time and time again. By far the most criticized epic poem is Milton’s Paradise Lost. A retelling of the old testament story of Adam and Eve, but mostly from the point of view of Satan and God is one of the most dangerous and brilliant things Milton could have done. The fall of Satan and man has only ever been seen from an omniscient point of view, allowing for Milton to captivate and encompass his readers. There are a lot of different ways this …show more content…
After Adam and Eve have fallen, God sends archangel Micheal down to take them out of Paradise but to also give them hope to paraphrase lines 99-125 of book XI. This account isn 't in the actual bible of course, all that is said in Genesis is that they were cast out of Eden and given clothes to cover their back while and angel with a flaming sword stood guard over the entrance. Milton’s account is much more in depth, one could say it feels like being in the movie The Matrix. Michael takes Adam to the top of a mountain where he shows him every single hardship and suffering his people will endure. But Michael also shows him the redemption of these people, and the sacrifice of the Son. The final symbol and image produced by God in this story is that of the rainbow, which is God 's word to the people that he doesn 't break his promises. “Over the earth a cloud, will therein set his triple-colour’d bow...” (895-897 XI). Milton stuck with the skeleton of the bible’s stories but in the end chose how he wanted to create the meat of the
(A Critique of Milton’s Theology) C. S. Lewis wrote, "Every poem can be considered in two ways — as what the poet has to say, and as a thing which he makes.” Poetry is often a thing humanity puts on a pedestal, something to awe and revere. We wish to interpret and pick apart every line, every stanza, every couplet until we know the entirety of the piece. Epic poems are particularly picked apart by critics time and time again. By far the most criticized epic poem is Milton’s Paradise Lost. A retelling of the old testament story of Adam and Eve, but mostly from the point of view of Satan and God is one of the most dangerous and brilliant things Milton could have done. The fall of Satan and man has only ever been seen from an omniscient point of view, allowing for Milton to captivate and encompass his readers. There are a lot of different ways this …show more content…
After Adam and Eve have fallen, God sends archangel Micheal down to take them out of Paradise but to also give them hope to paraphrase lines 99-125 of book XI. This account isn 't in the actual bible of course, all that is said in Genesis is that they were cast out of Eden and given clothes to cover their back while and angel with a flaming sword stood guard over the entrance. Milton’s account is much more in depth, one could say it feels like being in the movie The Matrix. Michael takes Adam to the top of a mountain where he shows him every single hardship and suffering his people will endure. But Michael also shows him the redemption of these people, and the sacrifice of the Son. The final symbol and image produced by God in this story is that of the rainbow, which is God 's word to the people that he doesn 't break his promises. “Over the earth a cloud, will therein set his triple-colour’d bow...” (895-897 XI). Milton stuck with the skeleton of the bible’s stories but in the end chose how he wanted to create the meat of the