One who is familiar with the bible, will know of Adam and Eve – the first two humans who ever lived, but were banished from the Garden of Eden, for they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. Considering how this story is central to the Christian doctrine of original sin, it is impossible not to think about other possible scenarios. What if neither chose to eat? What if one of them did not eat? In A.D Hope’s poem “Paradise Saved”, by retelling the story of humanity 's original sin, the sonnet uses elements of imagery and narration to introduce the notion that although Adam was able to stay in the Garden of Eden by refusing to eat, due of his great sense of pride (which causes …show more content…
His prideful attitude first becomes evident when it is said he felt “indignant” when he chose not to eat with Eve (Hope 1). He is “indignant”, by feeling angered at how unjust Eve’s decision was, to eat the forbidden fruit (“indignant, adj.,” def. 1). Considering how this word was used to describe how Adam was feeling at the time in the very first line of the poem, it would imply that it is a very important characteristic that he has, which the reader should keep in mind when further delving into the poem, as it will continue to influence his actions as the poem goes on. This proves true when the poem narrates Adam watching Eve leaving the Garden of Eden. Even as he was watching her leave in tears, although he felt grief, “…his pride/Upheld him” (Hope 3-4). Adam was not able to escape his human emotions, and began to feel a sense of pride for not eating the fruit, unlike Eve. This shows that because pride too, was a sin—more specifically one of the seven deadly sins, Adam was not able to escape grief, and experiences a great deal of loss, and newfound