A Reading of Paradise LostMiss Gardner's book is a collection of lectures. It is not about Milton's rhetoric or imagery, but about his whole high argument considered as an imaginative structure. What is its shape? how does it cohere? what is the relationship, within Milton's universe, of the cosmic theme to the human theme? -- these are her topics. In all her discussions Miss Gardner's special strength lies in her power to wing a 'middle flight' between two other opposites: the historical and the 'absolute' kinds of criticism; the one treating a poem wholly as a product of its age, and the other treating it as an aesthetic object in vacuo. Miss Gardner can look at Paradise Lost with an innocent eye and savour it with a taste uncorrupted by literary prejudice; but her appreciation is enriched and authenticated by her profound knowledge of the seventeenth century mind. She knows how much common ground Milton shared with his readers; how far he could expect them to suspend their disbelief; how much they would take for granted as scriptural and therefore true, and how much they could accept as 'accommodation' or probable fiction, or even as mere epic machinery and amplification. - Basil Willey. |
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Contents
Paradise Lost Today | 1 |
The Universe of Paradise Lost | 29 |
The Cosmic Theme | 52 |
Copyright | |
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Abdiel Adam and Eve Alsemero appears Archangel attempt Beatrice-Joanna beauty beginning believe C. S. Lewis character Christian conception cosmic theme created creation creatures critics death delight devil Donne dramatic earth edited Eliot epic poetry episode essay Eternal evil expression Fall Father Faustus feel figure of Satan Flores Frank Kermode garden gives God's Heaven Hell hero heroic human Illustration to Book imagination intellectual invention John Baptist Medina Macbeth Mephistophilis Milton Milton's God mind moral Muse narrative nature P.L. XI Pandaemonium Paradise Lost Piracquo pity play poem poet poetic poetry Preface to Paradise Professor Empson Raphael reader rebel angels repentance Satan scene seems sense Serpent Shakespeare Shelley simile soliloquy speech story suggest T. S. Eliot thee things thir thou thought tion tragedy tragic tragic hero truth universe of Paradise War in Heaven whole woman word writing