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distantheartbeats 's review for:
Paradise Lost
by John Milton
“To reign is worth ambition though in hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.” — John Milton, Paradise Lost
That’s my copy. It’s incredibly bruised. Bear in mind I bought it new, crisp, spine clean, cover gleaming. But I spent a lot of time reading it to make sure I understood everything, and that I’d be able to write an effective close reading essay on it (which I’ll have to do in my exam this Wednesday).
I’ve tried reading Paradise Lost a couple of times before this year. I think the first time I thought it was a good idea I was fourteen — I got over that pretty fast. The next time I was probably about seventeen or eighteen. Syntactically, the text is difficult until you get used to it. Searching for the verb after seven lines is kind of irritating at first. But you fall into a rhythm, especially if you read for an extended period of time. To be honest, it took me until the end of Book II to become comfortable with the syntax and rhetoric, but once I did I greatly enjoyed it. There are certain novels, plays and poems that I am required to read as an English major. Sometimes it’s annoying and very often I feel like I’d rather read the books I buy, but I can’t deny the great grounding for English Literature this is giving me. I may otherwise have not read Milton for years, and been the sorrier for it.
I’m not suggesting everyone rush out and buy Paradise Lost. But I would definitely, whole-heartedly advise that you read it as some point in your life. It has enriched my reading. So many people were influenced by Milton and I’m able to pick up subtexts and intertextual references that I found difficult before.
In one line: A beautifully composed, wonderfully articulate, classic. Who am I to add anything to Milton?
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.” — John Milton, Paradise Lost
That’s my copy. It’s incredibly bruised. Bear in mind I bought it new, crisp, spine clean, cover gleaming. But I spent a lot of time reading it to make sure I understood everything, and that I’d be able to write an effective close reading essay on it (which I’ll have to do in my exam this Wednesday).
I’ve tried reading Paradise Lost a couple of times before this year. I think the first time I thought it was a good idea I was fourteen — I got over that pretty fast. The next time I was probably about seventeen or eighteen. Syntactically, the text is difficult until you get used to it. Searching for the verb after seven lines is kind of irritating at first. But you fall into a rhythm, especially if you read for an extended period of time. To be honest, it took me until the end of Book II to become comfortable with the syntax and rhetoric, but once I did I greatly enjoyed it. There are certain novels, plays and poems that I am required to read as an English major. Sometimes it’s annoying and very often I feel like I’d rather read the books I buy, but I can’t deny the great grounding for English Literature this is giving me. I may otherwise have not read Milton for years, and been the sorrier for it.
I’m not suggesting everyone rush out and buy Paradise Lost. But I would definitely, whole-heartedly advise that you read it as some point in your life. It has enriched my reading. So many people were influenced by Milton and I’m able to pick up subtexts and intertextual references that I found difficult before.
In one line: A beautifully composed, wonderfully articulate, classic. Who am I to add anything to Milton?