JOHN MILTON- sito inglese

Portrait of John Milton at the National Portrait Gallery, London - unknown artist

JOHN MILTON

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

POLITICS AND THE GRACEFUL THIRTIES

After Cambridge, he lived with his family in Hammersmith and continued with his studies in Theology, History, Mathematics, and Literature, and participated in social and cultural life of the country;
during a European tour he met the astronomer Galileo;
he married 17-year-old Mary Powell in 1642 and the latter bore him four children before her death in 1652;
he supported Oliver Cromwell’s government with official publications in the English Civil War;
he steadily lost his eyesight and was completely blind by 1651.

LATER YEARS AND DEATH

Milton continued to advocate freedom of worship and republicanism for England;
with the Restoration of Charles II, Milton was arrested as a defender of the Commonwealth;

the date and location of his death remain unknown but he likely died in London in 1674;
He was buried inside St. Giles Cripplegate Church in London.

FAME AND REPUTATION

When Paradise Lost was published for the first time, it didn’t have success because of Milton’s political and religious views;
Between 1688 and 1698 five different editions of the poem were released: three in English and two in Latin. The 1695 edition was considered as the first scholarly edition;

By the 18th century, with the Neoclassical movement in poetry, Milton’s epic poem was appreciated because of the use of blank verse;
Alexander Pope, inspired by the imagery of Milton’s poem, wrote The Rape of the Lock that became a genial parody of Paradise Lost;
In the mid of 18th century Paradise Lost was translated into French, German and Italian;
By the end of the century Milton’s reputation had suffered because of Samuel Johnson’s critical → nature derives from books and not from direct experience;
Paradise Lost had success during the 19th century among the Romantics, such as William Blake, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron → Satan as a heroic rebel opposing established traditions and God as a tyrant;
T.S. Eliot → the verses used in Milton’s work lacked earnest feeling (“stiff and tortuous” verses), hence they weren’t recommended for imitation;
By situating Milton’s work within the social, political, and religious currents of his era, scholars demonstrated the enduring value and modern-day relevance of his works

MILTON’S WORKS

Webliography:

Between 1688 and 1698 five different editions of the poem were released: three in English and two in Latin. The 1695 edition was considered as the first scholarly edition;