John Milton and the Puritan Epic

Flashcards covering the life, political works, and epic conventions of John Milton based on lecture notes.

John Milton (1608-1674)

A poet identified as the last Elizabethan, the great Puritan poet, and an epic writer; notably, he was not a metaphysical poet.

The Horton Period (1632–1638)

A period in which Milton lived in Horton, dedicating himself to study and writing.

L’Allegro

One of Milton's twin poems that celebrates joy and pleasure.

Il Penseroso

One of Milton's twin poems that celebrates contemplation and melancholy.

Areopagitica (1644)

A famous political essay by Milton written in defense of freedom of speech and the press.

Enjambement

A technique frequently used in Milton's sonnets where sentences flow over the lines of the poem.

Paradise Lost (1667)

Milton's biblical epic masterpiece about the Fall of Man (Adam and Eve), written in blank verse.

Paradise Regained (1671)

One of Milton's two masterpiece epics, published after Paradise Lost.

Blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, the verse form used in Paradise Lost.

In medias res

A classical epic convention followed by Milton which involves starting the story in the middle of the action.

Epic similes

Extended and elaborated descriptive comparisons used by Milton as a classical epic convention.

Invocation of the Muse

A classical epic convention where the poet calls upon a divine power for inspiration at the start of the work.

Statement of subject

A classical epic convention practiced by Milton where the topic of the work is declared at the beginning.

Hierarchy of knowledge

Milton's organizational principle where biblical themes are placed above mythological ones.