Notes on The Renaissance and John Milton's Paradise Lost

Chaucer and the English Literary Periods
- Chaucer wrote in the Middle English Period (ended late 1400s).
- Next is The Renaissance (also called Early Modern).
- Timeframe: 1500-1660
- Subdivisions:
- Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)
  - Key figures: Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare
- Jacobean Age (1603-1625)
  - Significant: King James translation of the Bible
- Caroline Age (1625-1649)
  - Notable event: The English Civil War (King Charles I vs. Parliament)
  - Milton begins writing in this timeframe.
- Commonwealth Period/Puritan Interregnum (1649-1660)
  - Events: Civil War ends, execution of Charles I, restoration of Charles II.
  - Governed by Oliver Cromwell until his death in 1658, marking the end of Commonwealth.

Meaning: Rebirth of culture and ideas.
Milton's Role: Considered the last great Renaissance poet.
Prominent Developments:
- The New Learning: Humanists revive Greek language and literature (Milton as a humanist).
- The New Religion: Protestant Reformation challenges the Catholic Church, emphasizing individualism.
- The New World: 1492 Columbus's voyages lead to economic exploitation of the Americas.
- The New Cosmos: Shift from Ptolemaic (geocentric) to Copernican (heliocentric) views in astronomy, questioning past beliefs.
- The New Science: Introduction of matter, moving away from angelic and demonic explanations.

Birth: 1608
Education: Master of Arts at Cambridge by 20, self-educated in Classics.
Travel: Spent over a year in France and Italy.
Writing: Focused on religion and education; believed education should cultivate poets.
Politics: Opposed the supporters of Charles I advocating passive obedience to the church.
- Held the position of Secretary for Foreign Tongues after Charles I’s execution.
Blindness:
- Began to go blind by 1652; considered it a blessing, allowing him to focus on inner sight and creativity.
- Dictated works to others during his last 20 years, including writing Paradise Lost.

Type: Epic or heroic poem.
Definition: A long verse narrative about serious subjects with an elevated style, centered on a heroic figure whose actions affect humanity.
Classifications:
- Traditional Epics: Oral poems (e.g., Iliad, Odyssey).
- Literary Epics: Written by a single author as imitation (e.g., Virgil’s Aeneid).

Hero: Significant figure with cosmic importance.
Setting: Grand and expansive, possibly worldwide.
Extraordinary Deeds: Involvement in significant battles.
Supernatural Involvement: Gods and other beings actively participate.
Ceremonial Performance: A distinctive narrative style that formalizes the poem.

Definition: Extended comparisons that elaborate beyond simple parallels.
Purpose: Enhances the poem's ceremonial quality, showcasing the grandeur of events and characters.

Definition: Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.
Characteristics: Closest to natural English speech; adaptable to varying tones and subjects.

Structure: Epic poem in blank verse, 12 books, over 10,000 lines.
Subject: The fall of humankind and redemption; biblical narrative of Adam and Eve’s disobedience.

Backstory: Original sin introduced through a heavenly war and the fall of Satan.
Biblical Reference: Revelation 12:4-11, detailing Satan's expulsion from heaven.

Contrasting Perspectives:
- Mary Shelley viewed Milton's Satan as admirable, akin to Prometheus's qualities.
- Byron highlighted him as a figure of rebellion against tyranny.
- Hughes observed Milton’s Satan displayed too many virtues, likening him to the noble yet ruined characters of history.

Cultural Impact: Milton's Paradise Lost has inspired contemporary authors and adaptations, influencing works like Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
- Pullman praises Milton's musical command of language.