John Milton’s Paradise Lost as an Epic Poetry Essay

The epos rime has been regarded ion whole ages and countries as the highest division of poem and there are great epics in almost in all the literatures in the area. As Dr. Johnson has put it, By the general try for of critics, the first praise of genius is due to the writer of an epic poem, as it requires an assemblage of all the powers which are singly sufficient for other compositions heroical poesy undertakes to teach the most important truths by the most gratify precepts, and therefore, relates some great event in the most affecting path (xix). John Miltons nirvana woolly belongs to a rare nervous strain of epic poetry in that it conforms to all the structural aspects of an epic, much in contrast with the decline of epic in the eighteenth century (Griffin 143-154).In the eighteenth century, the epic conventions made a gradual shift to mock-heroic poetry a literary form that pseudo-eulogizes events of stately stature, in a call upon to satirize them. But Milton, an eg otist throughout his life, picks up topics of profound consequence in the context of Christianity, and writes in an epic style that is perfectly complework forceted by content and theme. This paper is going to analyze Paradise Lost as an epic poetry.Paradise Lost, which was originally published 1667 in 10 volumes, is scripted in blank verse a literary device deployed to broadcast freedom of expression which is unremarkably attributed to poems of railway yard sphere. The poem vividly narrates the storey of Satan and the Fallen Angels.Mans expulsion from Gods abode in heaven is the main theme addressed in the book. If one takes into consideration the binding principle of epic poetry as having some fundamental and simplest of boshlines, Paradise Lost qualifies per se. the story of man gravid in to temptation and his subsequent fall from nobleman grace is a recurring theme in many world literatures. Hence, its subject issuing is of universal interest. Again, the story is tol d within a taradiddle framework which is put on in nature.The narrative flow has plenty of drifts when the poet alludes to several biblical and infidel beliefs. But the allusions are precise much in keeping with the substitution theme of the poem to justify the ways of God to men (Milton, I. 26).Johnsons views of an epic poem substantiate the thesis pretty well. Almost all the characteristic elements of an epic poem are present in Paradise LostThe subject matter being dealt with ought to be of a high-sounding scale, preferably some well kn bear tales of heroism and/or rebelliousness of convention. Normally, the subject of an epic is expected to deal with actual historical events or imaginary but probable tales.The action of the story must be developed by a proportionate mix of grand narrative, dialogue and soliloquy.Meditative and dramatic elements abound in epic poetry. Hence, the sensvas of an epic poetry is structured with minute attention to detail, having periodical d igressions relevant to the emanation of the storyline.The protagonist or the hero must non represent the institutional segment of society. In other words, his actions and words should reflect mutilatebeat ideas mean to defy institutional norms. However, the hero should as well as possess moral enhancer and lofty idealism. The story must be based on the hero.The voice communication and other literary techniques should be simple yet profound. One of the inherent aspects of epic poetry is that it should always be expressed in a free flowing form, stripped of excesses wherever feasible.At the same time, the delivery should never appear as if constrained by the plot. The plot and the narrative must complement each other without limiting the immense scope of each.An epic should always propound a lofty moral, capable of stand on its own. in other words, an epic poem must accommodate a generic message that stands true irrespective of times or ideological differences.It may be not ed that all the aforementioned elements can be found in Miltons Paradise Lost. In improver to this, the poem also follows classical epic conventions such as thaumaturgy to the Muse, prolific usage of epic similes and metaphors, blank versification, repetition of lines and passages, permanent epithets and so on.The subject matter of Paradise Lost is common yet sublime. The very inclusion of a biblical theme sets the poem apart from customary tales of mans temporal existence. The Fall of Man has a fatalistic attribution to it, which instantly encompasses everything ever created or to be created within Miltonic cosmos.Miltons cosmology pertains to a profoundly sagacious vision of the heaven and the ground and how they make exchanges. Satans revolt against the Supreme Dictator lays squander the premise for an epic rendering of mankinds perpetual jolly along to go against norms that put chains on free will. In keeping with epic characteristics, the poem elicits sympathetic respons es from readers and critics alike. On one hand, Adam and eventide are thrown out of heaven following their cardinal sin.The divine providence they would enjoy is no longer there. This puts in perspective the hierarchical notion of the order of beings God at the helm of affairs followed by the list of created beings. What is of epic stature is that the lower hierarchy suddenly rebels against the highest, intriguing the supreme authority in a dauntless manner.Their punishment is also a part of the development of an epic. Once they are booted off heaven, readers can almost sense that intangible attributes such as immortality and permanence are lost forever. What is born of defiance is what comes to be standing in the long run mans original happiness and damages of peace and love in their reasonable forms. Once Satan and his men are taught a lesson, following the epic conventions, mortals no longer hold up to put themselves in any fanciful longing guided by moral cogency.As far as action is concerned, Paradise Lost unitarily follows a single course of events all culminating in a grand climax. Milton begins the story by describing the infernal council of the rebel angels, which precedes the Fall of Man. Aspects of epic poetry are rooted in the poets approach here. He does not intend to simply narrate the proceedings as they occur.He stamps his own persona by suggesting the mood for revelry the Fallen Angels are in. Thus, the storyline starts from a single point in time and advances from thereon. Nothing is left(a) behind and nothing is to be seen or apprehended in advance. The fight of the angels and the creation of earth are events that follow from one another and do not occur discordantly. Invocation of the Muse, too, is a generic pattern commonly followed in epic poems (Poplawski 266).In essence, Miltons Paradise Lost is typical of epic poetry in multiple regards. The way it deals with the subject matter, with linguistic mastery and in an introspective mood, goes to show the unique niche the poem still enjoys in literary domains worldwide. As an authentic piece of world literature, Paradise Lost excels over contemporary heroic poetry in many ways. Right from the outset, each character has particular relevance to the story and has generic relevance to the entirety of the historical framework the poem belongs to. such flawless technique renders a stately charm to the poem. Works CitedGriffin, Dustin. Problems of literary Theory. New Literary History 14 (1982) 143-154.Milton, John. Paradise lost a poem in twelve books. Cambridge, Massachusetts HarvardUniversity, 1868.Milton, John, Elijah Fenton, and Samuel Johnson. Paradise lost. Cambridge, MassachusettsHarvard University, 1821.Poplawski, Paul. incline Literature in context. New York Cambridge University Press, 2007.