POETRY-1 (ENG403)

LECTURE – 21

RECAP OF LECTURE 20

• Invocation (1-26) o Heavenly Museo Holy Spirit

• Theme oMan’s disobedienceo Loss of Heaven

RECAP OF LECTURE 20

• Contents of the poem (27-83)o Causeo Temptation of serpento Satan’s revolt against Godo Expelled with his followerso Satan lying in hell with his followers

• Satan’s First Speech (84-124)o Unconquerable willo Determination o Advises them to sustain rebellion

RECAP OF LECTURE 20

• Beelzebub’s Reply (125-156)o Recognizes his determinationo expresses grief on their fallo Discontent of the contest

• Satan’s Second Speech (157-191)o Servitudeo Irritate the Almighty

• Satan Recommends to Summon His Followerso Gather courage from this respite

RECAP OF LECTURE 20• Description of Satan (192- 241)

o Comparisons

• Satan is Permitted to Rise• Satan and Beelzebub Fly to Land • Hell is Described• Satan’s Speech (242- 270)• Beelzebub’s Reply (271- 282)• Description of Satan on Shore (283-330)

o Bid them to rise

RECAP OF LECTURE 20• Rebel angels rise (331-375)

o Lost heavenly names• Plentiful:

o Leaveso Locustso Barbarian Hordes

• Description of Rebel Angels (376-521) o Syrian & Arabian Deities o Gods of Greece

RECAP OF LECTURE 20• Satan’s speech (622- 662)

o Fatal but not ingloriouso Who could have anticipated defeato Recovery of loss

• Influence of Satan’s Speech (663-751)• Building of the Pandemonium

o Mammon• Rumour of the creation of New World• Council Summoned (752-798)

o Bees swarming/Sizeo Council began

STYLE OF PARADISE LOST

• Indomitable personality• Sublime• Conformity with theme• Careful selection of words• Suggestive & compact• Solemn & sonorous quality• Full of splendor• Majesty• Allusiveness• Vast imagination

EPIC• An epic is long narrative poem about a hero

containing the following elements: o “in media res”o an invocation to the museo Battleso Romanceo Supernatural elementso Journeyso Listso Descent to the Underworldo Epic Similes

LONG NARRATIVE POEM

• Long• Narration• Story• Contains Books & Parts

ABOUT A GREAT SOLDIER/HERO

• a great leader who possesses great character qualities:

• “larger-than-life”

• loyalty, valor/ courage, sense of justice, dignity, persistence, and many other traits of his culture and time.

“IN MEDIA RES”

• literally means “in the middle of things” • The epic begins in media res and then flashes back

to events that took place before the narrator’s current time setting

• Paradise Lost begins in the middle.• Later the reader comes to know what had happened

and why Satan & other angels are lying in Hell.

INVOCATION TO THE MUSE

• Seek help from gods or goddesses

• Milton invokes the Heavenly Muse• Seeks help from the Holy Spirit

BATTLE/ DEEDS OF VALOUR

• does great deeds in battle or undertakes an extraordinary journey or quest.

• Satan undertakes the Battle against Almighty

• Adam’s Battle against Satan.

• Journey of spirits

SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS

• gods or other supernatural or fantastic beings take part in the action of the story.

• Inclusion of spirits

• Angels

• Satan

JOURNEYS

• The setting is broad and often includes supernatural realms, especially the land of the dead.

• Journey

• Underworld journey

EPIC SIMILES

• elaborately extended comparisons relating heroic events to simple, everyday events using like, as, so, and just as

• Comparison of Fallen angels to:

• Leaves• Locusts• Barbarian Hordes• Description of Satan

PARADISE LOST AS AN EPIC (1)

• Theme: Universal“things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme”

• Unity of Action• Beginning, middle and end of Paradise Lost• Invocation• Characters have heroic qualities• Speeches of Elaborate length• Illustrate from classical epics

o Incidents, metaphors, similes, turns of phrases

PARADISE LOST AS AN EPIC (2)

• Lofty Style/elevated/grand• Narration of human actions– Disobedience of Adam & Eve

• Human Interest• Sublimity• Moral Tone

OBJECTIONS TO PARADISE LOST

• Not heroic• Main theme is not war• It ends unhappily• Only 2 human characters

SATAN’S SPEECHES

• Depict the Character of Satan• Five Speeches in Book 1– Determination– Resolution

MORAL OF PARADISE LOST

• Thesis of Paradise Lost:

“That to the highth of this great ArgumentI may assert Eternal Providence, And justifie the wayes of God to men.”

EPIC SIMILES IN PARADISE LOST• Description of Satan

o Briareos- 100 hands/50 headso Typhon- 100 serpent headso Leviathan- sea beasto Eclipse

• Description of His Shieldo Orb of moon

• Description of Rebel Angelso Leaveso Locustso Barbarian Hordes

ELEMENTS OF THE RENAISSANCE

• Spirit of Adventure• Love for Beauty• Love for Richness & Magnificence• Revival of Old Classical Literature

o Aristotle, Plato, Virgil, Ariosto & Tasso • Classical mythology• Seriousness, moral earnestness• Tradition to Write in Epic form

ELEMENTS OF THE REFORMATION

• Religious Movement• Revolt Against the Authority of Church• Protestants rose against Roman Catholic Church

DEFECTS OF MILTON’S POETRY

• Lack of Human Interest• Lack of Humour• Lack of the Element of Love• Uses complex diction & syntax

o Twisted sentenceso Elaborate simileso Profusion of allusionso Unnecessary detail

REVIEW OF LECTURE 21

• Paradise Lost• Style of Paradise Lost• Paradise Lost as an Epic• Elements of Renaissance• Elements of Reformation• Defects of Milton’s Poetry