A deep dive into paradise lost

Paradise Lost by John Milton is one of the best classics I’ve read in a long while. An extraordinary poem asking and answering questions about the Genesis narrative, about the Garden of Eve, and the before, during, and after of the Fall.

I had the Barnes and Noble version of it for years before Endeavor inspired me to read it as Morse quoted it at the end of an episode. Quite morose and yet still hopeful. 

If you are not a Christian, I’d recommend reading the Genesis account before reading this work. And when you do pick it up, read it aloud. Remember poetry is about sound, and I found that the story would be so vivid when I would read it aloud. I started it in December and only recently finished it this April. (I was reading it on and off at night.) 

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Milton has such a catalog of knowledge when it comes to Greek and Roman myths, and I would also familiarize myself with this before diving in. Luckily, my book had footnotes to explain the references, but I think I would have enjoyed knowing some of the stories off the top of my head.

Ab ovo (from the very beginning):

The poem begins with Satan, and so a lot of people get the wrong idea that Satan is the hero of the poem, but as you read along, it is more about competing ideologies and which one you as the reader choose to align yourself with. Satan is for freedom, for “hard liberty.” While Christ is for the “easy yoke” (Matthew 11:28-30). Satan wants to rule and reign and he rejects the idea that he is not all powerful. Satan has not created himself, but he refuses to believe that. There’s this wrestling of worldviews, that turns into a wrestling of realities—who are we to believe? That to go our own way is freedom and leads to life? Or that submission to the one who loves us is the real gain?

Milton does this ingenious thing where Satan literally gives birth to sin and death, which references James 1:15, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” It’s one of the most creative ways I’ve seen someone interpret a Bible passage–so darn clever.

Milton is our narrator and leads us through the world of hell, Satan’s deception that leads to a civil war in heaven, the nature of God and His Son, the world of the Garden of Eden, the warning, the fall, and the consequences. 

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At some point, the writing was so good, I just decided to underline passages that moved me. 

quotes

because in thee Love hath abounded more than glory abounds

Unlimited of manifold delights: But let us ever praise him, and extol His bounty

Shalt thou give law to God? Shalt thou dispute with him the points of liberty, who made thee what thou art, and form’d the powers of heaven

Govern well thy appetite, lest Sin surprise thee

To know that which before us lies in daily life, is the prime wisdom

Best are all things as the will of God ordain’d them; his creating hand nothing imperfect or deficient left of all that he created

Yet doubt not but in valley and in plain God is as here, and will be found alike in Present

Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv’st live well, how long or short permit to heaven

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more noticings

This book, notably, has many conversations. While there is much action in the text, often characters are talking to each other. Satan to his fellow minions, God to the Son, one of the angels to Adam, Eve to Adam and vice versa. Satan speaks lies that draws a third of the angels away from God in heaven. Our words can reveal our thoughts, hint at them, even if we aren’t always forthcoming.

Though Milton did not believe in the Trinity, I relish his insights into the character of God, worthy of worship. Those passages were most impactful for me.

Abdiel is such a wonderful character. In the midst of Satan spewing lies, only Abdiel stands and contradicts him. His zeal for God is empowering and beautiful to read.

If you wonder about how Satan speaks through a snake or how God bears no culpability for Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, Milton offers answers. They may not be correct, but it’s one way to consider the Genesis account.

Book 9 is the climax of Paradise Lost. Satan enters into the serpent and gets Eve to eat the fruit, who then gives Adam the fruit. It’s a difficult passage because we know the price of sin: it’s death in a million ways. Fear. Loss. Grief. Doubt. Book 9 shows us that our part as humans is obedience, and disobedience is costly. I’ve been wrestling with that lately. I have no clue the path that obedience would have led me on.

In Milton’s view, Adam is given a glimpse of the world beyond the Fall and even a glimpse into potential redemption. While Adam and Eve are to leave the garden, they do so with hope in their hearts.

We are exhorted to obey, not out of blind submission but because of the beauty of creation. If God can create flowers of sweet aromas and delicious fruit out of the ground, if he can meet our daily needs, surely we can depend on him to be our guide and lead us where we need to go.

Highly recommend this if you’re a classical fan who hasn’t yet got to Milton, a believer who wants to explore ideas of the Genesis account, or someone looking for a new genre to engage in!

Signing off,

Gigi

Let me know which quote was your favorite or if you’ve read Milton before!