SAMUEL JOHNSON
A REVISION


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A poem,which considered with respect to design may claim the first
place and with respect to performance may claim the second place
among the productions of human mind.


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Writing an epic poem requires the assemblage of all the powers which
are singly sufficient for other compositions.
Epic poetry teaches the most important truths by the most pleasing
precepts,and therefore relate some great truth in the most affecting
manner.


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The poet’s first duty is to find a moral which has fable will illustrate later
on.
This holds true for Milton.The morals of other poems is incidental and
consequent;in Milton’s only it is essential and intrinsic.


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He has involved in his account of “Fall of the man” the events which
preceeded it and the events that will follow it.
He has woven the entire system of theology that every pair seems
necessary.


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He focused on:
-Fate of worlds.
-Revolutions of heavens and earth.
-Rebellion against the supreme king by the highest order of the beings.
-The punishment of their crime.
-The creation of a new race.
-Its fall and restoration to hope peace.


GREATNESS IN PARADISE LOST
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Before the greatness displayed in Milton’s poem all greatness shrinks
away.
The weakest of his agents are the highest and noblest of human
beings,whose actions effect the fates of the worlds.

Other agents in the poem are so high and lofty that we cannot take their
name lightly and the lower powers those which are restrained by God
or they will destroy everything and cause chaos everywhere,
Such might task this might poet has undertaken and performed.


CHARACTERS OF PARADISE LOST
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Character which admit of examination are those of angels and of
man,of angels good and evil;of man in his innocent and sinful state.
• Good angels
-Raphael who is mild and placid.
-Michael who is regal and lofty.
-Abdiel solitary fidelity.


THE BAD ANGELS
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Characters are most diversified.
Satan given such sentiments which suit the most exalted and most
depraved being.
Milton had to be very cautious about Satan’s speeches.It was a difficult
task to make a rebel speak without offending the sensibilities of the

pious.
The language of rebellion cannot be same as that of the obedience.
So his language has haughtiness obstinacy-expressions are general
otherwise offensive than as they are wicked.


ADAM & EVE (STATE OF INNOCENCE)
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During their innocence,sentiments are such as innocence can generate
and utter.
Their love is pure based on mutual respect.
Their repasts are without luxury.
Their diligence without toil.
Their addresses to their maker have little more than admiration and
gratitude.
Fruition left them nothing to ask and innocence left them nothing to
fear.


ADAM & EVE (STATE OF SIN)
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With guilt enter
-Distrust

-Discord
-Mutual accusation
-Stubborn self defence.
• They regard each other with alienated minds and dread their creator as
avenger of their transgression.
• At last they seek shelter in His mercy.
• Before and after the fall Adam’s superiority is diligently sustained.


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The plan of Paradise Lost has this inconvenience that it comprises
neither human action nor human manners.
The man and woman who suffer are in such a state that no man and
woman would ever be in that state,so have little natural curiosity or
sympathy.


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But these truths are too important to be new we have been taught since
our infancy.They have mingled with our solitary thoughts and familiar
conversation.
Being therefore not new they raise no unaccustomed emotion in the
mind what we know before we cannot learn,what is not unexpected
cannot surprise.



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Pleasure and terror are genuine source of poetry,but the pleasure
should be so that human mind and conceive and poetical terror such
which human passion can combat.
The good and evil of eternity are too heavy a subject for the wings of
wit.
So we feel humble adoration,calm belief and passive helplessness.


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So these known truths are conveyed by a new train of images.There is
very little given to us by the scriptures but Milton has expanded it to
such an extent and branched it of so variedly that it seems like a
miracle that he managed to save the reverence of his subject from the
lewdness of fiction.


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Paradise Lost is a display of study and genius.He took from nature,from
story from fable,from modern science.Whatever could adorn his
thoughts.

An accumulation of knowledge impregnated his mind,fermented by
study and exalted by imagination.


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But the original deficiency cannot be overlooked.We admire it and all
but we lay it down and then do not feel the urge to pick it up again.


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His infernal and celestial powers are sometimes pure spirit and
sometimes animated body
e.g
-When satan walks upon “burning mark”with a lance he has a
body.
-On his journey between Hell and Earth he has a body.
-When he animates the toad he is more spirit.
-When he is ready to fight Gabriel he has a spear and a shield..
-Number of the inhabitants of Pandemonium but when they were
overwhelmed by the mountains their armors crushed them.


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Dryden remarks that Milton has some flats.This is only to say that parts
are not equal.

In every work every part must be for the sake of others.
Milton when he has expatiated in the sky may be allowed sometimes to
visit the Earth.


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His play on words,his equivocations his unnecessary and ungraceful
use of term of art can be ignored as they are little in number,they
scarcely deserve the attention of critic.


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The basis of “Paradise regained” is narrow a dialogue without action
can never please like a union of the narrative and dramatic powers.
Had this poem been written not by Milton but by some imitator it would
have claimed and received universal praise.


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Milton would not have excelled in dramatic writing,he knew human
nature only in gross.
He knew what the books could teach but he had mingled little with the
world and was deficient in the knowledge and experience must confer.



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Through all his greater works there prevails a uniform peculiarity of
Diction that bears no resemblance to any past writers.


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Addison says “Our language sank under him”.
He uses English with a foreign idiom which in his prose is condemined
but the power and beauty of his poetry is so that criticism sinks in
admiration.


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Wit like all other things has its changes and fashions and at different
times take different forms.
About the beginning of 19th century there appeared a race of writer that
may be termed in Metaphysical poets.