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Paradise Lost - John Milton
 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 12:05 [#01789879]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker



I've started reading this. I am studying English next year
so I'm swotting up on the contents of my reading list (which
includes the ENTIRE works of Shakespeare, several Dickens,
etc, what a fun year I'll be having).

I didn't expect to like it very much but I've found it very
interesting indeed. Its quite easy to read, despite being
written just pre-Shakespeare, but is very interesting. Maybe
its just because I'm attracted to the macabre/occult side of
things, but studying a depiction of Satan as a physical
character is very interesting. I have to say, Satan is far
cooler and admirable than God in this, who is a bit of a
pussy.


 

offline optimus prime on 2005-11-29 12:16 [#01789890]
Points: 6447 Status: Lurker | Followup to clint: #01789879



it's probably my favourite work of blank verse. i plan on
rereading it again after i finish rereading moby dick.


 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 12:26 [#01789903]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker | Followup to optimus prime: #01789890



Yes. It was recommended to me by and Oxford graduate who
considered it, without exaggerating, probably the best poem
ever written.

Have you read Paradise Regained? Do you know what its about
- is it the death of Christ?


 

offline optimus prime on 2005-11-29 12:34 [#01789917]
Points: 6447 Status: Lurker | Followup to clint: #01789903



nope. i rarely even hear it mentioned.


 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 12:38 [#01789927]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker | Followup to optimus prime: #01789917



Hmmm not much info on the web.

"Based on the Gospel of Luke's version of the Temptations of
Christ, Paradise Regained is four books in length, in
contrast to Paradise Lost's twelve. It is a work where
Milton utilizes parody to show Satan's folly in stark
contrast to Jesus, the epitome of perfect heroism."


 

offline shibumi from United States on 2005-11-29 12:51 [#01789943]
Points: 359 Status: Lurker



Paradise regained is in many ways an intellectual refutation
of Satan's arguments. Moreso than Paradise Lost, it is not
allegorical, but rather relies on pure logic to exhibit
Milton's arguments for his particular view of
Christianity/Spirituality.

I.E., it's mostly just Jesus sitting the desert and arguing
with the Devil, whereas Paradise Lost is rife which
characters and locations that are reflections of human
values/morality/etc. etc.

And Jesus comes off as a total daddy's boy in Paradise
Lost.

God I love Milton.


 

offline 010101 from Vancouver (Canada) on 2005-11-29 13:25 [#01789964]
Points: 7669 Status: Regular | Followup to clint: #01789879



If you can try to read your entire Reading List, you will
probably have to sacrifice your summer but when you start at
Uni you will have such an advantage. I did this and went up
a year in my Contextual Studies program which meant that in
my third year when everyone was running round trying to
finish their dissitation, I had already done it and could
edit it and re submit it. I didn't need to as I had a first
89%!!


 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 14:05 [#01790019]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker | Followup to 010101: #01789964



Thanks for the advice mate.

Yeah I am planning to get as much done as possible. I am
lucky in that I have got a whole year to read (most people
finish college in July and start uni in October), as I
applied for deferred entry. So hopefully if I read now I
should have some sort of a summer still intact. Kinda
enjoying the reading though... kinda.


 

offline bill_hicks from my city is amazing it is calle on 2005-11-29 15:09 [#01790072]
Points: 4286 Status: Lurker



I thought you were talking about that film on the child
murders. Fucking amazing film about how people can get sent
to death because of religion in tha good old US of A.
Haven't read the book. Sounds a bit pseudo for my liking.


 

offline bill_hicks from my city is amazing it is calle on 2005-11-29 15:16 [#01790079]
Points: 4286 Status: Lurker



ON WARPFILMS ,PEOPLE. go out and but it! HELP MAKE WARP
MONEY! hahahahha

Anyway watch it, it is fucking amazing. It's like a real
life whodunnit. And we all know who dunnit.

I am a whore.



 

offline DeleriousWeasel from Guam on 2005-11-29 15:41 [#01790117]
Points: 2953 Status: Regular



it made me believe that Satan was a really awesome
sympathy-inducing guy whilst God was a grumpy old man.

I've never looked at God in exactly the same light again.

PS. I have to disagree clint, I found it a tough read. I
much prefer Dante's works.


 

offline zero-cool on 2005-11-29 18:43 [#01790389]
Points: 2720 Status: Lurker | Followup to bill_hicks: #01790079



"i am a whore"-courtney?


Attached picture

 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 18:50 [#01790394]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker | Followup to DeleriousWeasel: #01790117



I don't know, its easier than Shakespeare IMO, and I
expected a poem of the same era, to be more tricky.

With Dante though, you are reading a translation into
generic English, wheras Milton is specifically 17th century
English. I suppose it depends which translation you read I
suppose - although I am not familiar with Dante yet (I need
to read things originally written in England for my course).


 

offline clint from Silencio... (United Kingdom) on 2005-11-29 18:55 [#01790396]
Points: 3447 Status: Lurker | Followup to bill_hicks: #01790072



Noooo it sucks when something modern nicks a name, then
becomes more famous than the original thing.

I know Ray Bradbury was severely pissed off that Michael
Moore nicked his classic book title Farenheit 451 for
Farenheit 911, and rightly so... now when people hear about
the book, they go, "oh, is that about the Michael Moore
thing?" or suchlike. OH modern society.

But on a lighter note, I really want to see those
documentaries. They look awesome indeed. And on another note
relating to both documentaries and the above picture, I saw
the film Kurt and Courtney recently and it is excellent!


 


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