Category Archives: Poetry – Epic

The book that is my Achilles heel: pre-reading thoughts on John Milton’s Paradise Lost

As Bethany mentioned a while back, Paradise Lost was assigned during “independent learning week” in AP English our senior year.  Fr. Murphy had to go out of town, something to do with him taking over as principal at another Jesuit … Continue reading

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You Know You’re in A.P. English When Some of the Sentences Start With ‘Me’: Some Brief Thoughts on Paradise Lost With More to Come Soon, I Promise!

If I had to pick a single sentence in Paradise Lost that is most linguistically intriguing (so far, anyway), it would be this one, from Book II, lines18-24: Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heav’n Did first … Continue reading

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Book II of Paradise Lost, Part II (by Bethany)

After they conclude their parliamentary debate about whether or not to wage another war against God, the rebel angels make plans to scout the cosmos out to see if the rumor they’ve heard about the creation of mankind is true. … Continue reading

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Mornings with Milton, Day 2: Book II of Paradise Lost (first part only) – by Bethany

Death is not – as Wallace Stevens supposes – the mother of beauty. In fact, Death is the father of the hell hounds. What? Yes, I’m serious. I’ve read Book II of Paradise Lost, and I know these things. Book … Continue reading

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Mornings With Milton: Book I of Paradise Lost (by Bethany)

Paradise Lost is hard. It’s hard and intimidating and impossible to read without hearing Milton’s throaty voice laughing at you from wherever he is now – probably Purgatory. It’s also fascinating. This poem reminds me how much I love blank … Continue reading

Posted in AP English - 18 Years Later, Authors, John Milton, Mornings with Milton, Poetry - Epic, Poetry - General, Reviews by Bethany | 6 Comments

I Will Not Be Afraid of John Milton. I Will Not Be Afraid of John Milton: Pre-Reading Notes on (Gulp!) Paradise Lost (by Bethany)

This time I have a good reason for not finishing a book in high school. Really, I do. In mid-March of my senior year in high school, I got the chicken pox. Adult chicken pox. It was the sickest I … Continue reading

Posted in AP English - 18 Years Later, Authors, Book-related personal narratives, John Milton, Poetry - Epic, Poetry - General, Reviews by Bethany | 6 Comments