Paradise Lost
In Paradise Lost, John Milton creates a poem of epic scale. The poem is about Biblical story Fall of Men: the lure of Adam and Eve by the Satan and their banishing from the Paradise. When Milton wrote this masterpiece, he was in his fifties and blind. His daughters wrote the poem down for him. He finished the poem in 1667. It was published in ten books, but soon he separated it in twelve books. In that form it was published in 1671. Later, he published a sequel Paradise Regained. In a way, this poem builds up a tradition of heroic poetry like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
SUMMARY-Paradise Lost-John Milton
Milton begins his poem by explaining that his theme will be Adam and Eve’s misbehavior and fall from grace. He calls upon a muse and asks her for help in telling his story and God’s plan for humankind. It begins with Satan and his rebel angels who are chained in Hell. They manage to free themselves and fly to land. There they build a Pandemonium which will be their meeting point. In the Pandemonium, the fallen angels who are now devils, discuss whether they will start another war with God. Beelzebub makes a suggestion that they should spoil God’s new creatures, humans. Satan agrees with the suggestion and decides that he will be the one to do that. He was just about to leave Hell, when he meets his sons Sin and Death. They follow Satan and construct a bridge between Earth and Hell.
Meanwhile, God in Heaven orders a meeting with angels. God knows about Satan’s devious plan. God’s Son offers to make a sacrifice for humankind. At the same time, Satan travels through Chaos and Night and he manages to find Earth. Satan disguises as a cherub so he can pass by unnoticed by the Archangel Uriel who guards the sun. He says to Archangel Uriel that he wants to see God’s creatures and Uriel consents. Satan jumps over Paradise’s wall and disguises himself as a cormorant. He lands on the top of the Tree of Life. Uriel is observing Satan and alarms others angels that Satan is on Earth. They start searching the Garden for the intruders.
Adam and Eve are taking care of the Garden. God told them not to eat fruit that grows on Tree of Knowledge, they obey his wishes. Satan takes shape of a toad. He starts whispering to Eve. Gabriel sees that and orders Satan to go away. Satan wants to fight with Gabriel but God makes the golden scales and Satan runs away. God decides to send to the Garden Raphael. He will teach and warn Adam and Eve about the danger.