Milton's Paradise Lost: Lecture on Books VII-VIII (Patreon)

Our journey through John Milton's epic masterpiece continues.

And today we're discussing the story of creation, subtext, scripture, will, fate, our desire for knowledge, sublime poetry, the characterisation of God, Adam and Eve, and much more.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 phenomenal part of the poem
• 2:00 Milton’s poetic transmutation
• 4:00’ the meaning, not the name, I call’
• 5:00 painful subtext of the poem
• 6:00 Milton’s version of creation
• 9:00 the characterisation of God
• 12:00 on modern vs first readers
• 14:00 interpretation as reflection
• 16:00 implication of God’s will
• 18:00 freedom & the cosmic game
• 20:00 accepting complete volition
• 22:00 Milton vs Book of Genesis
• 26:00 Miltonic additions to scripture
• 29:00 how to read biblical subtext
• 31:00 necessity of rereading Milton
• 33:00 the creation of the animals
• 38:00 God’s creation of mankind
• 41:00 what a piece of work is man
• 44:00 Adam, Eve, and Raphael
• 46:00 embracing negative capability
• 49:00 Adam recalls coming to life
• 51:00 discourse of Adam & God
• 52:00 Eve created from Adam’s rib
• 54:00 on Adam’s desire for Eve
• 57:00 your thoughts on the poem?

Resources:

• Artwork: You might like to check out William Blake's iconic illustrations for Paradise Lost here. How do they compare with the other artwork for this poem, like that of Gustave Doré for you?
• Angels: If you're curious about what biblical angels would actually look like if accurately depicted, then check out this video. You might also find the discussion in this video to be illuminating.
• The Power of Recitation: You might enjoy this little clip with the superb Sir Ian McKellen discussing the necessity to read Paradise Lost aloud.
• Rare First Edition: One of my favourite television programmes featured the sale of a rare illustrated first edition of the Gustave Doré illustrated version of Milton's masterpiece here.
• Criticism: How Milton Works by Stanley Fish is well worth checking out for readers who really want to get inside the great poem and Milton's aesthetic. You may also like enjoy the essay I referenced by Alastair Fowler in the superb Longman Annotated edition of the poem.
• Our Journey: If you would like a refresher on the material already covered, you can return to our lectures on the early books here, here, here, and here.
• Reading Assignment: Our next discussion will cover books nine and ten of this epic masterpiece, which takes us up to page 272 in the Oxford World's Classics edition.

Questions for You:

1) Do you sympathise with Adam and Eve?

2) What did you make of the description of creation?

3) How does Milton's writing compare with other great writers?

And please let us know your favourite passages and any insights from your reading of this masterpiece.

Happy reading, everybody!