What_Is_so_Striking_About_the_Opening_to_Milton's_Paradise_Lost_

The first thing that is striking about John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost come even before the first line of poetry. Prior to the poetry’s beginning there is a small passage under the heading of ‘The Verse’. The verse is, to heavily simplify, a explanation of why the poem doesn’t rhyme; however, it is much more complicated than that. Almost everything Milton wrote (or dictated) is dripping in allusion and imagery. The first line not only references Shakespear and the translation of great ancient epics, but also immediately draws a comparison between Milton’s work, which is to succeed the passage, and the great epics of the lost ages. In the first sentence, which runs on for all of the first eights sentences (the first example of Milton’s uncanny ability to stretch sentences beyond all mortal ability) Milton casually rubbishes all contemporary poetry containing rhyme, calling it the remnant of a barbarous age and assuming the place to suggest vexation in his literary piers. The astounding thing or one may say the striking thing, is the level of intellectual didactics contained within this first paragraph. The sheer level of self assuredness that runs unashamedly into arrogance is either the sign of an egomaniac or the calling card of an egomaniac who has written a really good poem. Still, it remains striking just how didactic Milton is, how monstrously reasonable his absolute word is on the matter of rhyme is. Striking, without even having read a word of the poetry. Once again, before the poem is written there is a striking fact that one almost is obliged to uncover before starting the epic journey between mortal and immortal plane that is the wonder of Paradise Lost. This is the fact of Milton’s blindness. The whole work was dictated to his daughters (whom he insisted ‘milked’ him of his words every morning), this means that the meter, the impeccable lack of rhyme, the reference, allusion, godly sentence structure, characters, coherency, imagery and the logical progression of chronological events as vindicated by description were all kept in his head. This incredible ability to write the poem in his head is striking, whilst only contextually striking, it is undoubtedly a striking part of the poem. The next striking thing is the unlikely marriage of form and content. The form is ‘English heroic verse without rhyme’ which is a hark back to the Greek and Latin epics of ancient times. However, these epics took place far long before the advent of Christ, and long before the start of the Christian faith. This renders them as forms that are of the pagan gods. This is interesting because these verse forms would be traditionally linked with the ancient pagan gods. So to use a form used to glorify pagan gods as a way to ‘justify the ways of God to man’ seems odd. If not jarring. This whilst controversial can be seen as a way of just imposing how magnificent Milton intends his retelling of the bible to be. Even more striking than merely using the pagan form, Milton also invokes a muse to aid him in his writing. Not only does this seem to be an act of impiety, it also seems to go against a retelling of the bible. He asks the ‘Heav’nly Muse’ to sing ‘Of Man’s first disobedience and the fruit/Of that forbidden three whose mortal taste/Brought death into the world’. Later Milton does justify this by referencing the Muse as the Holy Spirit, however at the time of reading this invoking of Muses is indeed striking. Especially considering how much Greek mythology is referenced whilst talking about the subject of Christianity. Not only does a invoking a muse imply that rather than myth the legend has truth about, but also implies the task is too much for a mere mortal to undertake. Not only this, but it is another way of seemingly stating his place among the great writers of epics of history. To invoke a must implies that the journey is indeed epic, and is indeed worthy of amuse, almost super human. Perhaps the most striking thing about the first 26 lines of Milton’s Paradise Lost is the promise it holds. Every line is dripping with promise, from starting with asking the ‘Heav’nly’ Muse’ to sing of the fall of man and the redemption through Christ, to the creation of paradise and all with the view of justifying the ways of God to man. The first 26 lines is full of promise of greatness, asserting ‘Eternal Providence’ on the matter is a big task, and one that Milton has gladly taken on. The most striking thing about the first 26 lines of Milton’s Paradise Lost is the incredible promise of scope that it entails.