A Comparison of English Literature and Poetry

At the time of John Milton, Amelia Lanier, and Richard Lovelace, England experienced a revolt of King Charles I by Parliament to end his unreasonable wars. His wars were becoming a burden to Parliament to fund and handle, and with the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, the governing body was able to overthrow the king and his unpopular ways. Due to the events at the time, many poets and writers were able to openly criticize and discuss the ways of the government and the ways of society; Milton, Lanier, and Lovelace were a few of these writers.

Milton wrote his opinion of the government and the hypocritical Cromwell at this time of distraught. In "the greatest epic of the English language" (otherwise known as Paradise Lost), he compares the relationship between the almighty and powerful God to the clash between King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. The king is God, being the ruler of England, and Cromwell is Lucifer, being the power-hungry servant that disobeys and betrays God. This comparison would not happen without the lost paradise in England that occurred after the king was able to regain his throne in his monarch government and society.

Lanier wrote her criticism of the unfair treatment of women in the English society by looking past the current events of society. In from Eve's Apology in Defense of Women, she disapproves upon the unjust blame that Eve was given for both herself and Adam for eating the forbidden fruit and being dismissed from Eden. Lanier argues that Adam deserves the blame just as equally as Eve, and she defends all women against a mold that men have considered to be fitting for a woman to fit into. Although Amelia Lanier was very far ahead compared to others, the society at the time allowed her to publicly express her rejection of the treatment that all women were facing in England.

Richard Lovelace wrote beautiful, romantic poems due to his wealth and royal connections; he had no worries with society, with government, or with the current