Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces
Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces
ENG 106
April 27, 2015
Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces
In the early modern masterpieces, John Milton was known for his unique ability to write in multiple languages and multiple styles of literature. One of his most famous pieces of literature was Paradise Lost. Milton was a man of deep faith, most specifically the Protestant faith. It was because of his faith that he had no fear of expressing his views on religion and the individual; he did this even when they were not in line with what was the popular view. Today we can see that Milton had a significant influence on the American mindset in his day, in ours, and he will continue to influence those in the future.
Earlier Works
Milton was very educated in a wide range of subjects, to include philosophy and theology. It was his educated background that allowed him to respond to the earlier works of literature. Milton took the opportunity to meet other great writers of the day, writers like Galileo. He chose to focus on political and religious writings that would help the Puritan Reformation, of which he was a supporter. He had strongly held beliefs and outlooks on politics and religion and encouraged others to accept these same beliefs. It was this quality of his work that gives Milton’s work its classical authority, which can be seen when seen in the same light as earlier authors like Homer, Virgil, and Shakespeare. While Milton’s focus was on Puritan writings, he did publish a poem that was in Shakespeare’s Fourth Folio (Damrosch & Pike, 2008). It was in this poem, the English version of the epic poem, that he made references to earlier authors like Homer and Virgil, references that were included in his most famous work, Paradise Lost considered one of the most influential pieces of literature that Milton penned. Paradise Lost is an epic poem, like the Iliad and the Aeneid which tell a story about godlike heroes
ENG 106
April 27, 2015
Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces
In the early modern masterpieces, John Milton was known for his unique ability to write in multiple languages and multiple styles of literature. One of his most famous pieces of literature was Paradise Lost. Milton was a man of deep faith, most specifically the Protestant faith. It was because of his faith that he had no fear of expressing his views on religion and the individual; he did this even when they were not in line with what was the popular view. Today we can see that Milton had a significant influence on the American mindset in his day, in ours, and he will continue to influence those in the future.
Earlier Works
Milton was very educated in a wide range of subjects, to include philosophy and theology. It was his educated background that allowed him to respond to the earlier works of literature. Milton took the opportunity to meet other great writers of the day, writers like Galileo. He chose to focus on political and religious writings that would help the Puritan Reformation, of which he was a supporter. He had strongly held beliefs and outlooks on politics and religion and encouraged others to accept these same beliefs. It was this quality of his work that gives Milton’s work its classical authority, which can be seen when seen in the same light as earlier authors like Homer, Virgil, and Shakespeare. While Milton’s focus was on Puritan writings, he did publish a poem that was in Shakespeare’s Fourth Folio (Damrosch & Pike, 2008). It was in this poem, the English version of the epic poem, that he made references to earlier authors like Homer and Virgil, references that were included in his most famous work, Paradise Lost considered one of the most influential pieces of literature that Milton penned. Paradise Lost is an epic poem, like the Iliad and the Aeneid which tell a story about godlike heroes