DOCSLIB.ORG

In the Beginning: Art from the Book of Genesis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

In the Beginning: Art from the Book of Genesis Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) Julian Bell (British, (1952-), Cain and Abel, 2015 Genesis 4 4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Look, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Reflection Sibling rivalry is a reality of life. For those who have a sibling or two, it starts young. Like the first-grader who came home and proudly reported to her dad she was now officially a "Brownie." Not to be outdone, her three-year-old brother rushed up and proudly announced he was a cupcake! It is easy then to make this story, the story of Cain and Abel, into a story about sibling rivalry. The book of Genesis is about relationships, it is often said, and Cain and Abel, the first two siblings, stand at the head of a long line of brothers and sisters who couldn’t get along. But the story of Cain and Abel is about more than family, about more than jealousy and anger, about more even than the first murder. It is, like the rest of the Bible, first and foremost about God. Indeed, if Genesis is about relationships, the chief relationship it concerns is the relationship between humanity and God. That God is at the center of this story can be seen in the fact that the dispute between the brothers arose in response to their making sacrifices to God. While surely we expect that this was not the first time tension arose between the two brothers, it was after the two had made their offerings to God that their rivalry exploded into fratricide. Genesis chapter 4 relates the story: “In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” It’s strange. Why did God reject Cain’s worship? Cain was worshiping the one true God, not an idol. Did Cain just choose the wrong item on the menu, the wrong thing to sacrifice – the fruit of the ground instead of the firstborn of the flock? Some argue that Cain’s offering failed because it wasn’t a blood sacrifice, and only bloodshed can atone for sin (Hebrews 9:22). So Cain approached God with nothing to cover his guilt. The problem with that view is that neither brother’s offering here was meant to atone for sin. These brothers were bringing to God not atonement but an “offering,” that is, devotion, thanks, tribute. In fact, later, in Leviticus, God tells the people of Israel that grain offerings are acceptable and appropriate for that purpose. So Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground wasn’t the problem. The fact that we cannot see, in the biblical text, why God rejected Cain is the point. The difference between Cain and Abel was not visible. If we had been standing there that day, we might have been as perplexed as Cain was. But God did see something. There is a hint in verses 3-4: “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.” Cain offered some of his harvest, but Abel gave the firstborn of his flock, and their fat portions too – the tastiest parts. In fact, another translation of the verse reads, “and Abel, he also brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock.” In other words, Cain threw a tip on the table, but Abel gave his best. Cain gave out of his profit, but Abel gave out of his capital. Cain made a gesture of thanks, but Abel risked his future growth potential by giving God some of his breeding stock. The difference between these two men was the difference between tokenism and love, and God took it seriously. From the beginning the Sons and Daughters of God have been set apart by their wholehearted worship, setting no preconditions on God, but offering themselves as living sacrifices for his glory. The apostle John in the New Testament takes the next step, connecting our wholehearted worship of God with how we treat one another: “This is the message that we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:11-12). Again, what separated the offerings of Cain and Abel was not what they offered but how each brother offered them. Cain’s deeds were evil because they rose from a jealous and mean-spirited heart. But Abel offered his sacrifice out of gratitude. And that makes all the difference. Our ability to give to God, our sense of gratitude and our generosity to God, overflows into our treatment of others, into our honoring and gratitude to and for others. Likewise, our stinginess and ingratitude to God cannot help but be reflected in our mistreatment of others, our taking others for granted. The vertical and the horizontal always connect. Those who truly love God also love one another. Cain and Abel are a vivid, and tragic, illustration of this truth. Artistic Illumination Bacchiacca (Francesco d'Ubertino) (Italian, 1495– 1557), Eve with Cain and Abel, 1520s While it is easy for us today to dismiss criminals, especially murderers, as something not human, something alien or lesser than the rest of humanity, it is important to remember that both the victims of crime and the perpetrators of crime were at one time children, with parents and extended family. Here, our study of Cain and Abel in art begins appropriately with paintings of the brothers from when they were infants, clutching to their mother and playing with a ball. Lorenzo De Ferrari (Italian, 1680- 1744), Adam and Eve with the Infants Cain and Abel, 18th century Edward Knippers (American, 1946-), The Sacrifice of Cain, 2002 It is unlikely that the envy and sense of inadequacy had no precursor in the family interactions. Yet it was the matter of an offering, the offering of first fruits to God, that precipitated the heinous act. As Knippers portrays here, the sacrifices were quite different in weight—Abel a young lamb, Cain a handful of turnips! Edward Knippers (American, 1946-), Abel’s Sacrifice, 2001 Laszlo Hegedus (Hungarian, 1870-1911), Kain and Abel, 1899 Here the painter gives Abel (facing us) a self-righteous sneer, while Cain (the one with the bare backside) has red hair, symbolizing anger. Andrei Nikolaevich Miranov (Russian, 1975-), Cain and Abel, 2015 Note the naiveté and earnestness of Abel’s face and the look of resentment and hurt on the face of Cain. John Reilly (1928-2010), Cain and Abel, 1958 Cain’s fenced farmland, under intensive cultivation, and Abel’s extensive sheep runs are clearly delineated in the rolling landscape. The acceptance of Abel’s gift of a sacrificial lamb is represented by a bright and open area in which he and his herds are placed, with a vortex of light representing God’s acceptance of his gift, which descends from heaven and bathes him in its glow.
Recommended publications
  • The Generations of Adam

    The Generations of Adam

    The Generations of Adam hat is the purpose of Bible chronology? According to Philip Mauro, in Wonders of Bible Chronology, “its basis is the Bible itself; its plan is the genealogical or life line that Wstretches from the first Adam to the last Adam ... and its purpose is to bring those who follow its progress to revelations of vital truth pertaining to God’s mighty work of redemption.” Genesis 5 reveals the time span between Adam and the worldwide flood of Noah’s time. The following table summarizes this time line: Age at: Anno Hominis Adam created 0 Adam's birth of Seth (130) 130 Seth's birth of Enosh (105) 235 Enosh's birth of Kenan (90) 325 Kenan's birth of Mahalalel (70) 395 Mahalalel's birth of Jared (65) 460 Jared's birth of Enoch (162) 622 Enoch's birth of Methuselah (65) 687 Methuselah's birth of Lamech (187) 874 Lamech's birth of Noah (182) 1056 time of worldwide flood Noah's 1656 (600) Before we analyze Genesis 5 further, a few general points must be made. First, the Bible is the only reliable source book that gives history with an exact chronology for the first 4000 years of the human race. It has been about 6000 years since the creation of man. For the first 3/5ths of this period, there is no chronological information whatever except in the Bible. The histories of other peoples give an account of their beginning vaguely and in the context of myths and fables. In contrast, the Bible is a very accurate historical document.
  • Another Look at Cain: from a Narrative Perspective

    Another Look at Cain: from a Narrative Perspective

    신학논단 제102집 (2020. 12. 31): 241-263 https://doi.org/10.17301/tf.2020.12.102.241 Another Look at Cain: From a Narrative Perspective Wm. J McKinstry IV, MATS Adjunct Faculty, Department of General Education Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary In the Hebrew primeval histories names often carry significant weight. Much etymological rigour has been exercised in determining many of the names within the Bible. Some of the meaning of these names appear to have a consensus among scholars; among others there is less consensus and more contention. Numerous proposals have come forward with varying degrees of convincing (or unconvincing as the case may be) philological arguments, analysis of wordplays, possi- ble textual emendations, undiscovered etymologies from cognates in other languages, or onomastic studies detailing newly discovered names of similarity found in other ancient Semitic languages. Through these robust studies, when applicable, we can ascertain the meanings of names that may help to unveil certain themes or actions of a character within a narrative. For most of the names within the primeval histories of Genesis, the 242 신학논단 제102집(2020) meaning of a name is only one feature. For some names there is an en- compassing feature set: wordplay, character trait and/or character role, and foreshadowing. Three of the four members in the first family in Genesis, Adam, Eve, and Abel, have names that readily feature all the elements listed above. Cain, however, has rather been an exception in this area, further adding to Genesis 4’s enigmaticness in the Hebrew Bible’s primeval history. While three characters (Adam, Eve, and Abel) have names that (1) sound like other Hebrew words, that are (2) sug- gestive of their character or actions and (3) foreshadow or suggest fu- ture events about those characters, the meaning of Cain’s name does not render itself so explicitly to his character or his role in the narrative, at least not to the same degree of immediate conspicuousness.
  • LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON GENESIS 4:1–2 Why Did Cain Kill His Brother Abel?

    LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON GENESIS 4:1–2 Why Did Cain Kill His Brother Abel?

    CHAPTER ONE LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON GENESIS 4:1–2 You two are book-men: can you tell me by your wit; What was a month old at Cain’s birth, that’s not five weeks old as yet? (Shakespeare—Love’s Labor’s Lost 4.2.40) Why did Cain kill his brother Abel? It is usually assumed by modern commentators that God’s rejection of Cain’s offering led him to kill his brother in a fit of jealousy.1 Such a conclusion is logical in light of the way the action in the story is arranged. But the fact is we are never told the specific reason for the murder. Ancient exegetes, as we will see later, also speculated over Cain’s motive and sometimes provided the same conclusion as modern interpreters. But some suggested that there was something more sinister behind the killing, that there was something inborn about Cain that led him to earn the title of first murderer. These interpreters pushed back past the actual murder to look, as would a good biographer, at what it was about Cain’s birth and childhood that led him to his moment of infamy. Correspond- ingly, they asked similar questions about Abel. The result was a devel- opment of traditions that became associated with the brothers’ births, names and occupations. Who was Cain’s father? As we noted in the introduction, Cain and Abel is a story of firsts. In Gen 4:1 we find the first ever account of sexual relations between humans with the end result being the first pregnancy.
  • Genesis 4:1-26! the Story of Cain and His Heinous Sin; Yet , God Remembered and Cared for Cain! the Book of Genesis Is One Big S

    Genesis 4:1-26! the Story of Cain and His Heinous Sin; Yet , God Remembered and Cared for Cain! the Book of Genesis Is One Big S

    Genesis 4:1-26! The story of Cain and his heinous sin; yet, God remembered and cared for Cain! The book of Genesis is one big story book! It was written by Moses in order to serve as an introduction toward helping his ancient readers and modern readers alike, understand and appreciate the call of God to Israel to be His special covenant people. It is a foundational book! By calling it a foundational book, I am asserting that this seemingly benign book of “nice stories” contains key ideas regarding God, God’s relationship to Israel as a people, and God’s purposes for Israel and humanity. This sometimes neglected chapter is not any different. It is not only conveys to the reader a wonderfully told story; but the complete story (main story plus supplements) offers key insights into God and how He relates to fallen sinners like Cain and to sinner s like you and me that needs to be heeded and not forgotten. Chapter 4 picks up the story regarding the devastating failure of the first pair of humanity. Recall, the first couple’s failure to listen to, trust the LORD, and obey Him in the garden. Recall, how chapter 3 concluded our epic tale to this point with the lingering impression that this first couple -Adam and Eve- have been kicked out of the garden. However, even though they have been kicked out of the garden, they are still in Eden. Furthermore, God has not abandoned them. They are still under his mandate to work the ground and fulfill the purposes for which God created them.
  • Expansions on the Book of Genesis 1.Pdf

    Expansions on the Book of Genesis 1.Pdf

    Expansions upon the Book of Genesis Introductory Remarks Some years ago I had made a verse-by-verse outline of Genesis–not every verse but those I deemed important–with a specific view in mind. While information about Genesis or any biblical book can be fascinating and informative, it remains secondary to the intent of this document which aimed at assisting the reader to expand his or her understanding and experience of lectio divina. That is to say, a person is encouraged to read a biblical verse or two (usually no more than that) and then lay aside the Bible itself while keeping it at hand in case one needs to return to the text. The need usually arises from the presence of distractions, of thinking of things other than the sacred text. This gesture of putting down the Bible is significant...not so much to allow for reflection, important as that is, but as a sign that one is disposed to resting in God’s presence. More specifically, after reading a short verse one feels a deep peace welling up, so at this point one no longer feels the need to use his or her mind to ponder the text. This happens at the prompting of divine grace–a person doesn’t ask for it, it simply happens–provided that one is obedient to the text. And so we come to the purpose not only of these reflections but of other biblically related documents on this home page: to assist the reader in the act of lectio divina. To assist in this process, the document at hand presents a fleshing out of the Book of Genesis from what could be taken as a mythic point of view.
  • Ritual Communication W E N N E R -G R E N I N T E R N a T I O N a L S Y M P O Si U M S E R I E S

    Ritual Communication W E N N E R -G R E N I N T E R N a T I O N a L S Y M P O Si U M S E R I E S

    Ritual Communication W ENNER -G REN I NTERNAT I ONAL S YMPO si UM S ER I E S . Series Editor: Leslie C. Aiello, President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, New York. ISSN: 1475-536X Previous titles in this series: Anthropology Beyond Culture Edited by Richard G. Fox & Barbara J. King, 2002 Property in Question: Value Transformation in the Global Economy Edited by Katherine Verdery & Caroline Humphrey, 2004 Hearing Cultures: Essays on Sound, Listening and Modernity Edited by Veit Erlmann, 2004 Embedding Ethics Edited by Lynn Meskell & Peter Pels, 2005 World Anthropologies: Disciplinary Transformations within Systems of Power Edited by Gustavo Lins Ribeiro and Arturo Escobar, 2006 Sensible Objects: Colonialisms, Museums and Material Culture Edited by Elizabeth Edwards, Chris Gosden and Ruth B. Phillips, 2006 Roots of Human Sociality: Culture, Cognition and Interaction Edited by N. J. Enfield and Stephen C. Levinson, 2006 Where the Wild Things Are Now: Domestication Reconsidered Edited by Rebecca Cassidy and Molly Mullin, 2007 Anthropology Put to Work Edited by Les W. Field and Richard G. Fox, 2007 Indigenous Experience Today Edited by Marisol de la Cadena and Orin Starn Since its inception in 1941, the Wenner-Gren Foundation has convened more than 125 international symposia on pressing issues in anthro pology. These symposia affirm the worth of anthropology and its capacity to address the nature of humankind from a wide variety of perspectives. Each symposium brings together participants from around the world, representing different theoretical disciplines and traditions, for a week-long engagement on a specific issue. The Wenner-Gren International Symposium Series was initiated in 2000 to ensure the publication and distribution of the results of the foundation’s International Symposium Program.
  • Religions of the World

    Religions of the World

    A STUDY GUIDE TO MAJOR LIVIW~ RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD Hinduism Buddhism Confucianism Taoism Zoroastrianism Judaism Christianity Islam By Douglas Straton Part I .. Hinduism Buddhism For the exclusive· use of students of the University of Oregon Grateful appreciatj.on is hereby acknowledged for permission of publishers to quote from sources herein noted., HINDUISM I. History II,.. Literature III., Basic Ideas IV. The Orthodox Schools V. Yoga Discipline and Hindu Ethics VI. The Ways of Salvation VII. The Bhagavnd-Gita VIII. Personalistic Developments: Ramanuja. IX.. Hinduism in Main Philosophical Themes X., Popular Hinduism XI., Questions HINDUISM ,l.. HistO!;l 1 .. Vedic Hinduism, or the per:j.od when the~ were written, 1500-800 B.,C"' Lyrical writings, embodying nature worship, praise of the gods, prayer, petition; the four castes mentioned, Rig .. V* 10:12., 90 .. Aryan invaders had descended from the north and suppressed the native black people. 2., Classic, Brahmanic Hinduism: 800-500 B. c. a.., Early priestly formalism, and the writing of the Brahmanas. Formulation of sacrifice and rite in worship of the gods,. b. Develo~ment of philosophical Hinduism by Brahm.in sages and the writing of the Ut,mishads, which had taken their distinctive form by the 6th centu:rJ 599-500 B., C.,). The main intellectual content of Hinduism develops in this period., The basic concern was with the problem of evil, pain and suffering, which attended selfhood; realization of the distinction between mind and matter was thought to be essential for the solving of this problem. The type of life, or method, or way of salvation resulting from this outlook was to attain mystic knowledge, by ascetical practices, that would identify the self with Brahman or Absolute Being,.
  • Genesis in Biblical Perspective the Gospel of Christ from Genesis Then They Received the Offering – Genesis 4 This Is the Word

    Genesis in Biblical Perspective the Gospel of Christ from Genesis Then They Received the Offering – Genesis 4 This Is the Word

    Genesis in Biblical Perspective The Gospel of Christ from Genesis Then They Received the Offering – Genesis 4 This is the word of God. Genesis 4. 1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD .” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
  • Who Was Cain's Wife?

    Who Was Cain's Wife?

    Chapter 8 Who was Cain’s wife? • It’s now not lawful to marry your sister. So if Adam and Eve were the only two people God created, how could their son Cain find a wife? • How is this important to the Gospel? • What about the land of Nod? HO was Cain’s wife?’ (in one form or another) is one of the most commonly asked questions, by believers and unbelievers alike. ‘WSometimes the person asking is genuinely seeking an answer, puzzled about the issue. At other times, the question is asked triumphantly, even smugly, as if to imply, ‘There can’t be an answer; it’s an impossible conundrum.’ And indeed, on the surface it looks like an insoluble ‘catch-22’ for the Bible-believer. Three of Adam and Eve’s children are mentioned by name: Cain, Abel, and Seth. Cain kills Abel, and after that it mentions his wife. So where did she come from? The Bible makes it plain that Adam and Eve were the only two people that God created in the beginning. Adam is called ‘the first man’ (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47), and Eve “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). To start a whole population off from only one couple means that in the early generations there would have to be all sorts of close intermarriage, and at least one instance of brother-sister intermarriage. If Cain himself did not marry his sister, but rather a niece, that means that at least one of Cain’s brothers must have married a sister, anyway.
  • Genesis 4: China in Prophecy

    Genesis 4: China in Prophecy

    mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com GENESIS 4: CHINA IN PROPHECY SUMMARY We propose the entire history of China is the prophetic fulfilment of the Bible account of Cain. We present as proof a verse by verse examination of Genesis 4. We demonstrate that the personality of Cain perfectly matches ideals revered in Chinese culture and tradition. We show the punishment of Cain lines up with the destiny of China as it developed over the centuries. The Bible presents a detailed and extensive prophecy of Far Eastern civilization, early in the Scriptures. Astonishingly, China was not discovered until Marco Polo: 1300 years AD (!). CHINA IS CAIN .'spelled: Qof, Yod, Nun and pronounced 'K-eey-n ק ַ֔ יִן The Hebrew word for Cain is The first three of the letters in 'CH-I-N-a', in the correct order, match the spelling of Cain. The last letter 'a' can be thought of as "home of". 'CH-I-N-a' is the "home of" "CH-I-N" (Cain). Chinese say the word 'China' comes from the historic Qin tribe, who started as a small state but conquered all other states and produced the first emperor over all China. What a compelling link. The spelling of Cain is exactly the same as the founding tribe of China: 'Q-I-N'. Noah’s flood wiped out all mankind including the original Cainites in China. We show there was a way for descendants of Cain to return and continue his nation (see Appendix on page 25). 1 | P a g e mark h lane www.biblenumbersforlife.com “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have gotten a man from the LORD’.” (Gen.
  • Cain and Abel - Wikilivres

    Cain and Abel - Wikilivres

    ﺑ_ ﻭھﺑ /https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki ﺑ ﻭھﺑ - ﻭ، ا اة ﻣ ﻭ، ا اة 1 ﺑ ﻭھﺑ ا اﺩي ﻭا 2 ﺑ ﻭھﺑ ام 3 ﺑ ﻭھﺑ ﺭﻭات اﻣم اﺩق 4 اا 5 ط وھ ھ ن ذ ا ا، ﻭھ أﻭل اﺑ ﺩم ﻭاء . ن ﺑ ﻣً ﺑﺭض أﻣ ھﺑ ن ﺭا ، ﻭ م ﺭا أن ا ﷲ ﻣ اﺑ . ل اب : ﻭث ﻣ ﺑ أم، أن ﺑ م ﻣ ﺭ اﺭض ﺑﻧً ب . ﻭم ھﺑ أً ﻣ أﺑﺭ ﻭﻣ ﻧِ . اب إ ھﺑ ﻭﺑﻧ، ﻭ إ ﺑ ﻭﺑﻧ . ﻅ ﺑ اً، ﻭ ﻭ. ]1[ ﻭ اب إ ﺑن ﺑ ﻧ ن ﻣ ن ﻭھ اﺑ اﻣ ]2[ أﻣ ھﺑ . ل اب : ﺑن م ھﺑ ذﺑ أ ﻣ ﺑ . ُ ِ أﻧ ﺑﺭٌ إذ ِ ﷲ اﺑ. ﺑ اﺩ إﻧ ﺑب ﻭ . اب ﺑن ﺑ ﻅ ﺑ اً ﻭ ﻭ. ]3[ م أﺧ ھﺑ ا ﻭ، ل اب أ ھﺑ أﺧك؟ ل أ؛ أﺭس أﻧ ﺧ . ل : ﻣذا ؟ ﺻت ﺩم أﺧ ﺻﺭخ ﻣ اﺭض . ن، ﻣن أﻧ ﻣ اﺭض ا ھ ﺩم أﺧ ﻣ ك . ﻣ ْ اﺭض ﺩ . ً ﻭھﺭﺑً ن اﺭض. ]4[ ْ ذھ ﷲ اآن ﺩﻭن ذ ا ﺻا ﺑ ا ﺑﺻ اﺑ آﺩم ل : َ و ْا لُ َ! َ ْ ِ ْم َ ََ ْا َ ْ َآدَم ِ ْ َ ق إِذ َ َر ُ ْر َ ً َ ُ ُ َل ِن َ َ َ َ أ َ ِد ِھ َ َ وَ ْم َُ َ ْل ِ َن َا)' ِر َ َ ل َ & ْ ُ َ َك َ َ ل إِ َ َ َ َ لُ ّ $ُ ِ َن ْا ُ ِ َن 0َِن َ َ.
  • Milton As Narrator in Paradise Lost

    Milton As Narrator in Paradise Lost

    1 STEPHEN M. FALLON Milton as Narrator in Paradise Lost Milton, as the narrator of Paradise Lost , rises out of a sea of relatively anonymous European epic narrators. In the poem’s several invocations, Milton revises the dei nition of heroism to mean telling rather than act- ing, bringing order to the world not by arms but, to borrow from his later epic, Paradise Regained , “By winning words to conquer willing hearts” (PR 1.223). The narrator’s description of his experience and situation, moreover, suggests that there is little demarcation between narrator and author. The line we are used to drawing between poet and narrator, between author and speaker, is difi cult if not impossible to i nd in Paradise Lost . At the front of the epic tradition stands the anonymous, composite “Homer .” While both Homeric epics contain apostrophes to characters, the narrator himself otherwise remains impersonal, with the Odyssey ’s invoca- tion “Sing in me [lit. Tell me], Muse” (1.1) marking a minute step beyond the Iliad ’s “Anger be now your song, immortal one [lit. Sing, Goddess]” (1.1) . Aristotle turned to Homer for his model of excellence in epic, not least for the near-anonymity of his narration. In his Poetics , he praises Homer for saying “very little in propria persona ” and letting the narrative unfold pri- marily in the words of his characters (1460a5–12). Virgil follows Homer’s practice and Aristotle’s prescription. His self-references in the Aeneid are limited to the poem’s i rst line (“Armum virumque cano / Arms and the man I sing”) and to a handful of brief apostrophes.