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John Milton Development of Milton's Mind And

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John Milton Development of Milton's Mind And John Milton John Milton (1608 – 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, man of letters, and civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), written in blank verse. Selected Bibliography Poetry • Lycidas (1638) • Poems (1645) • Paradise Lost (1667) • Paradise Regained (1671) • Samson Agonistes (1671) Drama • Arcades (1632) • Comus (1634) Non-Fiction • Of Reformation Touching Church Discipline in England (1641) • The Reason of Church Government Urged Against Prelaty (1642) • The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643) • Areopagitica (1644) • Of Education (1644) • The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (1649) • A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes (1659) Development of Milton’s Mind and Art Introduction There were three stages in the development of Milton's poetic genius. In the first stage come all the early poems up to Lycidas. After this stage he wrote mostly prose except for most of his sonnets. It was at the final stage that some of his best works were produced. Some of his best poetry like Paradise Lost Paradise Regamed and Samson Agonistes are the product of this stage of Milton's development. Ode on the Nativity of Christ is one of the early poems of Milton which shows unmistakable signs of his poetical genius. It is in this ode that we are exposed to a mind that is alert, varied and rich in fancy and imagination. We are assured, after going through this poem, of Milton's future poetical attainments. Perfection of Form The early Milton had an impression of Spenser on him. However, his keen love for beauty is at one with the Elizabethan poets. But Milton at the same time respected the classical conventions and did not rely entirely on inspiration to which the Elizabethans gave great importance. The strong intellectuality which is to be found in his earlier poetry is nevertheless "touched with a glow and beauty of the receding romantic color, emotion and vital intentions" (Shri Aurobindo). There is no doubt that the blending of greatness and beauty is hard to find in any other English writer. Love for Beauty The lighter and more fanciful aspect of Milton's genius can be seen in his earlier poems. His love for beauty is best revealed in these poems. Poems like Allegro and Penseroso possess the charm of youth and there is a freshness about them that is uniquely Miltonic. Grierson has this to say of Milton's early poetry: "Of the wonderful richness and perfection of the art there can be no question. As I have said elsewhere, Keats' fine Odes are almost the only poems that give the same sense of sensuous and imaginative richness and perfection of form that is capable of evolution and changing but always as appropriate cadences." The Use of Blank Verse The quality of word music in Milton's poetry is of a special kind. His Lycidas when read aloud can make the reader feel its blended harmony. There is not the least trait of monotony in it. Milton was master in the use of proper names and though Lycidas is composed in a meter different from blank verse the cadence and music of the epic and elegiac poems have a striking affinity to each other. Milton's use of the blank verse was equally masterful. The use of the "verse paragraph" in his Comus was regarded as a great contribution to the poetic art in English. This poem shows Milton's originality to a great extent. The Sonnets In the second stage of his development, Milton wrote mostly prose and a few sonnets. This handful of sonnets show a stateliness of manner and great dignity which is rarely equaled in English poetry. But all in all this was a period in which Milton had gone we might say, perhaps in a stage of "poetical hibernation." There was no marked development in his art. It was primarily a period of political pamphleteering and the mind of our poet seems to be fully occupied and excited by the heart of the controversy. The Last Poems: Sublime, Incomparable and Complete in Majesty The final phase of Milton's poetic career shows the maturity of his poetic powers. His puritanical background matured him into a serious and meditative sort of person. Paradise Lost (1667) is remarkable for the fusion of the two important elements - the Hellenic and the Hebraic, the Renaissance and the Reformation. The great story of the fall of man is matched by an appropriate style rising to great heights of sublimity. The variety and contrasts of character, scenes and ideas were exploited by the poet to compose an epic which the world will not willingly let die. Paradise Regained (1671) shows the dominance of the Hebraic element. However, Milton's world is three-fold; the medieval, the Renaissance and the Puritan; and it is noteworthy how he has been able to harmonies them. Samson Agonistes (1671) on the other hand is a kind of classical tragedy depicting conflict in the soul of the hero. Critics have identified Samson with the poet and like him he has been pushed to the wall. The poet's faith in God, however, remains unshaken. Conclusion Thus, we see that there is a marked progress in Milton's poetical genius. The later Milton is far superior to the earlier Milton. Yet all the poems reflect the personality of the poet and show his classical and puritanical bent of mind. His experiments in versification and his skillful use of figures of speech not only show his originality but also secure to him a niche in the mansion of English Poetry. Milton’s concept of poetry Poet: An Inspired Creator Like Aristotle, Milton held a very high notion of the poet's calling. The poet is divinely inspired and capable of persuading people to a life of dedication and virtue. Milton has given his views on poetry in one of his early poems entitled Lycidas. He writes: "The abilities of the poet are the inspired gift of God rarely bestowed". On the other hand, he expresses his anxiety regarding the vulgar productions of poets who write amorous verses for the sake of cheap popularity. Such poets are not true to the high and noble ideals of poetry. Alas what boots it with incessant care To tend the homely slighted shepherd's trade, And strictly mediate the thankless man. Poetry as an entertainment and a means of delight to the readers was given a very low place in Milton's concept of poetry. For him the poet like the man in the pulpit offers seeds of virtue and guides the people in noble and righteous conduct. The aim of poetry is therefore quite high and idealistic. He writes - Teaching over the whole book of sanctity and virtue through all instances of example with such delight to those especially of soft and delicious temper who will not be so much as look upon Truth herself, unless they see her elegantly driest, that whereas the paths of honesty and good life appear now rugged and difficult though they be indeed easy and pleasant they would then appear to all men both easy and pleasant though they were rugged and difficult indeed. Choice of Themes In order to leave to posterity an immortal and grand work of poetry he mediated a national epic on the legends of pre-historic England. He finally rejected this topic on account of the unreality of the legends of King Arthur and his republican views - that Kings should not be glorified. Moreover being a Puritan he wanted to glorify religion and to cultivate the seed of morality and public civility, and to use his words, "to allay the perturbations of the mind, and set the affections; in right time to celebrate in glorious and lofty hymns the throne and equipage of God's almightiness, and what he suffers to be wrought with high providence in His church; to sing victorious agonies. of martyrs and saints, the deeds and triumphs of just and pious nations doing valiantly through faith against the enemies of Christ; to deplore the general relapses of kingdoms and states from justice and God's true worship." Moreover the lofty theme of the Fall of Man, apart from reflecting his religious zeal, is intended to cover a great field and show his love of philosophy, literature, architecture and other arts - a matter not quite palatable to staunch Puritans. "Paradise Lost" As Embodiment of his Concept of Poetry Milton had indicated the worthwhileness of his theme. In the first 26 lines of Paradise Lost he invokes the Divine... to help him to complete his great assignment: Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song. That with no middle flight intents to soar Above the Aonian mount, while in pursues Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme. His great theme is purely religious and moral: I may assert Eternal Providence And justify the ways of God to men. Again in Book IX, the poet dwells on the moral theme-Crime and Punishment, sin and suffering: That brought with this world of woe Sin and her shadow death, and misery. Death's harbinger. Moreover, Milton has no doubt as to the authenticity of the Bible and the sublimity of his theme. The heavenly muse which inspires Milton is akin to the Holy spirit which helps him in fulfilling his noble task: Who deiques Her mighty visitations unimplor'd And dictates to me slumbering or inspire Easy my unpremeditated verse.
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