Some aspects of death in Milton's poetry /
| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1988.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | ProQuest, Abstract Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | Death pervades Milton's poetry. In the early verse, Milton confronts death in order to show that death is neither fortuitous nor cruel but rather is the providential consequence of God's good plan. Recognizing Milton's purpose in these early poem s sheds new light on the relationship between classicism and Christianity. In those early poems on death, Milton does not use classicism to complement Christianity; instead he uses classicism to give a view of death in which it often is the senseless act of chance. He contrasts this view with his Christian position that death is ordered by providence, and hence it is really a positive event. The early poems on death also reveal Milton's consistent association of lust with death. This association also helps us to understand the epic simile of the weighing scales in Paradise Lost. Keeping an eye Milton's treatment of death in his earlier poetry, we also gain a new perspective on Samson Agonistes, Milton's last poem. Sam son dies not because he obeys God's law but because he disobeys it. Though Christianity acknowledges the necessity for martyrdom, Milton was so strongly convinced that obeying God's law brought abundant life, free and healthful, even in this world, that he fails ever profoundly to represent martyrdom. In Samson Agonistes, Samson's death is the consequence of his violation of God's strictures on lust and violence. Providence uses death here, as it does in the earlier poems, to benefit humanity delivering the oppressed Hebrews from the violent and licentious Philistines. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: English." |
| Physical Description: | vi, 147 leaves ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |