Belmont Humanities Symposium Journal
Abstract
What does Milton wish to show us in Paradise Lost? He writes nothing cavalierly. Every single phrase, every single word is deliberate, intentional, and, above all, strategic. Volume after volume has been written on the most minute aspects of his specificity of language; Peter Herman has published an entire article on the use of the conjunction “or” in Paradise Lost. As such, while it may be easy to gloss over the numerous long series of descriptive historical and mythological references in the poem, thinking them merely colorful rather than important, one need only glance through the research of Sherry Lutz Zivley, who uses the historical names as literal earthly place markers to illustrate the geographical track of Satan’s physical orbits around the planets, to recognize how meticulously crafted Milton’s precise linguistic references truly are. We know without doubt that Milton’s use of language is purposeful to the tiniest degree, and thus, when investigating a topic as subjective and nebulous as Time, we can be sure that what Milton wishes to show us is there, in full view, articulated with his unfailing precision.
Keywords
Humanities Symposium
Recommended Citation
Rau, Allison
(2014)
"What Time Is It in Paradise?: Examining Time Inside Eternity in Paradise Lost,"
Belmont Humanities Symposium Journal: Vol. 5, Article 8.
Available at:
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium_journal/vol5/iss1/8