Book & Review Forums: Paradise Lost
Very difficult language
I've tried to read this book several times in the past, but always fell asleep after about four pages. References to this work crop up all the time, however, so I decided that I would finally try to get through it with the 5 minutes a day DailyLit method. I'm on the fourth installment and I have to say, I am not sure what's going on. I read the SparkNotes guide while reading the book, but even that doesn't help much. The sentences are long and run into each other - did Milton have a problem with regular fullstops? The many references to Greek places and myths are tedious and pretentious, as I feel they distract from the story and only to show Milton's familiarity with ancient literature and history.
I'll soldier on, but I often find myself reading a sentence automatically, with no idea what it is that I am reading. What I really need is a line by line translation in no-fuss modern English!
Replies (7)
Posted by
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I've had some trouble with it too. The parts with Adam and Eve are a little easier to understand, but then he gets to the Greek mythology and it throws me off.
Nov 6, 2009 11:02 am
by angelicmobster8 -
Milton is notoriously difficult. Keep in mind that Milton really isn't showing off-in his day a person who could read was an educated person, which meant a person of wealth or a member of the church. Greek, Roman and Latin languages and histories would have been very familiar to them.
Nov 6, 2009 5:44 pm
by mstrust -
I've had a lot of trouble as well. The references are definitely tedious when we need to look them up, but it does add to the story if you understand all the references, or at least a majority of them.
Nov 10, 2009 4:29 pm
by abbieonline -
Hi All,
Greek, Roman and Latin languages are very difficult to understand.
ThanksNov 15, 2009 7:03 am
by patricksnead24 -
In Jack Murnighan's Beowulf on the Beach: What to love and what to skip in literature's 50 greatest hits-there is a section on Paradise Lost that I found most helpful in approaching and reading this selection. Hope this helps all of you trying to read this-it is a challenge.
Nov 27, 2009 10:21 am
by dreamdust -
Milton belongs to another lierary, spiritual and political age with all the baggage and assumptions that entails. Try some essays or poems first to get the feel of his language. Must say I loved him best when read out loud and in short spurts...No one does "hell and damnation" like Milton!
Nov 27, 2009 3:41 pm
by ynleung -
There is a very useful site for those who wish for a bit of help in reading Milton's Paradise Lost. Go to www.paradiselost.org. You will find some really helpful stuff there!
I love Paradise Lost, but unlike most literary works today, it does take an investmentof time and energy. Milton's Satan is unforgettable antihero. Much more interesting than God if you ask me.
Also if you surf the net, you can find some of William Blake's artwork that gives you a flavor for the beauty of these religious images that are quite inspiring as well.Dec 8, 2009 10:57 pm
by kit50
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