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ThePeriodoftheEnglishBourgeoisRevolutionandtheRestoration(1640-1688)+Pamphleteer,asupporterofOliverCromwell.+Miltonarguedforreligiousfreedomandstoodagainsttheauthorityofthebishops.+Poet:24sonnets+Worksinclude:ParadiseLost,ParadiseRegained,SamsonAgonistes.+Inliterature,Miltonoccupiedatransitionalposition.HecameimmediatelyaftertheElizabethanperiodandabsorbedthehumanistculture;atthesametime,hewasafaithfulpuritaninhisbelief.Inhispoetry,heblendsthetraditionoftheRenaissancewiththespiritofrevolutionarystruggleandtheideasofpuritanism.+Itpresentstheauthor’spoliticalviewsinallegoricalreligiousform.ItisbuiltonthestoriesandmythsintheBiblethroughwhichwesternpeoplehavesoughttounderstandthemeaningoftheirexperienceoflife.+TheworkcontainsMilton’sambition,hisloveoffreedomandhisdeep-seatedPuritanism.+ThestoryisaboutSatan’srevoltagainstGodandman’slossofparadise.ThepoembeginswithadetaileddescriptionofSatanandhisfollowersre-assemblinginhellandschemingforrevengeagainstGod.ThoughthepurposeofthepoemistojustifythewaysofGodtomen,asSatantriestojustifyhimselfbyposingasarebelagainsttyranny,Miltonapparentlyunconsciouslymakesthedevilserveashismouthpiece.ThroughouttheepicMiltonshowsaPuritan’srevoltagainsttheestablisheddoctrinesoftheCatholicsandtheAnglicanChurchbyinterpretingthestoryintheBiblefreelyforhimself.+Puritanwriterwhoparticipatedinthestruggleagainstthecorrupt,dissolutefeudal-aristocraticregimesofCharlesIIandJamesII.+Theworkhasoftenbeenreadandappreciatedasareligiousallegory,thoughmanycriticshavenotedthemanyrealisticpicturesofthepersonifiedfiguresandallegoricalplacesinthebook,pointingoutthatthepeopleChristianmeetsonthewayaresuchasmightbeseeninBunyan’sdayinRestorationEngland.Thesatiresfocusupontherulingclass.Forexample,AtVanityFairBunyangivesusasymbolicpicturenotonlyofLondonatthetimeoftheRestorationbuttheoftheEnglishsocietyingeneralwhereallthingswerebroughtandsoldandwherecheatingandroguery,murdersandadulterieswerenormal.Nowonderthatthegreatcriticalrealistofthe19thcenturyThackeryemployedVanityFairasthetitleforhisimportantnovel.+Cavalierpoets:agroupofEnglishgentlemensocalledbecauseoftheirloyaltytoCharlesIduringtheEnglishCivilWars,asopposedtoRoundheads(圆颅党）,whosupportedParliament.Theywerealsocavaliersintheirstyleoflifeandcountedthewritingofpolishedandelegantlyricsasonlyoneoftheirmanyaccomplishmentsassoldiers,courtiers,gallants,andwits.+Metaphysicalpoets+Cavalierpoets:royalistswhosepoetrywasmarkedbycourtliness,urbanityandpolish.Theirpoemsreflectedtheextravaganceandmoralloosenessofcourtlife.+ThomasCarew,SirJohnSucklingandRichardLovelacewerefamousCavalierpoets.+Metaphysicalpoet+Hispoetryisnotedforitsvibrancyoflanguageandinventivenessofmetaphor----conceit.+Whenasimileormetaphoriselaborateorfar-fetchedandstrikesyouatfirstasbeinginappropriate,itiscalledaconceit.Thoughitisunexpected,thecomparisonisintriguinglyright.Themetaphorissocontrivedandintellectuallyconvolutedthattheveryunlikenessbetweentwothingsremainsparamount.Byturninguponasurprisingandingeniousanalogybetweenapparentlyunrelatedareasofexperience,themetaphysicalpoetisabletodisplaytheirwit.Thebestmetaphysicalconceitsaretelling,effectiveandoriginal.+Itisaschoolofhighlyintellectualpoetrymarkedbyboldandingeniousconceits,incongruousimagery,complexityofthought,frequentuseofparadoxandoftendeliberateharshnessorrigidityofexpression.Itwasareactionagainstthedeliberatelysmoothandsweettonesofmuch16thcenturyverse.Ametaphysicalpoemisalwaystightlywovenandisbriefbutintensemeditationscharacterizedbystrikinguseofwit,irony,andwordplay.Soitispoetryofthelibraryorpoetryforthefew.+Notablefeaturesofmetaphysicalpoetryincludeingenioususeofconceits,adramaticsenseofsituation,aplainratherthanornatediction,anellipticalandcondensedsyntaxandacapacityforabruptshiftsoftone.+ASvirtuousmenpassmildlyaway,Andwhispertotheirsoulstogo,Whilstsomeoftheirsadfriendsdosay,Nowhisbreathgoes,andsomesay,No.+Soletusmelt,andmakenonoise,Notear-floods,norsigh-tempestsmove;'TwereprofanationofourjoysTotellthelaityourlove.+Movingoftheearthbringsharmsandfears;Menreckonwhatitdid,andmeant;Buttrepidationofthespheres,Thoughgreaterfar,isinnocent.++Dullsublunarylovers‘love—Whosesoulissense—cannotadmitAbsence,becauseitdothremoveThosethingswhichelementedit.+Butwebyalovesomuchrefined,Thatourselvesknownotwhatitis,Inter-assurèdofthemind,Careless,eyes,lipsandhandstomiss.+Ourtwosoulstherefore,whichareone,ThoughImustgo,endurenotyetAbreach,butanexpansion,Likegoldtoairythinnessbeat.+Iftheybetwo,theyaretwosoAsstifftwincompassesaretwo;Thysoul,thefix'dfoot,makesnoshowTomove,butdoth,ifth'otherdo.+Andthoughitinthecentresit,Yet,whentheotherfardothroam,Itleans,andhearkensafterit,Andgrowserect,asthatcomeshome.+Suchwiltthoubetome,whomust,Liketh'otherfoot,obliquelyrun;Thyfirmnessmakesmycirclejust,AndmakesmeendwhereIbegun.