4.2 John Milton

III.JohnMilton(1608—1747)约翰·弥尔顿1.LifeJohnMiltonwasborninLondononDecember9,1608.Hisfamilywasrich.MiltonwaseducatedatStPaul'sSchoolandthenatChrist'sCollege,Cambridge.Aftergraduation,hetraveledinFranceandItalyandreturnedtoLondonin1639.AftertheRevolutionsucceeded,andcommonwealthwasestablished,MiltonbecameLatinSecretarytothecouncilofForeignAffairs.HewroteanumberofpamphletsdefendingtheEnglishrevolution.In1652,hebecametotallyblindduetooverwork.WiththeRestorationin1660,Miltonwasimprisoned.Hisfriendsintervenedandheescapedwithafineandthelossofmostofhisproperty.Afterhisrelease,hereturnedtothewritingofpoetryandworkedforsevenyearsuponhisgreatpoemParadiseLost.JohnMiltondiedonNovember8,1674andwasburiednexttohisfatherinLondon.Milton’sWorksThreeliteraryperiods:1.earlyperiod:poemswritteninCambridgeandatHorton;2.middle-agedperiod:politicalarticlespamphlets;3.theperiodofhisoldage:threegiantworks.2.MajorworksHispoeticworksParadiseLostParadiseRegainedSamsonAgonistesLycidas(anelegyinmemoryofhisclassmate)HisproseworkAreopagitica(FreedomofPress)《论出版自由》3.Importance:1)HewasthegreatestEnglishrevolutionarypoetofthe17thcentury.2)HewrotethegreatestepicinEnglishliterature.3)Hewasagreatstylist,andfamousforhisgrandstyle.Miltonisagreatstylist.Hispoetryisofgrandstyle.Hehasmadealife-longstudyofclassicalandBiblicalliterature.Hispoetryisnotedforsublimity(崇高)ofthoughtandmajesty(威严，雄伟)ofexpression.Andhewasthemostsuccessfulintheuseofblankverse,andheistheforerunnertointroduceblankverseintonon-dramaticpoetry.CommentsMiltonisaprominentfigureinpoliticsinthe17thcenturyEngland.HemakesgreatcontributiontotheEnglishRevolution.Miltonisagreatpoetandimportantprosewriter.HisParadiseLostistheonlygenerallyacknowledgedEnglishepicsinceBeowulf.HisAreopagiticaservesasoneofthemostpowerfuldeclarationsonfreedomofpress.4.AnalysisofParadiseLost1.Milton’smasterpiece.•2.Alongepic（史诗）in12books,writteninblankverse.•3.takenfromtheOldTestament.•4.Majorcharacters:Satan,God,Archangel,Adam,Eve…•5.ItisaboutSatan’srebellionagainstGodandtheexpulsion(驱逐)ofAdamandEvefromtheGardenofEden.①Plotthecreation；therebellioninHeavenofSatanandhisfellow-angels；theirdefeatandexpulsion(驱逐)fromHeaven；thecreationoftheearthandofAdamandEvethefallenangelsinhellplottingagainstGod；Satan’stemptationofEve,andthedepartureofAdamandEvefromEden(伊甸园).Ledbyfreedom-lovingSatan,therebelliousangelsriseagainstGod,butinthebattlewiththehostsofangelsthatremainloyaltoGodtheyarefinallydefeated.SatanandhisfollowersarebanishedfromHeavenanddrivenintohell.ButSatanandhisadherentsarenotdiscouraged.Theepicopenswiththedescriptionofameetingofthefallenangelsinhell.Satan'sproudspiritisunyielding.Hefearlesslywithstandsallagoniesandpassionatelystrivesforrevengeandvictory.Godlearnsofhisintention,however,andsendstheArch-angleRaphaeltowarnAdamandEveofSatan'splan.TheArchangelremindsthemoftheirvowofobedienceandgivesadetailedaccountofSatan'srebellion.RaphaelgoesontorelateGod‘screationofheavenandearth,andalllivingcreatures.ButonAdam’srequestforanexplanationoftherotationofthecelestialbodies(天体循环)(anechoofGalileo'ssermons),RaphaeladviseshimnottoinquireintomatterswhichareirrelevanttohimandthenleavestheGarden.NosoonerisRaphaelgonethanSatanassumestheshapeofaserpentandappearsbeforeEve.HepersuadeshertobreakGod'scommand,EveeatsanapplefromtheforbiddentreeandplucksanotheroneforAdam.Godseesallthis,andAdamandEve,husbandandwife,arebothdeprivedofimmortality,exiledfromParadiseanddoomedtoanearthlylifefullofhardshipsandsufferings.②Theme1.Theme:praisingtherebelliousspiritsagainstthedespot(独裁者）MiltonisapiousChristian.Thisepicistheproductionoftheconflictsbetweenhisreligiousbeliefandpoliticalbelief:Fightforthelibertyofthenationsintheworldandrecovertheirlostliberty③CharacterizationWhatdothemaincharactersresemble?2.God:selfishdespot(暴君),cruel,unjust3.AdamandEveembodyMilton’sbeliefinthe________________,craving(longing)for_____________.4.God’sangelsarefoolish,resemblingthecourtofanabsolutemonarch.5.Satanisarebelagainsttyranny(专制，暴行)andSatanandhisfollowersresemblea_______________________.republicanParliamentpowersofmanknowledge④StyleMiltonicstyle:toexpressthesublimity(庄严）ofthought,sonority（洪亮）,eloquence（雄辩）,majesty（威严）andgrandeur（壮丽）style(LatinwordsandLatinsentencestructure,inversion,archaism（古风）,longsentenceandmostlyformalwords,thusthestyleformedandhisEnglishratherdifficult)TheImageofSatan•1.Satanistherealheroofthepoem.•2.Heisfirmerthantherestoftheangels.•3.Hehasaninvincible(战无不胜的)heart.Whoisthemoststrikingcharacterinthepoem?TheImageofSatan4.Satanremainssuperiorinnobilityandwelcomeshisdefeatandhistormentsasaglory,alibertyandajoy;5.SatanisthespiritquestioningtheauthorityofGod.6.MiltonmakesSatanashisownmouthpiece(代言人).ParadiseRegained《复乐园》•1.IttellshowChristovercameSatan’stemptations.•2.Itisthesequel(续集)ofParadiseLost.SamsonAgonistes《力士参孙》apoeticaldramamodeledontheGreektragedies,fromthe“BookofJudges”,inthe“OldTestament”《旧约全书》中的《士师记》SamsonisMiltonhimself,fightingforthefreedomofhiscountry.SamsonwasanathleteoftheIsraelites.Hes