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JohnMilton(1608-1674)LifeBackgroundWorksQuotes•JohnMiltonwasbornonDecember9,1608onBreadStreetinCheapside,London,Englandtoascrivenerandhiswife.Milton'sparentshadsixchildren,andMiltonwasoneofthethreewhosurvived.Andatage16MiltonenteredChrist'sCollege,Cambridge.Perhapsthefineststudentinhisclass,MiltonreceivedhisB.A.in1629andM.A.in1632.MiltonwasproficientinLatin,Greek,French,Italian,andHebrew,andwasanexcellentswordsman.MiltonhadgonetoCambridgetobecomeaclergyman,buthewasdissuadedfromthisoccupationduetotyrannyinthechurch.So,Miltonspentthe6yearsaftergettinghisM.A.readingtheGreekandLatinclassics,andstudyingmathematicsandmusic.Miltonbrokeintothepublicliteraryscenein1632withaeulogyhe'dwrittenonShakespearewhichappearedinthesecondfolioeditionofShakespeare.In1637,7monthsafterhismother'sdeath,hewrotethepastoralworkLycidas.Ayearlater,hevisitedItalyandmetGalileo.HereturnedtoEngland1639andbegantothinkaboutwritinganArthurianepic.ButhegavethatideaupsoonandwaveredbetweenwritingonBiblicalsubjectsandheroicfiguresinBritishhistory.In1640,hedecidedtowriteonParadiseLost.In1642,attheageof34,MiltonmarriedMaryPowell,age17.Sadly,hiswiferanawaybeforetheyearwasthrough,andMiltonproceededtowritehisfamoustreatiseadvocatingdivorce.Heandhiswifereconciledin1645,andMilton'sdaughterAnnewasbornin1646.Heworkedasasecretaryforthegovernmentstartingin1649,andbecameblindin1652.Thatyearhisonlysonandwifedied,leavinghimablindwidowerwiththreechildren.Heremarriedin1656,butshediedinchildbirthayearlater,endingthehappiesttimeinMilton'slife.InthefollowingyearsMiltonwroteagainsttheRoyalists,mysteriouslyescapingthescaffoldforhisscandalouscomments.Miltongotathirdwifein1663,sincehisrebelliousdaughterswouldnotcareforhim.In1667,MiltonfinallyconcludedanagreementwithapublisherfortheprintingofParadiseLost.Scholarswereperplexedwhenthepoemcameout,sinceitshunnedtherhymingofotherepicpoemsinitsblankverse.Onthedaybeforehis66thbirthday,November8,1674,Miltondiedofgout-fever.HewasburiedintheChurchofSt.Giles,Cripplegate,besidehisfather.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayThemidseventeenth-centurywasatimeofgreatsocialandculturalturmoil.Aseriesofpoliticalandmilitaryconflicts,nowknownastheEnglishCivilWarortheEnglishRevolution,waswagedintermittentlybetweenParliamentariansandRoyalistsfrom1642to1651.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayThereweremanyfactorscontributingtothetensionsbetweentheCrownandParliament,includingCharles'marriagetotheCatholicprincess,Henrietta-MariaofFrance,andhisdesiretobeinvolvedinEuropeanwars.Butthemostinterestingweretheideologicalquestionsbeingraisedaboutthenatureofgovernmentandauthority.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayIntheseventeenthcentury,theCrownplayedamuchgreaterroleintherunningofthecountrythanitdoestoday.Parliament'spowerwasgrowing,butbeforetheCivilWar,itwascalledanddissolvedatthewillofthemonarch,andusedmostlytoissuetaxeswhenthekingneededmoney.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayCharlesIbelievedinthe'divinerightofkings'andruledfairlyautonomously,butmuchofParliamentbelievedthatthekinghadacontractualobligationtothepeopletorulewithouttyranny.ParliamentarianswereangrythatCharlesrefusedtocallaParliamentformostofthe1630s,duringwhichtimehetriedtolevywhatwereconsideredtobeillegaltaxes.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayWithArchbishopLaud,hetriedtotaketheChurchinthedirectionofHighAnglicanism,whicharousedsuspicionthathewastryingtorevertthecountrytoCatholicism.In1649,afteryearsofvariouspoliticalmanoeuvresandboutsoffighting,KingCharlesIwasexecutedfortreason.ForthenextdecadeEnglandhadnomonarch.Initially,aCommonwealthwasformedandEnglandwasruledbyarepublicangovernment,butin1653OliverCromwellbecameLordProtector,essentiallyamilitarydictator.ThePoliticalClimateofMilton'sDayHewassucceededbyhissonRichardin1658,butbecauseoffactionfightingandRichard'slackofpopularityasaleader,therepublicfailed.CharlesII,theexecutedmonarch'sson,wasdeclaredKingintheRestorationof1660.ParadiseLost”isMinton’smasterpiece.Itisalongepicin12books,writteninblankverse.ThestoryweretakenfromtheOldTestament:thecreationoftheearthandAdamandEve,thefallenangelsinhellplottingagainstGod,Satan’stemptationofEve,andthedepartureofAdamandEvefromEden.Satanandhisfollowersarebanishedfromheavenanddrivenintohell,butevenhereinhell,mistflamesandpoisonousfumes,Satanandhisadherentsarenotdiscouraged.Thepoem,aswearetoldattheoutset,was“tojustifythewaysofGodtoman”,ietoadvocatesubmissiontotheAlmighty.OfallMilton’sgreatworks,ParadiseLostisthemostcomplicatedandmostprofoundone,ItdealswithrevoltfromGod,withsinandfall,andwiththepossiblesalvation.Itpresentstheauthor’sviewsinanallegoricreligiousform,andreaderswilleasilydiscernitsbasicidea—theheroicrevoltagainstGod’sauthorityand“justifythewaysofGodtomen”.ItisthereflectionofthereactionaryforcesofMilton’stimeandthepassionateappealforfreedom.Milton’sQuotes1.Themindcanmakeaheavenoutofhellorahelloutofheaven.•思想可以把天堂变成地狱，也可以把地狱变成天堂。Milton’sQuotes2.Bettertoreigninhellthanserveinheaven.•上天堂尽职，不如下地狱独裁。Milton’sQuotes3.Thechildhoodshowstheman,asmorningshowstheday.•从小能看大，就像清晨看白天。Milton’sQuotes4.Deathisthegoldenkeythat