John Milton

by

Joyce Hemsley

Series of famous British names:

Great English Poet JOHN MILTON
Born in London in the year 1608
(eight years before the death
of Shakespeare)...born to a
religious, artistic and musical
family. He died in London 1674
and was buried at St Giles,
Cripplegate.

John Milton was educated at
Christ's College, Cambridge, and
began his writing career with
poems in Latin, Italian and
English. His very first well known
poems, written at University,were:
On The Morning of Christ's
Nativity,and Epitaph on Shakespeare.
He spent a few years writing at a
leisurely pace - L'Allegro,
Il Penseroso, Comus, and Lycidas -
and on travelling to Europe, he met
the imprisoned astronomer Galileo.
John makes reference to Galileo's
telescope in Paradise Lost.

At age of thirty-two, John Milton
settled in London, and for some
years, his work was confined to
Pamphlets. Against episcopacy,
relating to governing Bishops;
and Doctrine and Discipline of
Divorce...which was written at the
time of his first wife's desertion.
He wrote on Education, and freedom
of the Press, also many sonnets.
His wife died, and he married a
second and a third time. He served
in Cromwell's Government.

Although John was blind, he was first
and foremost a Poet - and a great one!
Soon, came the time for the epic poem
PARADISE LOST - on fall of mankind,
followed by PARADISE REGAINED. This
historical work is extreme in its
length and great in its content.
However, I have chosen sixteen lines
of his poem L'Allegro - a poem of
one hundred and twenty-eight lines...

Haste thee Nymph and bring with thee
Jest, and youthful Jollity
Quips and Cranks and wanton Wiles
Nods and Becks and wreathed Smiles,
Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,
And love to live in dimple sleek
Sport that wrinkled Care derides
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it, as you go
On the light fantastic toe;
And with thy right hand lead with thee
The Mountain nymph, sweet Liberty,
And if I give thee honour due
Mirth, admit me of thy crew,
To live with her, and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free.

John Milton - 1608-1674

NEXT?
Why don't you look at Harmony
by: John William McGrath III
from: Mesa, AZ, US

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