5.+Individual+Passage+2

Milton: Paradise Lost (Oxymoron)  Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State, Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off [ 30 ] From thir Creator, and transgress his Will For one restraint, Lords of the World besides? Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd [ 35 ] The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring To set himself in Glory above his Peers, He trusted to have equal'd the most High, [ 40 ] If he oppos'd ; and with ambitious aim Against the Throne and Monarchy of God Rais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proud With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie [ 45 ] With hideous ruine and combustion down To perdition, there to dwell In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms. Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night [ 50 ]

To mortal men, he with his horrid crew Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe Confounded though immortal: But his doom Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of lost happiness and lasting pain [ 55 ] Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes That witness'd huge affliction and dismay Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate: At once as far as Angels kenn he views The dismal Situation waste and wilde, [ 60 ] A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round No light, but rather darkness visible Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe **, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace [ 65 ] And rest can never dwell, hope never comes That comes to all; but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd: Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd [ 70 ] For those rebellious, here thir Prison ordain'd In utter darkness, and thir portion set As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell! [ 75 ] There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'd With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire, He soon discerns, and weltring by his side One next himself in power, and next in crime, Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd [ 80 ] Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy, And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words Breaking the horrid silence thus began.
 * As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames

If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who in the happy Realms of Light [ 85 ] Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst out-shine Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual league, United thoughts and counsels, equal hope And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize, Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd [ 90 ] In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd He with his Thunder: and till then who knew The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those, Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage [ 95 ] Can else inflict, do I repent or change, Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mind And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit, That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along [ 100 ] Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n, And shook his throne. What though the field be lost? [ 105 ] All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome? That Glory never shall his wrath or might [ 110 ] Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee, and deifie his power, Who from the terrour of this Arm so late Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath [ 115 ] This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Gods And this Empyreal substance cannot fail, Since through experience of this great event In Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't, We may with more successful hope resolve [ 120 ] To wage by force or guile eternal War Irreconcilable, to our grand Foe, Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy

Analysis In book one of //Paradise Lost,// Milton's purpose was to present man's first disobedience and all of the consequences that came with that disobedience. Satan and his followers were infuriated when they had been defeated by God and banned from Heaven. Satan did not like his terrible position but he felt that he could not show rebellion towards God because he believed that God could not be overpowered. Milton presents Satan's idea by stating that Satan gathered his forces and prepared for another attack, but this time to God's good works by perverting them into evil purposes. Though Satan succeeds in manipulating Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge God still allows them life outside of God's paradise. This great sin was what initiated the feeling of suffering on Earth and the banishment of humankind from God's paradise. Eve and all women were to suffer at childbirth and to serve their husband's every need. Adam also ate an apple from the Tree of Knowledge so he wouldn't be separated from Eve, causing God to also punish Adam and all other men to work and grow their own food from the depleted land.

In this section of the book Milton presents the scene of Satan lying on a lake of fire."A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round. As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames. No light, but rather darkness visible. Serv'd only to discover sights of woe, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace." Milton uses this oxymoron to present the description of sights in Hell. The place in which Satan and in his followers were sent to. The oxymoron also helped set the image of the distinction between Heaven and Hell. Though Satan was laying in a lake of fire, darkness shone instead of light. Where there was peace in Heaven down in Hell it was doleful and sad. This oxymoron helps further Milton's point as to why Hell; a dark, sad, place full of hate was well suited for Satan and his followers.

 M.Espinoza

"Paradise Lost Book 1 The Agument." __Milton: Paradise Lost__. 5 Feb. 2009. < [|http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/pl/note/index.shtml] >.  "Adam and Eve". 5 Feb.2009 <   [|http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MCG/FPF631~Adam-and-Eve-Posters.jpg]   >.

"Shame of Satan". 5 Feb.2009  [|<] http://www.joelchua.com/blog/wp-photos/Shame-of-Satan.jpg >.

"Banishment from Paradise". 5 Feb.2009 http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/775/269148.JPG.