John Milton (1608-74) was known in his time as a public servant of the Cromwell regime and as the author of brilliant polemical pamphlets on education, religion, and freedom of speech, but his posthumous reputation rests mainly on his work as a poet, chiefly on the EPIC "Paradise Lost." This poem, written after the poet was ousted from public life by the Restoration and begun when he was already blind, is a worthy successor to the epics of Homer and Virgil. In magnificent blank verse, it describes Lucifer's fall from Heaven, the creation of man, Eve's temptation, and Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise. Next to the Bible, this is perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Christian literature. This volume contains extensive selections from "Paradise Lost," chosen to highlight the author's dramatic art, vivid description, and wild irony. Additionally, there are significant excerpts from "Comus" and "Samson Agonistes," along with many of Milton's sonnets and shorter poems, including the famous "Lycidas." Pages: 256, Dimensions: 11.3x11.3cm