From another perspective, the poem Paradise Lost is initialized by a focus on the beginning of the world, which was intended to be a paradise. God intention was to make the earth a paradise for his creations. However, such was lost along the way after the fall of Satan from heaven. Nonetheless, the poet tries to be truthful by using the Holy Spirit to imply his allegations as truthful.
critical essay on paradise lost
This Companion presents fifteen short, accessible essays exploring the most important topics and themes in John Milton's masterpiece, Paradise Lost. The essays invite readers to begin their own independent exploration of the poem by equipping them with useful background knowledge, introducing them to key passages, and acquainting them with the current state of critical debates. Chapters are arranged to mirror the way the poem itself unfolds, offering exactly what readers need as they approach each movement of its grand design. Essays in Part I introduce the characters who frame the poem's story and set its plot and theological dynamics in motion. Part II deals with contextual issues raised by the early books, while Part III examines the epic's central and final episodes. The volume concludes with a meditation on the history of the poem's reception and a detailed guide to further reading, offering students and teachers of Milton fresh critical insights and resources for continuing scholarship.
For your essay--a CLOSE READING/LITERARY ANALYSIS exercise--develop a narrowly-defined argumentative thesis related to a comparison of some aspect, or aspects, of TWO works we have read thus far (ranging from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight through Paradise Lost), and write a paper of approximately 4 typed (double-spaced) pages (MLA-style citation and documentation). NO outside sources are to be used for this paper, which should solely represent your own critical and analytical thinking. I would really prefer that you develop your own thesis without my assistance, but the following list represents some rudimentary "themes" and broad ideas within which you might begin to develop a more specific thesis:
(a) Lead the seminar with a 10 minute presentation on the reading assigned to the seminar on that day. Normally the oral presentation should be closely connected to the topic of your critical essay (c). Please aim for 10 minutes exactly; I will cut off the presentation after 15 min. Non-graded, but required assignment. (b) Write a critical essay of 4000 (+/- 250) words, on a topic of your choice relating to Milton's Paradise Lost. You should discuss this topic with me before beginning your essay. The first draft of this essay, at least 3000 words, must be submitted by 7 May (they will be returned to you with my comments on 13 May). The second draft, 4000 words, must be re-submitted by 28 May 2014. This second draft must incorporate all revisions suggested by me. The finished essay must contain a correctly formatted Bibliography (see Edge), and should contain at least 10 references to secondary criticism. For secondary criticism, you may find it helpful to refer to the Bibliography of Criticism in the file below. Format: 12-pt font, double spaced. Give your name, and the essay's title on the first page, and word count on the last page. Quotations must be properly referenced. Please submit your essay in hard copy as well as by email (the electronic copy will be screened for plagiarism, while I will use the hard copy to write my comments).Seminar grade: your seminar grade will normally be the mark you receive for your critical essay, but your overall seminar performance (oral presentation, and contribution to class discussions) will also be taken into account.
These handy configurations may be simplistic, but they are cherished by a host of groups, outside and inside Iran, who are uncomfortable admitting that the majority of the population may have been deeply resentful of a regime (whether ancient or modern) that mostly benefited a small elite. Nonetheless, for many Western media and government Iran analysts, and for those Iranians who wax nostalgic for their former elite status, whether they are now in Tehran or Tehrangeles, the paradigm of paradise lost remains a self-affirming way to view both the past and the present. 2ff7e9595c
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