Milton: Paradise Lost
Course
In London
Description
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Type
Course
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Location
London
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Start date
Different dates available
Paradise Lost continues to excite fascination and controversy, confronting as it does the existence of evil in a divinely ordained world. In the process, Milton sought boldly ‘to justify the ways of God to man’, and while insisting on humans’ ‘inner freedom’, he created in Satan a complex and arguably attractive figure. We shall read and discuss a representative selection of crucial passages from each book, and consider how Milton’s cosmic drama can illuminate our own experience and aspirations.Biography:Peter Brennan is a poet, and was for many years Head of English at The Latymer School, Edmonton. He founded Visionary Company courses in 2005, and is Editor-in-Chief of Perdika Press.
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About this course
Demonstrate insight into how Milton seeks to reconcile a belief in divine good will with the prospect of a ‘fallen’ world.Appreciate the dramatic power and psychological subtleties of the poem, and the distinctive features of its style.Identify how aspects of Milton’s life and times influenced the composition of Paradise Lost.
No. You will be provided with photocopies of the extracts to be studied. If you wish to bring a copy of Paradise Lost, that would be fine – but it is not essential. Please bring a pen and paper.
Teacher explanation; group discussion.
Reviews
Course programme
We shall study Milton’s presentation of creation, of good and evil, freedom and enslavement. The ‘characters’ of Adam and Eve and Satan will be central to our discussion, as will Milton’s evocation of the ‘Fall’ and the events and decisions leading up to it, as well as its consequences. We shall also reflect on the qualities of Milton’s poetry – the means by which his art seeks to meet the challenge he had set himself in undertaking such a potentially intimidating enterprise.
Additional information
Look for other literature courses on under History, Culture and Writing or under Humanities in the prospectus.
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See the course guide for term dates and further details
Milton: Paradise Lost