LibGuides: John Milton: Milton

Milton

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Milton Quotes

John Milton Quotes from GoodReads

Common Themes and Search Terms

Morality OR Morals

Tyranny OR Tyrant

Censorship OR Freedom of Speech

Religion

Temptation

Piety OR Pious

Nature

Good versus Evil

Touro Databases and Journals

EBSCO multi-search This link opens in a new window
Search articles in many EBSCO databases at once. Encompasses ERIC, Professional Development Collection, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Newspaper Source, MasterFILE Premier, MEDLINE, Business Source Complete, Academic Search Complete.
Literary Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Includes plot summaries, articles of literary criticism, author biographies, full-text of literary journals, book reviews, classic & contemporary poems, classic & contemporary short stories, full-text of classic novels, author interviews, & images of literary figures.

Websites

Project Gutenberg - Milton
E-book versions of Milton's works provided by Project Gutenberg.
John Milton Reading Room
The complete poetry and selected prose of John Milton, with introductions, research guides, and hyperlinked annotations. (About Page)
Milton Society of America
Society dedicated to furthering Milton scholarship.
Paradise Lost Study Guide
A guide to Paradise Lost by the New Arts Library.
Darkness Visible
An online resource for studying Milton's Paradise Lost, particularly if you are a first time reader. (Introduction page)

Helpful Research Guides

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Introduction to John Milton

Welcome to the LibGuide for John Milton. Here you will find a variety of resources to help you in your research.

Picture from http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/39/146839-004-3C436FE2.jpg

John Milton was an English poet, pamphleteer, and historian. He is most widely known for his work Paradise Lost, an English epic poem regarding the fall of Lucifer from Heaven, and other poetical works such as Comus and Lycidas. He is also known for his political commentary, anti-tyrannical views and fight against censorship. For more information about John Milton you can read his Encyclopedia Britannica biography linked below.

John Milton Encyclopedia Britannica Page
An Encyclopedia Britannica biography on John Milton.

Overview of Selected Works

This section offers a brief overview of a selected number of Milton's work that you may come across during your coursework. For more information follow the title links to the individual Encyclopedia Britannica page.

Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost tells the story of Satan, a fallen angel of Heaven who becomes the ruler of Hell. Paradise Lost is considered to be the greatest epic poem in English, compared to classic Greek epics such as The Odyssey and The Iliad. Themes in this work include religion, tyranny, evil, Adam and Eve and the fall of humanity.
Paradise Regained
In Paradise Regained, the main character is tempted by Satan to give up his faith in God in an example of the struggle between the power of good and the power of evil.
Samson Agonistes
Samson Agonistes portrays the final triumph of the biblical Samson as told in the Book of Judges. Themes in this work include despair, perseverance and tragedy.
Comus
Comus tells the story of Lady, a young woman who is tempted into giving in to her illicit desires and appetites by Comus, an evil magician disguised as a villager. Themes in this work include morality and virtue versus desire (good versus evil) and self-control.
Lycidas
Lycidas is a pastoral elegy mourning the death of a young man believed to be fellow Cambridge student and friend of Milton, Edward King who drowned during a passage on the Irish Seas. It is one of Milton’s finest examples of nature in poetry and is often considered one of the most noted examples of a pastoral elegy. Themes in this work include death, mourning, loss, and corruption of clergy.
Areopagitica
Areopagitica is a pamphlet written by Milton condemning the censorship of published materials by Parliament.
The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
In The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates Milton calls for the abolition and execution of tyrannical Kings. Themes include tyranny and anti-monarchy.