Units 1 4 Epic Poetry - Artios Home Companion - High School Units 1 - 4: Literature and Composition...

Ancient: High School Units 1 - 4: Literature and Composition

T h e A r t i o s H o m e C o m p a n i o n S e r i e s

L i t e r a t u r e a n d C o m p o s i t i o n

Units 1 - 4: Epic Poetry

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Literature for Units 1 - 4

Title page of Paradise Lost, London: 1667, by John

Milton

Units 1-4 will focus on John Milton’s

Paradise Lost. Paradise Lost is one man’s

study into how humankind got to the

condition it was in. The poem was written

during a time of turmoil in England when

many had turned to the church for symbols

and signs rather than for a God that could

be trusted. People were arguing about how

much power the church should have and

what language the Bible should be in.

Milton was a master of Epic Poetry in its

truest form. Milton abhorred rhyming

words, which is a good thing because epic

poetry is not about words rhyming as much

as it is about a good story with a hero who

holds the success or failure of an entire

“nation” in his hands. Epics are not short.

We will read the most famous epic (in

translation, of course) later this year.

For now, we are using Milton’s epic to

talk about our beginning. How does it

compare to the story in Genesis? Does it

make changes to that story? As you read,

look for the story’s “hero.”

Author Spotlight

John Milton was born in London on

December 9, 1608, to John and Sara Milton.

Milton’s grandfather banished the boy’s

parents from the family home when he

discovered an English Bible. As a Roman

Catholic, he believed the Bible should only

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be in Latin and “regular” people shouldn’t

have them in the home.

Milton’s father, John, was a scrivener,

which means he was a public notary, a

moneylender, and a solicitor (a type of

lawyer or advisor) all-in-one. He might not

have been well-liked but he was very

successful and, unlike Shakespeare’s father,

he was never tried for usury

Milton earned his B.A. in 1629 and his

Master’s three years later. Like his father, he

didn’t care for the Catholic influences on the

Anglican Church. He wrote about things

that bothered him in many of his poems.

Even in a hymn he wrote, Milton focused on

the conflict between idolatry and true

religion.

(Biographical information taken from:

Hawkes, David, ed., Paradise Lost by John

Milton (1674). New York, NY, 2004.

Electronic book.)

Unit 1 – Assignments

Read Unit 1 – Assignment Background.

Read Books I - IV in Paradise Lost

Activity While Reading: Be sure to keep track of your discoveries in your journal.

You will have questions to help you through each week’s readings. In your reading journal, comment on what is happening and who the main characters are. Try to get a good sense of the “Big Picture.” As you read, use these questions to help you understand what is happening.

Discussion Questions – Book I 1. As announced in the first five lines, what is Milton's subject? What is his purpose?

(See Book 1.Lines 24-26) 2. How long does it take to get an answer to the question "Who first seduced them to

that foul revolt?" (See 1.33) What is the answer? 3. Where are Satan and his followers at the beginning of the poem? How did they get

there? 4. What is the attitude of Satan and Beelzebub to what has happened? (See 1.84-191)

How does Milton want us to respond? (See 1.209-220.) 5. What happens when Satan calls his followers to him? How does Satan react to their

parade? What does he tell them? (See 1.622ff) Whose fault does Satan say it is that they fell? Why?

Discussion Questions – Book II 1. Why does Satan justify his taking the throne? 2. What is the response of the assembly to Mammon's speech? What does Beelzebub

propose? (See 2.299-378) What do we learn from his speech? Who is he a spokesman for? What does he propose in the remainder of his speech? (See 2.390-416) Who volunteers? What is Satan's response and suggestion? (See 2.430-66)

3. What sorts of things do the devils come up with to pass their time? What comments is Milton making?

4. As Satan leaves Chaos, what does he see in the distance? (See 2.1051-1053) (Note that this is the entire universe he's seeing, not merely the earth. See pages A-60-A61 of vol. 1B or 2960-2961 of vol. 1 for Milton's view of the universe.)

5. What's going to happen next?

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Discussion Questions – Book III 1. What does Milton's Invocation to Light? (See 3.1-55) Tell us about Milton and his

writing of Paradise Lost? Why is this invocation located here, at the beginning of Book 3?

2. What does the Father see as he looks around? (See 3.56-79) Who is sitting next to him? (Notice that "the Father" and "the Son" are the terms Milton uses. The Son has not yet come to earth as Jesus and has not yet become Christ, so "the Son" is the proper term in discussions of Paradise Lost.)

3. Read the Father's speech carefully. (See 3.80-134) How much does the Father know of what will happen? How responsible does He claim to be for what will happen? What is His explanation for knowing what will happen but not being responsible for it?

4. What concern for the humans does the Son express? (See 3.143-166) Is the Son concerned about anything else in this speech?

5. What is the heavenly response to the Father's question? (See 3.217-224) Who volunteers, and why? (See 3.224-265) What does he think will happen to him?

Discussion Questions – Book IV 1. What are some things Satan calls himself in his soliloquy? (See 4.32-113) 2. To what things is Satan compared as he enters Paradise? (See 4.172-204) 3. How does Eve describe her creation and meeting of Adam? (See 4.440-491) 4. How does Satan respond? (See 4.505-535) 5. What do the angels find when they search the garden? What is Satan doing? (See

4.799-803) What keeps Satan and the angels from getting into a fight? (See 4.977-1015)

Unit 1 – Assignment Background

At the beginning of the second printing of Paradise Lost, Milton’s friend Andrew Marvell wrote a poem praising the work. He ends his poems with this:

I too transported by the Mode offend,

And while I meant to Praise thee must

Commend.

Thy Verse created like thy Theme sublime,

In Number, Weight, and Measure, needs

not Rime.

An Introduction to Epic Poetry Later in this course, we will study the

works of the “founder” of epic poetry. Today, we study Milton’s work because it gives us a chance to closely examine our creation from a different perspective. Milton so perfectly uses the Epic form in a time when poets were experimenting with

ways to change the various forms. It is interesting that, just as Milton was working to make people of his day aware of the Creation story and the value God places on mankind, he was also trying to stay true to a form specifically designed for sharing a serious or traditional subject.

Epic poetry was used to tell stories, to share histories. (Later, we will talk about a leader that was so jealous that his people did not have an Epic History that he hired a writer to create one!) The rhythm of the poem was engaging, designed for the ear, not the eye. That made it memorable when the storytellers and historians shared these works with crowds. Because it was for the ear, the true epic poem had a formal style that used a lot of figures of speech. Authors did not rely on rhyme, but on elevated diction to tell the story. In other words, they rearranged words and

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sentences to build suspense and emphasize particular moments in the story.

Imagine the storyteller drawing the audience into his story. In the Greek period he would have worn the dramatic robes of the scholars and philosophers. They flowed about him as he moved in front of the audience, calling on the muse to help him tell an exciting story. The audience would be drawn in by this invocation. (And a good audience helps to inspire a good story.) Poets continued that tradition and it is an important part of the Epic.

Epics are also long, so long that there has to be a lot of action. And that action centers on the epic hero. This hero can be a regular guy like Beowulf or he can be more of a demigod like the hero-king Gilgamesh. In some way, he represents a group of people, often an entire nation. And the fate of that entire people is determined by the hero’s success – or failure.

By the time the audience meets the hero, he’s already made a name for himself in some way. His trial is already ahead of him. Whether it’s getting home or taking over the world, he already knows what he has to do. But the audience will soon get all the detail. The storyteller begins in medias res (in the middle of things) to draw the audience into the story. Some poets use flash backs, some use soliloquies to help the audience know how the hero has arrived at this point. Many times, the poet will remind the audience of the catalog of heroes and important characters that mean something to this hero. Maybe they were family members. Maybe they were great warriors.

The hero’s past rarely has peasants or commoners.

Traditionally, an Epic contains twelve books. (Think about the storyteller or historian that wants that audience to come back to see what happens in the next episode.) Twelve books allow the poet to take the hero on a journey over a vast setting that covers an enormous land, maybe many lands. And somewhere in that story, the hero must perform superhuman feats that prove he is better, maybe smarter, than most men.

The hero is never alone. He might be the leader of a group of men, but there are always supernatural beings in his story. Maybe they affect his outcome. Maybe they have their own story that crisscrosses the hero’s story.

Many times the hero will take a terrifying journey. He might have to descend into the underworld, or even Hell itself, during his journey. His greatest battle might be there, or it might be on the other side of that awful place, but it’s coming.

And that is where the epic similes come in. Whether it is the details of the hero arming himself for battle or a long description of the enemy, the poet creates a vivid picture of the moment through similes.

Just as the Epic tale has twelve books, these are the twelve traits of an epic poem. They are rooted in the oral traditions of Ancient Greece, but later poets like Milton and Byron did create their works to be read silently or aloud. And, as Marvell pointed out, Milton’s verse was so perfect, he didn’t even have to worry about rhyme.



Write a rough outline for a Definition Essay defining Epic Poetry.

Read Books V - VIII in Paradise Lost

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Activity While Reading: In your reading journal, comment on what is happening and who the main characters are. Try to get a good sense of the “Big Picture.” Think about how Milton’s story relates to Genesis 2-3. As you read, use these questions to help you understand what is happening.

Discussion Questions – Book V 1. How does Eve describe her dream? (See Book 5.Lines 35-93) Does Eve eat the fruit

in her dream? 2. What is the nature of Adam and Eve's morning prayer? (See 5.135-210) 3. Why does the Father send Raphael to visit Adam and Eve? 4. How does Raphael greet Eve? (See 5.385-391) What echo are we expected to hear? 5. What does Adam ask Raphael, and what does Raphael tell him? (See 5.451-543)

Argument– Book VI

The Argument [from the 1674 edition]: Raphael continues to relate how

Michael and Gabriel were sent forth to battle against Satan and his angels. The first

fight described: Satan and his powers retire under night: he calls a council, invents

devilish engines, which in the second day's fight put Michael and his angels to some

disorder; but they at length pulling up mountains overwhelmed both the force and

machines of Satan: yet the tumult not so ending, God on the third day sends

Messiah his Son, for whom he had reserved the glory of that victory: he in the

power of his Father coming to the place, and causing all his legions to stand still on

either side, with his chariot and thunder driving into the midst of his enemies,

pursues them unable to resist towards the wall of heaven; which opening, they leap

down with horror and confusion into the place of punishment prepared for them in

the deep: Messiah returns with triumph to his Father.

Discussion Question – Book VII 1. How does Milton approach describing the creation of the world? What sort of

audience does Milton want/expect for his poem? Discussion Questions – Book VII

1. Why is Raphael interested in hearing Adam's story? 2. Who fixes lunch? Are we surprised? 3. How does Adam describe his creation? What instructions does he receive? What

happens when Adam asks for a companion? 4. How does Adam describe the creation of Eve? You might want to compare this

description with her own description of her creation at Book 4.Lines 440-491, pages 1883-1884.

5. What potential problem does Adam raise in Book 8.Lines 528-533 and Book 8.Lines 546-556? How does Raphael respond? (See 8.560-594)

6. With what warning does Raphael leave Adam?


Writing a Definition Essay

Whenever we sit down to write, we have

a purpose. Our purpose might just be to

entertain someone. We might want to

persuade someone to believe what we

believe. We might want to inform our

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audience of an upcoming event or a new

philosophy. Or we might just want to

express ourselves. No matter what we are

doing, we have a purpose, whether we are

thinking about it or not.

The purpose of a definition is obviously

to inform. The key to a good definition is

how we go about sharing the information

with our audience.

Most of the time, when we think about

writing a definition, we think about

something in the dictionary:

Definition -- [def-uh-nish-uh n] noun.

1. the act of defining, or of making

something definite, distinct, or clear:

We need a better definition of her

responsibilities.

This is only one way to explain

something. The definitions we find in a

dictionary do not give the detail that can

explain a phrase or a broad term. While you

might have a sample sentence, you do not

have a detailed example that fully illustrates

the meaning.

The Definition Essay fulfills such a

purpose. It is often reserved for abstract

terms that cannot be defined using the five

senses. It can also be used for broad terms

that are too complex to fully explain in a

simple paragraph. Sometimes they are used

to explain what something is not as we work

to understand what it is.

Think about the last time you tried to

explain what something is. Maybe it was a

slang word or a foreign food that no one else

had ever seen. Maybe you had to explain

something in another language and you

didn’t have a word that matched your native

language. You probably used an illustration

to explain your meaning. One word means

the same thing as another word. One food

might taste similar to another. One phrase

might have a similar meaning as another.

You probably used something familiar to

explain something unknown.

And that’s the secret of a good

definition…helping the audience

understand something new about

something that is fairly unknown. In this

course, we will write a Definition Essay

explaining the traits of an Epic Poem. To do

this, you will illustrate the characteristics

with examples from Paradise Lost.

As you work through this week’s

reading, consider the ways to define Epic

Poetry. Create a possible outline that

includes the following:

I. An introduction to the Epic Poem

using a thesis statement that focuses on

what makes the Epic Poem interesting. This

introduction should also include

information about Paradise Lost as this is

the work you will be using for an example.

II. Consider what you think are the most

important traits of an Epic Poem. While you

might not use all twelve traits, you want to

consider at least three and provide

examples of each.

a. Trait 1 – Example (Perhaps a quote

that compares something familiar to

something in the poem.)

b. Trait 2 – Example (An illustration or

description from the poem.)

c. Trait 3 – Example (Maybe one thing

causes an event.)

III. Conclusion – Summarize the main

points of your essay. Let the audience know

what is important or useful about an Epic

Poem. (How does this essay help us

understand the choices Adam and Eve

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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/define


made?) Maybe you want to mention what

makes Epics timeless - even though they are

about something long ago.

Please remember that this is one

possible outline. You have the freedom to

vary this a bit as long as you remember that

you are defining epic poetry by using

examples from an actual poem. As you

explain the significance of an epic, you

might find yourself looking at what this

poem teaches us about ourselves, about our

beginning. Is that unique to Paradise Lost?

Or do all epic poems have that effect?

Maybe that is a question for another

lesson.



Flesh out your outline, developing lists into complete sentences.

Read Books IX - XII in Paradise Lost.

Activity While Reading: In your reading journal, comment on what is happening and who the main characters are. Try to get a good sense of the “Big Picture.” Think about how Milton’s story relates to Genesis 2-3. As you read, use these questions to help you understand what is happening.

Discussion Questions – Book IX 1. What claims does Milton make for his epic at the beginning of Book 9? What do we

learn about his writing process? 2. How does Satan approach Eve? What does he reveal to us in his soliloquy? (See Book

9.Lines 473-493) What arguments does Satan use in convincing Eve to eat the fruit? How truthful is he?

3. Why does Eve eat the fruit? (See 9.781) What happens? Why does she decide to tell Adam?

4. Why does Adam eat the fruit? (See 9.997) What happens? 5. What happens when Adam and Eve awake? Whom do they blame for the Fall? Whom

does neither blame? Discussion Questions – Book X

1. What happens when the Fall is known in heaven? Who comes to earth to judge Adam and Eve? How good is their confession? What punishments are given? What do Adam and Eve receive?

2. What happens when Sin and Death enter Paradise? (See 10.585ff) What is the Father's response? What changes are made? (See 10.648-715)

3. How does Adam react to the fallen world? (See 10.715ff) How much does he know about death?

4. What initially happens when Eve approaches? (See 10.863ff) What finally replaces blame? (See 10.958-961) Is it an improvement?

5. What do Adam and Eve consider doing? What finally is their response? (See 10.1086ff)

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Discussion Questions – Book XI 1. What is the request made by the Son of God? 2. What advice does Michael give for surviving the “painful passages” of Man’s fallen

future? (See 12.520-555) Discussion Questions – Book XII

1. How does Adam respond to the historical vision he has just received? (See 12.469ff) 2. What lesson about knowledge has Adam learned? (See 12.557-573) 3. What lesson does Michael have for Adam (See 12.581-587)? How easy is it to do this? 4. What is Eve's response? (See 12.614-623) 5. What is the effect of the last lines? Why is it important that they go "hand in hand"?

(See 4.321, 689, 739)


Building the Outline

Now that you have an outline listing the

ideas you want to discuss in your essay,

flesh out your outline into full-length

sentences. This simply means using words

already in your outline and turning them

into sentences.

I. An introduction to the Epic Poem

using a thesis statement that focuses on

what makes the Epic Poem interesting. This

introduction should also include

information about Paradise Lost as this is

the work you will be using for an example.

Your thesis statement can be about the epic

hero or about the historical event that the

poem focuses in. Just try to avoid phrases

like “can be defined as” or “is like when.”

These are awkward and overused.

II. Consider what you think are the most

important traits of an Epic Poem. While you

might not use all 12 traits, you want to

consider at least three and provide

examples of each.

a. Trait 1 – Example—Trait 1 is one

of the twelve traits found in Epic poetry.

When we think of Trait 1 in Paradise Lost,

particular passages come to mind. For

example, in Book V...

b. Trait 2 – Example—While the

early chapters of Genesis give us a general

picture of ___________________.

Milton uses this in Paradise Lost to develop

Trait 2 of his epic. We can see in Book IX

that ...

c. Trait 3 – Example

III. Conclusion – Summarize the main

points of your essay. Let the audience know

what is important or useful about an Epic

Poem. (How does this essay help us

understand the choices Adam and Eve

made?) Maybe you want to mention what

makes Epics timeless, even though they are

about something long ago. There may also

be another quote from the poem that you

would like to use in your conclusion. The

goal here is to make a lasting impression,

something for you audience to remember,

to think about for a while.

The most important thing to remember

as you build from the outline you created in

the last unit is that we do not carve outlines

in stone. So if you think you have found you

don’t have enough information to talk about

a certain topic in your paper, or if after

further reading you want to change your

thesis statement, there is nothing wrong

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with that. The outline allows you time to get

comfortable with the direction of your

paper.

Once you have built the outline into

complete sentences, you can usually begin

to see your paragraph forming. When you

like the paragraphs you see, take away the

outline markings, insert transitions, and

give your paper MLA formatting. More than

likely, you will soon have the beginnings of

a rough draft.

For more details about using MLA

formatting, see:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

resource/747/13/.


Complete your essay from the outline and rough draft you worked on in the last unit. Use the rubric as a checklist for your final draft. Be sure to use correct MLA formatting.

Finish reading Paradise Lost.

Discuss the ending of the story. Discuss the observations you noted in your journal.

Gustave Doré, The Heavenly Hosts, c. 1866, illustration to Paradise Lost

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https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/

Units 1 4 Epic Poetry - Artios Home Companion - High School Units 1 - 4: Literature and Composition...

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