Getting to Know Milton and His Times

           Thousands of poets have come and gone throughout the ages; only a few bask in the light of distinction. Several names everyone knows are: Shakespeare, Dante, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Homer, Edgar Allan Poe - and John Milton. You have probably heard of all of these men, whether or not you are acquainted with their works and context. And yet Milton's "Paradise Lost" was written about four hundred years ago, in a style unfamiliar and awkward to our modern ears, concerning an archaic tale filled with classical mythology and midrash - how did such a poet "irrelevant" to our modern age create such a timeless pedestal for himself?
           For one thing, Milton's poetry is timeless. For another, he was a truly great man, one of the geniuses of his age and perhaps the most educated poet to ever pick up a pen. "Paradise Lost," for instance, he wrote as an old blind man in prison - he would create the verses in his head at night, and then dictate them to his three daughters in the morning. I myself doubt that I'd be able to read the poem aloud without stumbling, much less compose it and recite it from memory hours later!
          He was born in London on December 9^th, 1608, son of a composer and legal secretary. In those days wealth guaranteed a good education and Milton's family was very well-to-do. (One wonders what the Poets' Hall of Fame would be missing had he been born a pauper.) When he was twelve years old he went to St. Paul’s school in London. Here he began to study Latin and Greek – eventually he would become fluent in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Dutch and Old English! No doubt his profuse knowledge of eight languages contributed to the diversity of language in his writing. According to his younger brother, John would study very hard, often sitting up until one in the morning with a candle. His early classical foundations combined with his self-discipline and innate genius are key factors in his fame and greatness later in life. 

            In the seventeenth century, college took the place of high school, so at seventeen years old John Milton enrolled at Christ’s College in Cambridge. He was hardworking, yet argumentative, which led to his suspension in 1626 after a dispute with his tutor. This was a foreshadowing of the stormy part he would play in politics in the future - Milton always felt he was entitled to his own strong opinions, and had been classically trained to think critically and express himself forcefully. He was eventually assigned a new teacher and graduated with a B.A. in 1629, ranking fourth out of twenty-four honors students. However, he always felt out of place at Cambridge; contradictory to his strong-minded nature, he held a reputation as a sissy, nicknamed "the Lady" for his long curls, scholarly disposition, and effeminate features. Hoping to become an Anglican priest, he stayed to obtain his Master of Arts degree on July 3^rd, 1632. He had made a few good friends, among them Edward King, for whose death he would compose “Lycidas” – and the theologian Roger Williams who tutored Milton in Dutch in exchange for lessons in Hebrew.

           The next six years John "took off" - he moved to the country and spent these days in isolation, studying and reading theology, philosophy, history, politics, and science. This would be deemed a colossal waste of time by our modern views - according to our standards, he was obligated at that point in his life to get a job, to work, to utilize his college degrees. Yet he knew he needed this time alone to continue to deepen his learning, to grow more, to "find himself", so to speak. The results were his well-earned reputation as the most educated English poet of all time, a thorough knowledge of the classics, and a well-trained mind. He continued to write poetry during this time.

            In May 1638 John went on a tour of France and Italy, meeting famous intellectuals such as Galileo, displaying his poetical skills and experiencing new ideas and traditions. News of civil war in England recalled him home in July of 1639. Back in England he began writing prose tracts against episcopacy and became a private tutor. In the spring of 1642, Milton married seventeen-year-old Mary Powell. Unfortunately, it was not a happy marriage and matters were made worse when the English Civil War broke out in August and his wife’s family sided with the king while Milton sided with Parliament. Around this time Milton wrote the “Divorce Tracts,” which advocated divorce and earned him the new nickname “Milton the Divorcer.” 

            In March 1649, the Cromwellian government appointed Milton Secretary of Foreign Tongues. 1652 was a difficult year for Milton – in February he became blind, in May his wife died giving birth to daughter Deborah who later also died, and one-year-old son John died in June. Three years later he remarried, but then his new wife and daughter both died in 1658. Experiencing traumas such as he did in 1652 perhaps created a more mature and stronger Milton - he had come a long ways from near college expulsion over a tiff with a tutor in 1626. 

            Oliver Cromwell also died that October and Cromwellian government came to an end. The period of the Restoration began and Milton was forced into hiding because of his propaganda writings and association with Cromwell. King Charles II was restored to the throne on May 30^th, 1661. In 1663, Milton remarried yet again and spent his time tutoring and writing “Paradise Lost”, which was published in 1667 and received immediate acclaim, admiration, and popularity. Seven years later the poet died of kidney failure on November 8^th. He was buried in the Church of St. Giles Cripplegate.

            John Milton lived during stormy times in England. Charles I and Parliament had been at constant odds for a long time, and in 1642, when Charles raised his royal standard in Nottingham, the break was final. Then three major battles were fought by Charles’ supporters against the supporters of Oliver Cromwell. Charles was defeated for the last time in 1646 at the Battle of Naseby, and he surrendered to the Scots rather than to Parliament. But the Scots broke their promise and sold Charles to Parliament in January of 1647 for £600, 000. Charles then escaped in November to the Isle of Wright and the last battle of the English Civil War was fought at Preston. The supporters of the King were defeated – Charles I was tried at Westminster Hall in January 1649, found guilty, and executed on January 30^th.

            For the next eleven years Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth was the government of England. In theory Parliament was in control, but in reality, it was Cromwell and the army who held the real power. Eventually Cromwell established the Protectorate, effectively making him monarch. This was the government of which Milton was Secretary of Foreign Tongues, and one of which he approved and supported. He wrote many tracts in support of the Commonwealth and its theories. At Cromwell’s death in October of 1658 the Protectorate was at an end and Parliament made the son of Charles I king in 1600.
        These were the tempestuous times in which the great poet lived. They were days well suited to a man such as John Milton, and he played an important role in the drama of England's political turmoil. Amidst the darkness of regicide, harsh Cromwellian government, and general uncertainty and disorder, Milton's epic "Paradise Lost" glimmers as a small point of bright light - the light of the most important tale of redemption in the English language. Milton had been steeped in Christianity since childhood, yet he also unconsciously portrayed the Jewish message of repentance alongside the Christian Messiah's sacrifice in a chaotic chapter of English history. For this he was immortalized in English literature and in the minds and hearts of those touched by salvation in "Paradise Lost" , which has become, for us, "Paradise Regained."