Introduction
Paradise Lost is an unmatched epic written by an English Poet, John Milton. The epic is entirely written in blank verse. The epic hit the shelves in 1667 when only 10 books were published. Later, in 1674, Milton added two more books to shape his epic like Virgil's Aeneid. Paradise Lost is a splendid manifestation of his Grand Style. Why is Milton style grand? Macaulay answers,
There is not a square inch of his poetry from first to last of which one could not confidently say, "This is Milton and no one else. "
The core elements of Milton's grand style are his vocabulary, construction of sentences, extended similes, images, use of Latin words and blank verse.
Milton uses punchy vocabulary
The first noticeable element of Milton's grand style is his use of archaic (abandoned) vocabulary. Take a look at the first few lines of the epic,
OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,
In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill
A reader will spot many difficult words like Oreb, Sinai, Shepherd, chosen Seed etc. Milton does not use such heavy vocabulary to bother the readers of his epic. He wants them to do some little research on Wikipedia while enjoying this poem so that the readers should not grab the surface of the poem but they should dig deeper to unlock the, mysteries of past and present. It is also evident that Milton was a profound scholar of Latin. He has borrowed many Latin expressions and studded them with perfection to create an enchanting effect if a reader is willing to smash some keys on Google.
Milton's sentences are Latinized
The influence of Latin is also present in the sentence structure of Paradise Lost. In Latin, the sentences are structured differently than those of the English language. For example, the Latinic sentences end on verbs but English sentences normally end on objects. Such implication makes this epic very difficult to interpret. For instance, take a look at this passage from Book VIII,
soft oppression seis'd
My droused sense, untroubl'd though I thought
I then was passing to my former state
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve
Although a reader can somehow make out the meaning from this Latinized passage but if these lines had come out from other than Milton, it would have rendered as a grotesque piece of writing.
Extended Similes
The history of extended similes goes way back in the era of Homer, an epic poet who wrote Odyssey and Iliad. Their extended similes were tiny as compared to the Miltonic ones. Milton's use of epic similes is as grand as his style. It can be replicated as an essay or even a book. For example, in Book I, Milton presents the gigantic imagery of huge size of Satan,
That sparkling blaz'd, his other Parts besides
Prone on the Flood, extended long and large
Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge
As whom the Fables name of monstrous size,
Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove,
Briareos or Typhon, whom the Den
By ancient Tarsus held, or that Sea-beast
Leviathan, which God of all his works
Created hugest that swim the' Ocean stream:
Him haply slumbring on the Norway foam
The Pilot of some small night-founder'd Skiff,
Deeming some Island, oft, as Sea-men tell,
This extended simile gives a vivid impression about the gigantic stature of Satan.
Blank Verse
Blank verse is an un-rhymed poem. Even small poems in blank verse are difficult to write precisely then this epic is made of twelve books, stretching beyond ten thousand lines. John Milton has skillfully played with pauses and periods in his epic to make Paradise Lost standout as an epic in blank verse.
Opinion of the Critics
Different critics hold different opinions for Milton's grand style. T. S. Eliot notes,
As a poet, Milton seems probably the greatest of all eccentrics [conventionals]. His work illustrates no general principle of good writing: the only principles of writing that it illustrates are such as are valid for himself to observe.
C.S. Levis comes forward and counters,
He [Milton] makes his epic a rite so that we may share it: the more ritual it becomes, the more we are elevated to the rank of participants.
Conclusion
Manifestly, Milton's style is sublime in his own distinctive way. No one can produce the best for the subject of Paradise Lost as Milton does and that is only possible through the use of heavy but precise vocabulary, alien but allusive Latin phrases and his pure use of Miltonic similes. Raleigh beautifully sums up,
The name of Milton is become the mark, not of a biography, not of a theme but of a style, the most distinguished in our poetry.
Sources and Suggested Readings
- Paradise Lost Book 1 - A Critical Evaluation - Page 84
- https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/p/paradise-lost/critical-essays/miltons-grand-style
- https://everything34.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-grand-style-of-john-milton-in.html
It is helpful..... Thank you
ReplyDeleteIt is helpful.....thank you
ReplyDelete