Re-read Satan's journey through chaos (Book II, Lines 890-967). What is the "nature" of chaos according to Milton's description, and how does he create that nature through the language?
Milton speaks of many beings such as Night, Hot, Cold, Moist, Dry, Rumor, Chance, and Confusion. These, as we know, are aspects of the world we know. With this, Milton is able to personify them, and use them as aspects of Chaos. This is very interesting because he uses them a warring forces and descriptions of Chaos. Chaos is then the center of both everything and nothing at the same time. The "nature" of chaos is a space that is both life and death, or land and ocean at the same time. It is the center of all of these warring aspects, and the warring aspects.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Weekly Literary Terms: Aestheticism, Ambiguity, and Ballad
Aestheticism:
Aestheticism is the acceptance of artistic beauty and taste as a fundamental standard, ethical and other standards being secondary.
Example:
Ambiguity:
Ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement that can have more than one meaning or is vague. An ambiguous statement is one in which the reader does cannot fully understand the meaning, whether intentional or not.
Example:
I did stuff the other day.
Ballad:
A ballad is a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing.
Example:
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water...
Aestheticism is the acceptance of artistic beauty and taste as a fundamental standard, ethical and other standards being secondary.
Example:
Ambiguity:
Ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement that can have more than one meaning or is vague. An ambiguous statement is one in which the reader does cannot fully understand the meaning, whether intentional or not.
Example:
I did stuff the other day.
Ballad:
A ballad is a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing.
Example:
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water...
Paradise Lost: Book II Part A
What are the main positions suggested by the chief devils within the debate? Summarize these positions and comment on how Milton develops the rhetoric of hell.
Moloch takes the first position when he suggests the devils make open war on Heaven. He makes the argument that nothing could be worse than they have it in hell now. Belial then steps up and counters that, saying that God has not punished them as harshly as he might if they did attack again, pointing to the fact that they are no longer chained to the lake of fire for evidence. Mammon then steps up and suggests that they be industrious in hell, making it a heaven. This position takes root until Beelzebub stands up and speaks. He instead suggests that they go and corrupt what God has created, making sure that His creation cannot last in perfection. The demons enjoy this idea and Satan then steps up, volunteering to explore the unknown and go to Creation. With his speech, Satan at once establishes his power over the demons and portrays himself as the tragic hero of them all. Now Satan sits unquestioned as god of hell. Milton sets a very interesting rhetoric for hell here, in which it is a gilded democracy. With this, pandemonium seems to be democratic, every devil kind of getting a vote, but in all reality, Satan controls the opinions of the devils. Beelzebub's idea for corrupting creation was first stated to him by Satan when they first left the lake of fire. Then, Satan spun the story to make him seem like he was sacrificing everything for all of the other demons. With this, the rhetoric of hell cannot be trusted, and is manipulated by Satan.
Moloch takes the first position when he suggests the devils make open war on Heaven. He makes the argument that nothing could be worse than they have it in hell now. Belial then steps up and counters that, saying that God has not punished them as harshly as he might if they did attack again, pointing to the fact that they are no longer chained to the lake of fire for evidence. Mammon then steps up and suggests that they be industrious in hell, making it a heaven. This position takes root until Beelzebub stands up and speaks. He instead suggests that they go and corrupt what God has created, making sure that His creation cannot last in perfection. The demons enjoy this idea and Satan then steps up, volunteering to explore the unknown and go to Creation. With his speech, Satan at once establishes his power over the demons and portrays himself as the tragic hero of them all. Now Satan sits unquestioned as god of hell. Milton sets a very interesting rhetoric for hell here, in which it is a gilded democracy. With this, pandemonium seems to be democratic, every devil kind of getting a vote, but in all reality, Satan controls the opinions of the devils. Beelzebub's idea for corrupting creation was first stated to him by Satan when they first left the lake of fire. Then, Satan spun the story to make him seem like he was sacrificing everything for all of the other demons. With this, the rhetoric of hell cannot be trusted, and is manipulated by Satan.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Book I Blog
Based off your reading of Book I, why do you think Milton uses epic simile so frequently? What does he hope to accomplish through his use of simile?
Through epic simile, Milton is able to texture the world he describes. By comparing the pieces of his world to common pieces of ours that we know well, Milton is able to better pull our imagination into his world. We are able to see it better, but also hear and feel Hell because he is calling to mind images, sounds, and feelings that we are very familiar with. However, but only comparing it to it, he is able to build off of our experiences and pull at our imagination to extend those experiences.
Through epic simile, Milton is able to texture the world he describes. By comparing the pieces of his world to common pieces of ours that we know well, Milton is able to better pull our imagination into his world. We are able to see it better, but also hear and feel Hell because he is calling to mind images, sounds, and feelings that we are very familiar with. However, but only comparing it to it, he is able to build off of our experiences and pull at our imagination to extend those experiences.
Weekly Literary Terms: Antithesis, Archaism, Atmosphere, and Augustan Age
Antithesis:
Antithesis is a literary device used when two contrasting ideas are used together to create emphasis.
Example:
"One small step for man, one giant step for mankind."
Archaism:
Archaism is a figure of speech in which an a word or phrase that is used is considered old fashioned.
Example:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys to a reader through the description of setting and objects.
Example:
"It was a dark stormy night; the rain fell in torrents..."
Augustan Age:
The Augustan Age is the period of English literature in the early 18th century, when writers such as Swift and Pope were active. The name comes from that of the Roman emperor Augustus, who ruled when Virgil, Horace and Ovid were writing, and suggests a classical period of elegant literature.
Example:
Alexander Pope wrote an Epistle to Augustus which was in fact written to George II of Great Britain
Antithesis is a literary device used when two contrasting ideas are used together to create emphasis.
Example:
"One small step for man, one giant step for mankind."
Archaism:
Archaism is a figure of speech in which an a word or phrase that is used is considered old fashioned.
Example:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Atmosphere:
Atmosphere refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys to a reader through the description of setting and objects.
Example:
"It was a dark stormy night; the rain fell in torrents..."
Augustan Age:
The Augustan Age is the period of English literature in the early 18th century, when writers such as Swift and Pope were active. The name comes from that of the Roman emperor Augustus, who ruled when Virgil, Horace and Ovid were writing, and suggests a classical period of elegant literature.
Example:
Alexander Pope wrote an Epistle to Augustus which was in fact written to George II of Great Britain
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Epic Simile
An example of Epic Simile in Paradise Lost:
"...his ponderous shield...
Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb
through optic glass the Tuscan artist views
At evening from the top of Fesole,
Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands,
Rivers or mountains in her spotty globe" (Bk. 1; Ln.284-291)
Here, Beelzebub's superior(I believe is Satan) is stepping up after Beelzebub has finished speaking. His shield is compared to the moon and Valdarno. Both of these are rough, but beautiful surfaces. I believe Milton is speaking to the nature of Satan, his legions, and Hell in this comparison as being rough, and imperfect, but still admired, loved, and closely inspected by people for its beauty. Before Galileo, people assumed that the Moon's surface was that of a sphere, but when Galileo looked at it "through optic glass," he found it to be rough and jagged with craters. This same concept is made with Valdarno's "Rivers or mountains in her spotty globe." While this is true, the moon and this valley are both beautiful sights to humanity.
"...his ponderous shield...
Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb
through optic glass the Tuscan artist views
At evening from the top of Fesole,
Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands,
Rivers or mountains in her spotty globe" (Bk. 1; Ln.284-291)
Here, Beelzebub's superior(I believe is Satan) is stepping up after Beelzebub has finished speaking. His shield is compared to the moon and Valdarno. Both of these are rough, but beautiful surfaces. I believe Milton is speaking to the nature of Satan, his legions, and Hell in this comparison as being rough, and imperfect, but still admired, loved, and closely inspected by people for its beauty. Before Galileo, people assumed that the Moon's surface was that of a sphere, but when Galileo looked at it "through optic glass," he found it to be rough and jagged with craters. This same concept is made with Valdarno's "Rivers or mountains in her spotty globe." While this is true, the moon and this valley are both beautiful sights to humanity.
Weekly Literary Terms: Assonance, Consonance, and Allusion
Assonance:
Assonance is the repetition of a vowel sound in the same position of words near each other.
Example:
"The crumbling thunder of seas"
Consonance:
Consonance is the repetition of similar consonant sounds between near by words
Example:
"The silent sound seeped slowly into his mind"
Allusion:
Allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it specifically
Example:
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