While by thee rais'd I ruin all my Foes,
Death last
Milton writes these words into Jesus' mouth as part of his acceptance speech to take on the role of Sacrificial Lamb for all of Mankind.
Reading this, I couldn't help but think of another quote...
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." - 1 Corinthians 15:26*
I was instantly struck with this parallel, the almost word-for-word rephrasing of Scripture. Surely people of Milton's time would have recognized this passage, and many others that he invokes in Paradise Lost, as borrowed from the Bible. This may give his work more credibility, with a more reliable and true tone. Or maybe Milton just thought it natural for God to voice these passages, since if Scripture was divinely inspired then God would have said these things before anyway.
This parallel also made me realize just how much of a humanistic work this is. This is combining the classical epic poetry with religion and history and science. The calculated mixture of imagination and learning is difficult to achieve. Well done, Milton, well done.
*Is it bad that I recognized the passage in Paradise Lost as being from the Bible because it was written on James and Lily Potter's graves in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Harry Potter: bridging the gap between Milton and the Bible. I love it.
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oh hooper. HP loverrrr 4evah.
ReplyDeleteAnyways. I actually write in my margins moments when I hear scripture in his words - this happens a LOT a lot a lot. I think this is mostly because he is literally transposing a Biblical story -> myth.
That's a great connection, Megan (and how hilarious about the Harry Potter link!). I'd agree with HB that some of the religious language is directly the result of the topic. I'd also venture an argument that there's something in the very tone that suggests importance, lofty ideals, etc.
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