“Paradise Lost” by John Milton was written in year 1667 and is considered to be a great work of art, as well as a reflection of human history and beliefs that were and are a very important part of the culture. The forces that govern everything around are being studied by human civilization but a great part of how it all came into being is unknown, leading to a belief that a higher intelligence took part in the making and structuring of the universe.
John Milton wrote the poem a long time ago and it was written for people of all ages and belief systems but specifically for Christians and those who believe in the Garden of Eden and the creation of the world by God. It is a kind of a legend that can be told to children as an explanation of how everything appeared but also it could be analyzed by adults with a goal to find the truth and what forces of Nature there are. “Paradise Lost” tells a story of the first days of the creation of Earth. It begins by describing how there was a battle between good and evil—Satan the fallen angel and God and his angels. Satan lost the battle and was condemned to a chaotic place where he built a castle for himself and all those who decided to join him. As Satan was very unpleased with his banishment from Heaven he decided to take his revenge on Earth and God’s new creation—Adam and Eve. He himself went to the Garden of Eden using all kinds of deception on angels who were guarding the passageways to Adam and Eve. He had some opposition from the good forces but his persistence eventually paid off. When he finally reached his destination he turned into a serpent and while Adam and Eve were separated during their daily routine, he persuaded Eve to eat an apple from the Tree of Knowledge. This way he wanted to ruin God’s new creation and avenge his defeat. God knew about Satan and that he is trying to have his revenge and so warned the angels to protect Adam and Eve but nonetheless Satan found a way to commit his deed. After Eve tasted the apple she convinced Adam to eat it also and even though he knew it was wrong he was ready to take the punishment because he loved Eve and wanted to be by her side. After they ate it they became aware of themselves and their nakedness, gaining the knowledge that was initially forbidden by God. This act angered God and he banished Adam and Eve from the Garden. Meanwhile Satan returned to his castle and was greeted by his followers in the success of his revenge. But the joy was short lived as God turned them all into serpents as a punishment for their evil (Milton, 1905). This story, which is well known in the world, represents the everlasting battle between good and evil. It teaches people that evil deeds will eventually be punished and obedience to God and his Word will be greatly rewarded.
John Milton’s work is a representation of the time in which the poem was written and the beliefs that were present within the society and culture. In the year 1667 people’s lives were closely intertwined with religion and a belief in God and other heavenly beings who were thought of as indivisible from the daily life. “Paradise Lost” can be considered a legend or even a historical document as it describes the events that presumably took place and were recorded in the Bible. The people who were told about the Bible and its teachings respect it very much and believe that the beginning of the world happened exactly as it is described. It supports the view that God has created Earth, humans and every other living creature. It serves as a reminder and support for people who believe in God, explaining life, death, sin and immortality. It can also be seen as a reassurance that good deeds will be rewarded and that God watches over his creations, guiding and helping people (Wittreich, 2011). In those past times people did not have the understanding that exists today and this story and God were a part of everyday life, which created purpose and made sense of everything that was around. The story of God, Heaven, Angels, Adam and Eve and Satan, are all key elements in the Christian religion that describe God’s intentions. It reminds people of the greater purpose of life and its continuation beyond the planet Earth. For Christian people and all those who believe in God the poem is not a legend but a reliable document that describes and shares the divinity of Earth, all the living things and people themselves. It explains why humanity exists and teaches what is wrong and right. The Bible is considered a true document written from the words of God and many believe it to be a description of what really took place. The definite and precise nature with which the poem is written leaves no place for doubt and seems to be closer to a historical work than a fictional legend.
“Paradise Lost” describes events that presumably happened a long time ago. There is no chance to prove or disprove what is illustrated by Milton. People today might be skeptical towards the true nature of the story told in “Paradise Lost” but in the older times it is possible to conclude that people believed that this was exactly how the world and everything else came to be. When analyzing a personal belief in the document it seems that some of the story could be true. There is no hard evidence to support the poem but the fact that it exists, both as a work of art and a reference to the Bible, creates some amount of doubt pertaining to the falsification of the events. With all the mysterious happenings that are observed in the modern times and which have been described in the past, it would not be a surprise if the general points are relevant to cosmic forces that exist. There is a chance that everything didn’t happen exactly the way it is described but the common theme and the nature of a more powerful being than humans is legitimately acceptable. Taking into account the year that this work was written, it is possible to conclude that people living in those times were very religious and the belief that there is a God and Heavens was almost undoubted. Sciences and technology, as well as the civilization and the modern way of thinking were non-existent and people relied on legends and beliefs that were passed on through generations. The fact that there are people today who believe the Bible to be true, makes it very plausible that people were very sure of it 300 years ago. Personally this document is a reminder that there are forces in the world and the universe that cannot be quantified or proved. There is no doubt that some things that are thought of as “magical” today are real forces of nature that science still has no way to describe—confirm or oppose. The modern knowledge of the material and physical, the make-up of “everything” leads to believe that there is a great design that is incomprehensible by a human mind in its present state of development but the mere fact that the planets and stars somehow create themselves into being and are governed by laws that could not possibly be made by humans, makes a person wonder if some of the events described really did take place.
The world is a very mysterious place that opens a great amount of possibilities. “Paradise Lost” is a document that can serve as a reminder that it was not a human mind that created the Earth and the solar system, not to mention the universe, that there is a force much more intelligent, which governed the formation of planets and stars and still does today. All the chemical elements and the physical laws like gravity or absence thereof, show that Nature has a logical and well structured design and the question of who created all of this is secondary to the fact that it all exists in harmony and a balanced order, which can be studied and observed by human beings.
References
Milton, J. (1905). Paradise Lost. London: G. Routledge and sons.
Wittreich, J. (2011). Lost paradise regained: The twin halves of Milton’s epic vision1. University of Toronto Quarterly, 80(3), 731-755.