John Milton's Paradise Lost

<p>John Milton's epic poem <em>Paradise Lost</em> (1667) is a literary landmark. His reworking of Biblical tales of the loss of Eden constitutes not only a gripping literary work but a significant musing on fundamental human concerns ranging from freedom and fate to conscience and consciousness.</p><p>Designed for students new to Milton's complex lengthy work this sourcebook:</p><p>* outlines the often unfamiliar contexts of seventeenth-century England which are so crucial to <em>Paradise Lost</em><br>* completes the contextual study with a chronology and reprinted documents from the period<br>* examines and reprints a broad range of responses to the poem from early reactions to recent criticism<br>* reprints the most frequently studied passages of the poem along with extensive commentary and annotation of unfamiliar or significant terms used in Milton's work<br>* provides cross-references between the textual contextual and critical sections of the sourcebook to show how all the materials can be called upon in an individual reader's encounter with the text<br>* suggests further reading for those facing the huge array of critical work on the poem.<br>With an emphasis on enjoying as well as understanding what can be a somewhat daunting work this sourcebook will be a welcome resource for anyone new to <em>Paradise Lost</em>.</p>