All is not lost - Paradise Lost Book 1 - The Uncovered English

Paradise Lost Book - I

John Milton

"All is not lost" - What is implied loss? How does the speaker catelogue all that is not lost?

Because of his inordinate pride and ambition to rise above God, Satan waged an impious war in heaven. Satan with the rebellious angels suffered a defeat and was expelled from heaven to bottomless pit of hell. Thus the implied loss is Satan's defeat in the war against God and consequent expulsion from heaven.

In his frist speech Satan Catalogues What is lost and what is not. He says:

"All is not lost, the unquerable will
And study of revenge, immortal hate
And courage never to submit or yield;"
Satann means to say here that it does not matter if he and his followers have lost the battle. Only a battle has been lost. The war has not been lost. They still hate their invincible determination, their decision to pursue their revenge, their undying hatred for their enemy and the courage never to surrender. As they have all these, it means that they gave not been defeated. No matter how powerful their enemy might be, they will never allow him to win the glory of achieving a triumph over them.

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