Epic Elements - Paradise Lost - The Uncovered English
Paradise Lost Book - I
John Milton
In 'A Glossary of Literary Terms' M.H. Abrams defines epic as "a long verse narrative on a serious subject, total in a formal and elevated style and centered on a heroic or quasi-devine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation or the human race." Homer's Illiad and Odyssey are the primary epic. Milton's Paradise Lost like Aenied and unlike Illiad is secondary epic as pointed out by C.S. Lewis. Paradise Lost as an epic is classical in form but Christian in theme. Though Milton follows the artistic conventions established by Homer and Virgil; he independently rejects Homeric and Virgilian secular subject to choose a sacred and Biblical theme, the fall of Man. So, the theme of Paradise Lost is "Vaster and more universal human significance than any work handled by Milton's predecessors."
The Book - I of Paradise Lost is a perfect Specimen of epical opening. In itself it does not exhibit all detailed features of the genre, but just as a flower or a leaf unmistakebly indicates the character of the tree it belongs to. So, thus this single book indicate amply the nature and flavour of great epic poetry.
Addison Spectator no - 267, listed three qualifications for an epic action. First, it should be but one action, secondly, it should be an entire action and thirdly, it should be a great action. Paradise Lost has one dominant theme, the fall of man, it's an entire action complete in all its parts, with a beginning, a middle and an end. As regards the greatness of subjects, Milton's is a part, kf not greater than Homer's or Virgil's subject.
Milton's subject does not deal with the fate of single person or nation's, but of a whole species. The united power of Hell are joined together for the destruction of mankind. The principal actors are man in his greatest perfection, and woman in her highest beauty. Their enemies are the fallen angels. The Messiah their friend and the Almighty their protector. Thus everything that is great in the whole circle has a proper part assigned to it in this 'adventurous song.'
The aim of an epic poem is high seriousness and it is inspired by lofty moral purpose. C.M. Bowra in his book From Virgil to Milton, points out that the heroes of literary epic not mere individuals, but symbols or ideals of something great. As Aeneas stands for Rome, Adam stands for all mankind. The destiny of Adam is a lesson to men for all times. Milton at the end of the invocation in Book - I states the moral purpose of his epic -
And justify the ways of God to men."
The characters of an epic should be so great as to be worthy of supervision by providence. The human characters in Paradise Lost are Adam and Eve. Milton is originally among the epic poets in rejecting physical powers of warrior heroes as the standard of greatness and instead of, emphasises moral greatness. Apparently, Adam is defeated by Satan and suffers loss of Paradise but morally he is victorious in acknowledging his guilt, repenting for it and reforming himself. Thus Milton, according to Tillyard "Moved from the official heroic poem to domestic life." The remaining characters are the greatest ever appeared in an epic poem, God, the Son of God, Archangels and angels, Satan and his mighty lieutenants.
In Paradise Lost Book - I there is an introductory invocation or prayer to God to inspire and bless the poet to complete his task property. He describes his work as "Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme." Milton than yearns for Heavenly blessings and offers prayers:-
Illumine, what is low raise and support."
In the invocation to the Muse Milton follows a poetic tradition adopted from antiquity. The Heavenly Muse is in reality the divine inspiration which revealed the truths of religions to Moses and also the spirit of God which dwells in the heart of every believer.
Speechless of elaborate length are another feature of epic. Apart from the poet's logic and descriptions, the characters themselves speak fully explaining their thoughts, feelings and motives for our understanding. Satan's firm assertion, "the mind is its own place and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, Hell of Heaven" - illustrates fully his obsession on the supremacy of mind.
Another characterstic of an epic is its grand style. Milton's poetic style in Paradise Lost is the last word of sublimity in English poetry. Paradise Lost excels as a poetic work both for the Tennyson called Milton "God gifted organ voice of England." The language of Paradise Lost bristles with Latinisms and to some extent this fact lifts the style above the common place.
In Book - 1 of Paradise Lost Million uses a number of Homeric similes. These similes besides serving the purpose of illustration and decoration have a power of suggestion and a magnitude and depth of erudition beyond anything found in the epic similes used by Homer and Virgil.
Milton used Hebrew, Greek and Latin words to create a grand style for this sublime epic.
To impart a sense of majesty and remoteness to his style, he used Latin Syntax. Milton used archaism, foreign, expression and new coinages, like Spenser in his Farie Queene to tend anais of remoteness to his grand manner and to destroy triviality.
Milton took up Bank verse when it was practically discarded in poetry outside drama. Milton's drama. Milton's formal blank verse is generally accepted as the most effective epic medium in English language
Thus Paradise Lost as an epic is a Puritan Poets, vision of life conveyed through the best manner of the classical epic. Adam and Eve are Everyman ourselves, and Paradise Lost concerns both the mental pilgrimage of the individual and the course through historical time of the whole human race. As Prof. Tillyard writes in 'The English epic amd its Background' Milton is "The modal figure in English epic as Virgil in Latin. He left no privious epic untouched and no English epic poet of the future could escape his influence." The old strands met in him, amd out of him new strands emanated.
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