Paradise Lost Book - I John Milton The Epic Similes in Paradise Lost Book 1 are more functional than decorative. Discuss. The most striking feature of Milton's style Paradise Lost Book - 1 is the profuse employment of epic similes. Milton follows in this respect the example of Homer, Virgil, Statius, Lucan, Spenser, Tasso etc and even borrows in some cases Similes already used by these epic predecessors. Where original, His Similes are drawn out of a vast range of studies and cover a wide horizon of human experience. In Book - 1 Similes are not employed for decoration and ornamentation but to provide a subtle internal commentary on characters actions, to give a welcome relief to the reader and to enhance the poetic merit of the poem. Hanford observed "A striking feature of Milton's style is his use of the epic or expanded Simile. These digression are for him a welcome means of pouring forth the treasures o...