John Milton
John Milton has usually been regarded as 'the other great poet' in English literature, after Shakespeare. He is the only one of the world's great poets also to have been actively engaged in politics. A radical Protestant and staunch republican, he served as Latin secretary to Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth. After the restoration of Charles II, his life was probably saved by his fame as a poet. Apart from the great poems like Paradise Lost and Samson Agonistes, Milton also wrote eloquent treatises on topics including divorce, freedom of the press, kingship and education.
This lively new biography by a renowned Milton scholar explores the psychological complexities of a man who must be counted one of the most significant and fascinating writers and thinkers of all time.
- Publisher
John Milton
John Milton was born in 1608 and in the late 1630s he travelled to the Continent where he met, among others, Galileo and Grotius. A staunch republican, he served as Latin secretary to Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth. After the restoration of Charles II his life was probably saved by his fame as a poet. He was thrice married, his first two wives dying after childbirth.This serious yet accessible biography by a renowed Milton scholar tells the story of Milton's fascinating and troubled life on both the personal and political level.
[Publisher]
John Milton (1608-1674) is often regarded as one of England's greatest poets, second only to Shakespeare. Best known for his magnum opus "Paradise Lost," Milton was also one of history's most politically active writers. A radical Protestant and staunch republican, he served as Latin secretary to Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth and throughout his life wrote eloquent treatises on topics including divorce, freedom of the press, kingship, and education. This extensive look at Milton's life and ethos addresses the psychological complexities and political tenets of the man who dared to put words in God's mouth, and whose life was spared following the restoration of the monarchy due only to his reputation as a poet.
[Publisher]
Neil Forsyth
Neil Forsyth holds an M.A. in Classics and English from King's College, Cambridge, and received his PhD. from the University of California at Berkeley. The Milton Society of America awarded him the 2004 James Holly Hanford prize for The Satanic Epic, recently he has published John Milton: A Biography.
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