ESSENTIAL BIOGRAPHIC INFO
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Author Name:
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John Milton |
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Pseudonym:
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/ |
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Nickname:
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/ |
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Date of Birth:
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09/12/1608 |
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Place of Birth:
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London |
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Date of Death:
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1674 |
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Time Period:
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The Commonwealth period. Refer to Literary Trends part 4 The Commonwealth |
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Type of Education:
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Homeschooling, Secondary education at St. Paul's School, University: Christ's College, Cambridge |
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School/University:
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-was taught at home by private teachers (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French and Italian). -attended St. Paul's School. -was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge. -earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts. |
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Places where the author lived:
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- was born and raised in London
- spent several years in Horton, Buckinghamshire, a rural area west of London.
- traveled to Italy for a period, visiting cities like Florence, Rome, and Naples
- upon his return to England, he lived in various parts of London |
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Peculiar events:
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Loss of sight: Milton became blind (began to lose his sight in his early 30s, completely blind by the age of 44, he dictated his later works to his daughters)
Divorce advocacy: defended the right to divorce through a series of pamphlets (1643) defending the right to divorce, a controversial topic at the time.
Civil War support: supported Parliament, served as a Latin secretary for the Commonwealth government, translating official documents and writing political pamphlets.
Monarch restoration (1660): was briefly imprisoned and faced the threat of execution, went into hiding, returned to London, lived under house arrest until his death.
-Religious exploration: He developed his own theology.
-Multiple marriages: He had three wives.
-Children: had four children: Anne Milton: first daughter, 1642, Mary Milton: second daughter, 1645, Deborah Milton: third daughter, 1652, Caleb Milton: only son, 1655. |
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LITERARY PRODUCTION
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Main work title:
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"Paradise Lost" |
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Genre:
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Epic poem |
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Synthesis:
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This work tells the story of Satan's temptation of Adam and Eve, and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It was Written during a tumultuous period in Milton's life, including his involvement in politics, the loss of his sight, and the re-establishment of the monarchy (Restoration).
Milton aimed to "justify God's ways to men" in the epic. |
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Other works
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Title:
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"Lycidas" (1638) |
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Genre:
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Pastoral elegy |
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Synthesis:
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About the death of Edward King, a fellow student at Cambridge. |
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Title:
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"Comus" (1634) |
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Genre:
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Masque |
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Synthesis:
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A virtuous young woman resists the temptations of the evil Comus. |
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Title:
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"Areopagitica" (1644) |
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Genre:
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Pamphlet |
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Synthesis:
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Defends freedom of the press. |
