John Milton Early Life and Education, Short Note

Biographical Facts: Early Life and Education

1. Birth Date: John Milton was born on December 9, 1608.
2. Birthplace: He was born at Bread Street, Cheapside, London.
3. Father’s Name: His father was also named John Milton, a successful scrivener (notary/legal scribe) and a musician.
4. Mother’s Name: His mother was Sarah Jeffrey.
5. Religious Background: Milton was a devout Puritan.
6. Schooling: He received his early education at St. Paul’s School.
7. University: He attended Christ's College, Cambridge.
8. Nickname: At Cambridge, he was known as the "Lady of Christ’s" due to his fair complexion, oval face, and long auburn hair.
9. Bachelor's Degree: He completed his B.A. in 1629.
10. Master's Degree: He completed his M.A. in 1632.
11. Academic Standing: He ranked 4th out of 24 graduates in his B.A. class.
12. Early Influence: He considered Edmund Spenser his "Master" and was deeply influenced by him.
13. Language Proficiency: He was highly proficient in Latin, writing many early works and letters in the language.
14. College Friend: His close college friend was Edward King, whose death inspired the poem Lycidas.
15. Another Close Friend: Charles Diodati was another intimate friend from his school days.
16. Death Date: Milton died on November 8, 1674.
17. Cause of Death: He died due to complications from gout or kidney failure.
18. Burial Place: He was buried at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London.

Marriages and Family

19. First Wife: He married Mary Powell in 1642/43.
20. Mary Powell’s Age: She was 17 (or 16) years old, while Milton was 35 at the time of marriage.
21. Separation: Mary Powell left him just one month after the wedding to return to her parents.
22. Reconciliation: She returned to Milton in 1645.
23. Children with Mary: They had three daughters (Anne, Mary, Deborah) and a son (John).
24. Son's Death: His only son, John, died in infancy in 1652.
25. Death of First Wife: Mary Powell died in 1652/53 due to childbirth complications.
26. Second Wife: He married Katherine Woodcock in 1656.
27. Sonnet for Katherine: He wrote "Methought I Saw My Late Espoused Saint" in her memory.
28. Death of Second Wife: Katherine died in 1658, only two years after their marriage.
29. Third Wife: He married Elizabeth Minshull in 1663.
30. Age Difference: Elizabeth Minshull was about 30 years younger than Milton.
31. Inheritance: Milton left his property to Elizabeth Minshull, which led to a legal dispute with his daughters.

Public Service and Blindness

32. Political Role: He served as the Latin Secretary (Secretary of Foreign Tongues) to the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell starting in 1649.
33. Political Affiliation: He was a staunch supporter of the Commonwealth and the Puritan cause.
34. Blindness: He became totally blind in 1652 at the age of 44.
35. Cause of Blindness: Attributed to excessive strain on his eyes while writing "Defensio Pro Populo Anglicano" (Defense of the English People) and glaucoma.
36. Arrest: Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Milton was arrested and imprisoned for about two months.

Major Periods of Literary Work

37. Three Periods: His literary career is often divided into three phases: Horton Period (1632–1638), Middle Period (1640–1660), and the Epic Period (1660–1674).
38. The Horton Period: Named after his father’s country home where Milton spent six years in deep private study.
39. Middle Period: Dominated by prose and political pamphlets.
40. Final Period: Known as the period of "High Poetic Genius," where he wrote his greatest epics while blind.

Key Works: Early Poems and Masques

41. First Notable Poem: "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity" was written in 1629 when he was 21.
42. Poem on Shakespeare: "On Shakespeare" (1630) was his first published poem (appearing in the Second Folio of 1632).
43. Companion Poems: "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso" (c. 1631–1632) are known as the "Twin Poems".
44. L'Allegro: Means "The Happy Man" in Italian; it celebrates social life and mirth.
45. Il Penseroso: Means "The Thoughtful/Melancholy Man"; it celebrates a life of contemplation.
46. Arcades: A short entertainment or masque written around 1632.
47. Comus: A masque presented at Ludlow Castle in 1634.
48. Comus Theme: It emphasizes the triumph of virtue and chastity over vice.
49. Comus Title: Originally titled "A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle".
50. Lycidas: A pastoral elegy written in 1637.
51. Lycidas Inspiration: Written to commemorate the death by drowning of his college friend, Edward King.
52. Lycidas Classification: Considered one of the greatest pastoral elegies in the English language.
53. Last Horton Poem: Lycidas is often cited as the final poem of his Horton period.

Major Prose Works and Pamphlets

54. Areopagitica: Published in 1644, it is a speech for the freedom of the press and against censorship.
55. Areopagitica Recipient: Addressed to the Parliament of England.
56. Of Education: Published in 1644, outlining his views on a rigorous classical education.
57. The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates: Written in 1649 to justify the execution of King Charles I.
58. Eikonoklastes: Published in 1649 as a response to Eikon Basilike, defending the Commonwealth.
59. Defensio Pro Populo Anglicano: Written in Latin (1651) to defend the English people against the accusations of Salmasius.
60. Of Reformation: His first prose pamphlet (1641), attacking the episcopal system of the church.
61. Divorce Tracts: Milton wrote four pamphlets advocating for divorce based on mutual incompatibility (1643–1645).
62. Reason for Divorce Tracts: Inspired by his own failed first marriage to Mary Powell.
63. Pro Se Defensio: A self-defense pamphlet written in 1655.

Paradise Lost: Structure and Composition

64. Classification: Paradise Lost is a Grand Epic written in Blank Verse.
65. Theme: Its primary goal is to "justify the ways of God to men".
66. Composition Years: He began writing it around 1658 and finished in 1665.
67. First Publication: Published in 10 books in 1667.
68. Second Publication: Published in 12 books in 1674.
69. Epic Conventions: Uses classical conventions like In Media Res (starting in the middle), Invocations, and Epic Similes.
70. Opening Scene: Book I begins with Satan and his followers lying defeated in the burning lake of Hell.
71. The Hero Debate: While Adam is the nominal hero, many critics (like William Blake) consider Satan the real hero of Book I.
72. Source Material: Primarily drawn from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
73. Secretary’s Help: Being blind, Milton dictated the poem to his daughters and various amanuenses.
74. Payment: Milton famously sold the copyright for Paradise Lost for only £5 (with potential for more based on sales).

Characters and Quotes in Paradise Lost

75. Satan's Famous Quote: "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n".
76. Satan's Resilience: "What though the field be lost? All is not lost".
77. The Mind's Power: "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n".
78. Satan’s Right Hand: Beelzebub is Satan’s chief lieutenant in Hell.
79. Pandemonium: The capital of Hell, designed by the architect Mulciber.
80. The Archangel Michael: Leads the heavenly army and shows Adam the future of mankind in the final books.
81. The Archangel Raphael: Sent by God to warn Adam and Eve about Satan.
82. The Son of God: The figure who eventually defeats Satan and offers to sacrifice himself for man's sins.
83. Adam and Eve: The first human couple; the poem ends with their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
84. Final Lines: "They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way".

Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes

85. Paradise Regained: Published in 1671 in four books.
86. Inspiration for Regained: A friend, Thomas Ellwood, asked, "Thou hast said much here of Paradise lost, but what hast thou to say of Paradise found?".
87. Theme of Regained: Focuses on the temptation of Christ in the wilderness by Satan.
88. Milton’s Favorite: Milton reportedly preferred Paradise Regained over Paradise Lost.
89. Samson Agonistes: A closet drama (tragedy) published in 1671 along with Paradise Regained.
90. Form of Samson: It follows the Greek model of tragedy, observing the three unities (time, place, action).
91. Samson's Condition: Like Milton, the protagonist Samson is blind and a prisoner.
92. Samson's Betrayer: His wife Dalila (Delilah), who betrays his secret strength to the Philistines.
93. Famous Line from Samson: "Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail".
94. Catharsis: The play ends with "calm of mind, all passion spent".

Famous Critical Comments on Milton

95. Wordsworth on Milton: "Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour: England hath need of thee".
96. Wordsworth’s Description: "Thy soul was like a Star, and dwelt apart".
97. John Dryden: "This man cuts us all out, and the ancients too".
98. William Blake: "Milton was of the Devil’s party without knowing it" (referring to his powerful portrayal of Satan).
99. Samuel Johnson: Criticized Lycidas for its "harsh" numbers and "disgusting" pastoral form.
100. Matthew Arnold: Praised Milton for his "Grand Style".
101. Tennyson: Called Milton the "God-gifted organ-voice of England".
102. Tennyson on Milton’s Verse: Described him as the "mighty-mouth'd inventor of harmonies".

Sonnets and Other Poetic Facts

103. Number of Sonnets: Milton wrote 24 sonnets (18 in English, 6 in Italian).
104. On His Blindness: His most famous sonnet (also titled "When I Consider How My Light is Spent").
105. Sonnet Theme: It reflects on his loss of sight and concludes that "They also serve who only stand and wait".
106. On the Late Massacre in Piedmont: A powerful sonnet protesting the slaughter of Protestants.
107. On Arriving at the Age of Twenty-Three: A sonnet reflecting on his lack of maturity and poetic achievement at 23.
108. Miltonic Sonnet Form: He often used the Petrarchan structure but avoided the volta (break) between the octave and sestet.

Historical and Literary Context

109. The Age of Milton: Roughly corresponds to the years 1625–1660, covering the Caroline Age and the Commonwealth.
110. The Puritan Age: This era is also referred to as the Puritan Age because of the dominance of Puritan values.
111. Closure of Theatres: Theatres were closed in 1642 by the Puritans, ending the era of Renaissance drama.
112. The Caroline Age: Named after King Charles I (Carolus in Latin).
113. Common Name: Milton is often called a "Belated Elizabethan" because he carried the spirit of the Renaissance into a later age.
114. Civil War: The English Civil War (1642–1651) deeply influenced his political and religious writings.
115. Cavalier Poetes: Contemporaries of Milton who supported the King (e.g., Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace).
116. Roundheads: The name given to the supporters of the Parliament (Puritans) during the Civil War.

Exam-Specific Odds and Ends

117. Grand Style: Term coined by Matthew Arnold to describe Milton's lofty, complex, and elevated language.
118. Blank Verse: Milton's use of unrhymed iambic pentameter in Paradise Lost set a new standard for English poetry.
119. Epic Simile: Also called "Miltonic Simile"; these are extended, elaborate comparisons.
120. Italian Journey: Milton traveled to Italy in 1638–1639, where he met the famous scientist Galileo.
121. Galileo in Paradise Lost: Milton mentions the "Tuscan artist" (Galileo) and his "optic glass" (telescope) in the epic.
122. Milton’s Style: Characterized by Latinate constructions, inversions, and archaic vocabulary.
123. Greatest Master of Blank Verse: Milton is widely regarded as the greatest master of blank verse in non-dramatic poetry.
124. Poet's Poet: Like Spenser, Milton is often studied by later poets for his technical mastery.
125. The Restoration: In 1660, Charles II was restored to the throne, ending the Puritan rule and forcing Milton into hiding.
126. Diodati’s Death: Inspired Milton to write the Latin elegy "Epitaphium Damonis".
127. The Great Fire of London: Occurred in 1666, shortly before the publication of Paradise Lost.
128. The Great Plague: Occurred in 1665, forcing many to flee London.
129. Milton’s Legacy: He is ranked second only to Shakespeare in the English literary canon.
130.  Exams often ask about the specific years of his major works (Comus, Lycidas, PL, Areopagitica).
131.  Questions frequently appear on his three marriages and the reasons for his blindness.
132. Critical quotes by Wordsworth and Dr. Johnson are highly important.
133.  Knowing that Samson Agonistes is a "closet drama" is a common requirement.
134.  The definition of terms like "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso" is standard.
135.  The date of the closing of the theatres (1642) is a recurring fact.
136. Milton’s Height: He was of middle stature.
137. Physique: He was described as active and skilled in swordplay.
138. Milton's Amanuensis: He often dictated his later works to his daughters, though they reportedly disliked the task.
139. The Last Great Puritan: Milton is frequently given this title.
140. Paradise Regained Inspiration: Christ's victory over temptation in the desert.
141. Epic Voice: The "Muse" Milton invokes in Paradise Lost is the "Heavenly Muse" (Urania).
142. Satan's Motivation: "Unconquerable will" and "study of revenge".
143. Adam's Fall: Described as a fall caused by "fondly overcome with female charm".
144. Milton's Prose Style: Often described as "the left hand" of his genius, while poetry was his right.
145. Areopagitica Etymology: Named after the Areopagus, a hill in Athens where a high court sat.
146. Masque definition: A form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th and 17th century Europe.
147. Lycidas Ending: "Tomorrow to fresh woods, and pastures new".
148. Education Tract Goal: To lead a student to be able to "perform all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war".
149. Milton’s Self-Correction: In later life, he revised Paradise Lost from 10 to 12 books to better align with the Virgilian epic model.
150. Historical Significance: Milton remains the preeminent figure of the Puritan Interregnum.