Book 2 is full of wonders and horrors. The great debate between war vs. peaceful coexistence is fascinating. I saw a very small and (to me) interesting thing. A consensus has been reached to seek out this other world God has created, and the assembly says (lines 403 and following):
"But first whom shall we send
In search of this new world, whom shall we find
Sufficient? Who shall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark unbottomed infinite abyss
And through the palpable obscure find out
His uncouth way..."
And after a very long and self-aggrandizing speech, Satan, desiring to escape the fires and bring vengeance on God says that if he is to reign as Lord of Hell, it is only fitting that he should be the one to undertake this mission.
In the 6th chapter of Isaiah, he has a vision of being brought into heaven. He is surrounded by hosts of angels and in the very presence of God. He exclaims in horror that he is an unclean sinner in the presence of the holy God. An angel touches a burning coal to Isaiah's mouth and says: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Then God says: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah replies, "Here I am! Send me." Whereupon God gives him a message of repentance to bring to Israel.
I thought the parallels and contrasts were interesting.
Those are indeed interesting parallels and contrasts! Thank you for drawing those connections. Milton knew the Bible so well--I can't think any echoes like that are accidental.
Belial's argument in lines 209-225 was interesting to me. God may turn down the heat if we submit, he says. He may decide we've been punished enough. We may in time adapt to the fires and the "noxious vapour", our pain will diminish, we may come to find this place not so bad. But if we go on the offensive, God may make things even worse for us.
He wasn't ready to repent, but he thought things might improve if they just didn't rock the boat.
Once past Sin and Death, Satan flies to earth. Milton describes that journey as harder than Argo and Ulysses’ adventures. It would seem that just flying through the air would be easy, but evidently not. It was a challenge: “with difficulty and labor hard.” But once he passed (Sin and Death following him, alas) there appeared a “bridge of wondrous length” from hell to earth “by which the Spirits perverse With easy intercourse pass to and fro To tempt or punish mortals, except whom God and good angels guard by special grace.” (1030-1034) So now the path from hell to heaven is all too easy to traverse. Nobody is guarding the gates of hell any longer.
Yes Milton is amazing. I can just see him thinking how depressing it must be for us to read about Satan’s conquests, so he gives us tidbits of God’s perspective: Now there is easy access to earth from hell, but “such was the will of Heav’n” (1025), and “To tempt and punish mortals, except whom God and good angels guard by special grace.” (1032-1033). Thank you, Milton!
Agree that this would be so much better if we were all in the same room discussing! Has a reading retreat been considered at all? Or at least a Zoom chat periodically?
I'm also reading through Lewis's Preface, and his treatment of the demons' debate is brilliant. Having offended against Heaven, they refuse to do the only thing that would provide any hope of escape, namely repent. Instead, they explore options that we all have at some time employed to avoid this singular opportunity of escape from the consequences of our sins. They reason that it's not so bad, that they'll get used to their horrible new home (which they will - we do lamentably). They consider open warfare against Heaven, but quickly realize that this would be folly. Lewis likens their ultimate decided course of action to a dejected lover whose former beloved is now safe from him but who may at least find sport in poisoning her dog. Wow.
That analysis by Lewis is PHENOMENAL. Thank you for adding that here.
Maybe we could try a Zoom chat sometime! I will toy with that idea. I have such a heavy Zoom schedule most of my life that I resist them overall. (And Zoom also seems not like a real classroom to me!)
However, I want to think about that and also would be interested to see if there is energy here for such a thing among you. Thank you for bringing up the idea.
“For dignity composed and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropped manna”
This one sounded all to relevant today…
“That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native seat:”
I wonder if Milton had in mind the motif throughout the Bible, that is, “who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?” Satan’s downfall is that he is continuously trying to ascend up by his own power.
Somewhere among the Notes here on Substack, I saw someone class Milton as the first and best fantasy writer. I am inclined to agree. There is so much in his imagery that has been reused in subsequent fantasy literature. Although, brilliant as his imagination is, his imagery is more pagan than Biblical. The frozen part of Hell is from Norse mythology, while the rivers of Hell are from Roman/Greek mythology. The Bible one the other hand, describes God as a consuming fire - the experience of Hell is the experience of God's wrath.
I understood the allegory of Sin and Death but I kept remembering that it was by Adam's disobedience that sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12).
The image of Sin holding the key of Hell also didn't sit right with me. In Revelation (1:18) Jesus says he holds the keys to Death and Hell. I suppose it could be said Milton is envisioning his scene at the beginning of the creation of the world, before Christ came and died and was resurrected. But Jesus is always clear that his power comes from His Father in Heaven - it is God who always held the keys. It is here where Milton's skepticism over the deity of Christ starts to show up - I have read enough of Milton's 'Paradise Regained' to know that Milton does not envision Jesus wresting away the keys of Death and Hell from Sin - 'Paradise Regained' only envisions the temptation of Christ by Satan, not Christ's death and resurrection. I Corinthians 15, which is all about what the Resurrection means in terms of defeating Death, makes it clear that it is by Christ's death for us that sin was defeated and Death is conquered, and Christ's resurrection is the proof and promise of that. So Milton's lack of confidence about just who holds the keys is very telling.
I do think Milton is trying to show that the world of Adam and Eve is a different/new/other world--thus sin entered THAT world through their sin.
It's so deep and complicated theologically (way beyond my paygrade). I know one thing Milton is grappling with is whether evil is a positive existence or the absence of good, and if the former, what is its origins if God did not create evil.
I was thinking that Milton in Paradise Lost is ushering in Enlightenment literature. Donne's religious works are full of allusions and references, but they are firmly centred around Scripture. Milton is combining pagan and Christian allusion, as if both have equal weight, which is a very Enlightenment thing to do.
Oh! That makes a good deal of sense. It’s a very Renaissance thing to do, too. But there is no bright line between Renaissance and Enlightenment ultimately.
In his Preface to PL, C. S. Lewis spends considerable time detailing the many places where Milton is influenced directly by Augustine, and a few places where he departs from him. So Augustine is all over here! Good catch, Teri.
To your point, Holly, it's also important to remember that Jesus claims to be I AM and was present with God in the beginning, as John said in John 1. Jesus was at the creation of the world as the Word that God spoke when he said, "Let there be Light!" I'm with you -- he was there and would have had access to the keys, I bet.
You said: "I understood the allegory of Sin and Death but I kept remembering that it was by Adam's disobedience that sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12)."
What I see in Milton's claim that sin entered the world through Satan's opening the gates of hell is that there is a necessary precursor to Adam's sin, and that's a realization that disobedience is a possibility. Prior to choosing to disobey God, Adam had to entertain the notion that he could make a choice. I think that's what Milton alludes to when he talks about how Satan had an affair with Sin in heaven before the rebellion erupted.
So yes, Sin entered the world through Adam's disobedience, but Sin was not a first cause but a consequence. The first cause was a deep recognition of what free will and choice could really mean for Adam in particular and humanity in general: We can oppose God, if we desire.
But death, like marriage, does not come to angels. God removed the Tree of Life from humanity's reach after the Fall so that we wouldn't become immortal evil beings (Genesis 3:22). In allowing us to die, God kept the way open for Jesus Christ to die for us.
There is a old Roman/Greek myth about Aurora, the daughter of Apollo, falling in love with a mortal man. She successfully petitions her father to give her mortal lover immortality, but forgets to ask for eternal youth, so her beloved eternally ages, eventually becoming only a voice. It is a ghastly parable of what might have happened if God hadn't removed the Tree of Life. Tolkien, in his fantasy, called death the gift of man. Death isn't really a gift, it is a curse. But there is no Saviour to die for the fallen angels.
As for Satan bringing us Sin and Death, I think the Western world, steeped as it is in total skepticism towards the spiritual realm, has forgotten some things. One thing it has forgotten is that the earth is under humanity's authority. The earth, due to the Fall, bearing thorns a thistles, makes men's work harder, but our dominon over it wasn't taken away. Many Western Christians mistakenly think that demon possession can be accidentally or unintentionally incurred. But the physical realm belongs to humans. Those who live in traditions where the power of spirits are sought out and revered know that humans must yield their will to the spirits for the spirits to work - once the will has been yielded, then the human becomes vulnerable to possession. Satan didn't bring us sin and death, he only tempted us to disobey. As Paul points out in his first letter to Timothy, the woman was genuinely decieved and ate, but the man wasn't decieved and chose to eat anyway. The sin brought into the world was humanity's own, it was not engendered by Satan.
On fantasy literature, I would consider Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Faerie Queen as precursors to PL. Milton wouldn't have known about Beowulf (which text was discovered in the Eighteenth Century), but it too seems in the fantasy family tree. Not to argue against Milton's place in the development of fantasy (especially, perhaps, as William Blake envisions Milton and PL). But in literature, there seems always to be a precursor.
Yes, I thought of Spenser afterward, although I haven't read a lot of the Faerie Queen, and Tolkien translated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Middle English, which I have read. Even Shakespeare had his moments of fantasy. But Milton brings concrete description where others only hint. It is rather like the difference between Isaiah and Ezekiel's description of the throne of God. Isaiah in one short chapter (6) gives a brief description that produces a sense of awe, where Ezekiel goes into painstaking detail - although even his multi chapter descriptions (1, 11) cannot quite capture the wonder of what he saw. Milton goes into Ezekiel-like detail of his imagined worlds and it leaves an impression. I see a direct connection between Milton's Satan and Tolkien's Balrog.
Of course, before even Beowulf was a long tradition of mythology, both written and unwritten. The human imagination is almost boundless in the how it takes the elements it knows to describe what it does not know.
I feel like we need a definition of fantasy literature, LOL!
One of our readers here, Samuel Loncar, notes, for example, that Tolkien is more properly considered myth than fantasy. I honestly don't know to define it!
I would see Spenser as Romance more than fantasy, but I don't know fantasy that well.
Ah, the literary gente versus the literal meaning of fantasy! To me, literary genres are the artificial classification, and are, rather like Latin biological names, apt to be proved wrong under further study, while the literal definition of the word fantasy as 'the faculty or activity of imagining improbable things' (OED) remains unshaken. Then again the OED definition of the literary genre is pretty wide: 'a genre of imaginative fiction which involves magic and adventure'.
Is Milton lacking confidence in the Biblical text, or could he be portraying the scene as a moment before Jesus has taken the keys? Revelations 1:18 is later than Genesis in Biblical narrative order. What might be interesting to check is whether the keys appear in PL, Books 11 and 12, in which the entire Biblical narrative is presented as prophecy to Adam. I don't recall, sorry to say. I hadn't thought about it before.
For starters, Milton is amazing. Maybe it’s just me but his pace and organization of sentences makes so much sense to my neurodivergent brain 😂 I’m pretty sure I think in this order of phrases! Who knew pentameter was my mother tongue?!
Next: along with Milton’s (horrific) depictions of sin and death, his depiction of Satan’s disorienting and overstimulated journey through the realm of Chaos and Night/ primordial deep is exactly as it should be! To me, it gives me perspective on when I run into the sharp edges of the fall. On one hand, it dignifies how terrible it feels. On the other hand, it sobers me up to the truth that it could be so much worse. At least my encounters are in the context of a world still under Noah’s covenant of some semblance of order and beauty that retains itself even amid the effects of the fall. To be only and ever in the chaos and night would be so much worse. My fallen experience of these sharp edges of the fall is the only version of hell I’ll ever experience, and that fortifies my resolve to walk through them with faith and eyes forward. -Ashley Gorman
I recently had a serendipitous experience. I'd finished the second book in Paradise Lost, and was reading news stories. I saw something pop up in my feed, an article in the “Wall Street Journal” written by Elliot Ackerman. Ackerman has had an interesting life, from a normal Generation X slacker to a United States marine and finally as a writer. In some ways, he is the poet laureate of the troops who fought in the Middle Eastern wars at the beginning of this century.
After finishing the piece, I went back to some of his works and was struck by quote at the beginning of his book Places and Names. A central theme is the quote from Milton’s second book, “What sit we then projecting peace and war? War hath determined us. . . .” In his memoir, Ackerman delves into the reasons behind his actions and the reckonings he’s faced since. He explores themes of violence, heroism, and the devastation of the Middle East. Ackerman’s personal story is similar to Beelzebub’s, but on a human scale. Both are trying to make sense of loss and destruction by taking action in the future. Obviously, the motives and desires of the American soldiers and fallen angels couldn’t be more different; but the way in which war, even wars fought for the most noble of intentions, can warp us and refashion those who fight beyond what is imaginable.
What strikes me in this is curious balance between volition and determinacy. The ambitions of both groups is what led them to take up arms; but afterwards they all bear a peculiar scar of indeterminacy. In attempting to win, they have given themselves over to the fatalism of fighting.
Both works explore the theme of ambition and its role in driving conflict. In Paradise Lost, Satan and Beelzebub are driven by their ambition to overthrow God and establish their own dominion. Their desire for power leads them to manipulate and deceive others, culminating in the fall of mankind. In Places and Names, the author reflects on the ambitious goals of American intervention in the Middle East and the unintended consequences that followed. Ackerman questions the motivations behind these interventions and grapples with the human cost of pursuing such ambitious objectives. Both works depict the irreparable damage caused by war. In Paradise Lost, Beelzebub acknowledges the "loss irreparable" suffered by the fallen angels in their war against Heaven. He proposes a new strategy to regain their lost power and exact revenge on God. Similarly, Places and Names centers on Elliot Ackerman's personal journey as he attempts to reconcile with the losses he experienced during his military service. Ackerman seeks to understand the purpose of war and the lasting impact it has had on him and others. The repeated imagery of "ruins" and "wreckage" throughout the book emphasizes the enduring nature of loss. Both works offer insights into the complexities of the human condition, particularly in times of war. Paradise Lost explores the inner turmoil of the fallen angels, caught between despair and a desire for redemption on their own terms via their own ambition. They engage in debates about the nature of good and evil, free will, and fate. Similarly, Places and Names delves into the psychological and emotional experiences of individuals affected by war. The author grapples with feelings of guilt, trauma, and disillusionment. Ultimately unexamined ambition, for goals good or ill, magnanimous or selfish, will bring some level of loss and that loss makes us confront our own frailty. Though Milton’s characters are not human, he uses them to explore the human condition.
What is interesting is that when one starts pealing determinism or free will apart, one is left with too many questions. In The Myth of Religious Violence, William Cavanaugh rightly notes that one’s shared cultural story or narrative compels one to go to war. In Milton’s case, the fallen angels discuss how they wish their narrative would continue. Chris Hedges explores the psychological and emotional appeal of war in War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, highlighting how the allure of heroism and the desire for meaning can drive individuals toward warfare. This perspective suggests a tension between determinism, in the sense of innate human desires, and the individual's choice to embrace the path of the warrior. The fallen angels are called to pursue their agenda to a point where their pride offers them the worst of both worlds. They are free to leave behind their pride, but in giving themselves over to it, they relinquish their identity apart from their pride.
Perhaps the most insightful exploration is the recent book: Why War? In it, Richard Overy rejects monocausal explanations for war, suggesting that warfare is shaped by a combination of natural imperatives and human agency. He argues that humans operate within broad parameters shaped by biology, psychology, and culture, but act from conscious motives related to resources, belief, power, and security. These motives can operate in various combinations and are further complicated by unpredictable factors like individual ambitions. This perspective suggests that while certain predispositions toward violence may exist, the decision to wage war remains a matter of free will driven by specific circumstances and goals.
Put simply, looking to separate the free choice to fight from the destined to fight is a fool’s errand that is made all the more hazardous by our human desire to assist others. The justification of Satan that occurs in our contemporary era is built on a drive to rationalize the motivations of compulsion. “If I have exhausted the justifications, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say: 'This is simply what I do.'" wrote Ludwig Wittgenstein from his book Philosophical Investigations. Indeed all of our desires thrive when we seek to look for answers to explain sinful temptations. There is no hack or trick or explanation at the bottom of sin. The devil and all his angels are never motivated by some great and noble crusade. They do not represent the battle cry of the “free thinkers.” They are damned by giving into their temptation and calling it freedom.
In Paradise Lost the argument is framed that the war in Heaven is a consequence of the angels' free will and ambition. Satan, driven by pride and a desire for power, chooses to rebel against God, leading his followers into a doomed conflict. Beelzebub, echoing this sentiment, advocates for continued war against Heaven, highlighting the fallen angels' agency in perpetuating the conflict. Their illusion of free will is actually something that determines their fate more than rejecting their rebellion.
This brings me back to Elliot Ackerman’s accounts of our contemporary wars. Ackerman echoes this idea at the root of “War hath determined us and foiled with loss” in Places and Names through his own experiences and his conversations with others affected by war. He and his friend Mike, both veterans, feel compelled to engage with the conflict in Syria despite their disillusionment with past interventions. Their past experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have shaped their worldviews and continue to draw them back into the orbit of war. Similarly, Abu Hassar, a former jihadist, describes his decision to fight in Iraq as an unavoidable duty, a consequence of his identity and America's invasion.
The quote from Paradise Lost runs through Ackerman’s understanding of the problems of soldiers who have gone through wars. "War hath determined us" suggests that even though individuals may choose to enter a conflict, war itself becomes a defining force, shaping their lives, limiting their choices, and perpetuating cycles of violence. It highlights the tragic paradox of war, where even in defeat, its consequences continue to shape the future.
What a rich and thoughtful contribution to this discussion, Philip. Thank you. I admit I read very little war literature and so this makes your contribution here all the more helpful.
One of the gifts of great literature that passes the test of time is how it can so easily connect to seemingly random events and news reports of today, as you so aptly point out here. I’m really grateful for this contribution and for your making this reading journey with us.
Mammon speaks to the fallen angels as we speak to ourselves today: “but rather seek our own good from ourselves, and from our own live to ourselves, though in this vast recess, free, and to none accountable, preferring hard liberty before the easy yolk of servile pomp.” Book 2, lines 252 - 257.
It is good to remember that the Evil One has studied us for a very long time and often knows us better than we know ourselves. In Satan’s speech, he says “Whither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn what creatures there inhabit, of what mould, or substance, how endued, and what their power, and where their weakness, how attempted best, by force or subtlety . . . “ (lines 354-358). How good to know the LORD knows us and him even better. What a reminder that we are in a fight, even when we forget that it is so. Ephesians 6:24: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”
It can be so very hard to follow the grammar and syntax in these lines. So the "his" in line 849 is referring to Death mentioned a few lines above. Sin is Death's mother. She then speaks to Satan in 863f, and calls herself Satan's daughter and darling. (Satan is Sin's father.)
Some editions use quotation marks that help mark the speeches and some don't. I have two different editions I'm using for that reason!
Finally getting some mental space in my week to gather my thoughts about Book II (I missed responding to Book I but did read!) One theme that has come up for me the several times I have read and taught Paradise Lost is this thread of regret/shame that seems woven throughout. Near the beginning of Book IV we get this incredible lamentation by Satan aggrieved over what he had been and what he now was ("now conscience wakes despair / that slumbered, wakes the bitter memory / of what he was, what is, and what must be." Book IV:23-25). I think it might be this insight into his thoughts that makes him so appealing to modern readers as a hero.
But this through-line of regret starts in the argument between the demons about what their next steps are. There are so many times when I read/listen to this poem that my heart feels literally squeezed with pain and sadness (the final lines usually leave me in tears!). And although it is fantasy and not to be treated as scripture, I find it a helpful tool in deeply understanding/experiencing/feeling the effects of the fall--both the first fall of Satan and the other angels and the second fall we encounter in the latter half of the poem.
But here are some lines that jumped out at me from Book II regarding the feelings of loss and regret the angels are having. Their words reflect anger but, as it is often said, anger is a secondary emotion, and I think their anger is related to a deep sense of shame and regret.
Moloch, in arguing for open war: "What can be worse / than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemned / in this abhorréd deep to utter woe" II: 85-87
Belial, in arguing for making the best of their circumstances: "...this is now / our doom; which if we can sustain and bear, / our supreme foe in time may much remit / his anger..." II:208-211
*There is a sad hope in Belial's words that maybe this can be undone or that their "horror will grow mild, this darkness light..." II:220-221
I just think the undertones of regret and loss can sometimes be buried in the angels' anger and pompous words.
And then there's Mammon...who has no interest in an "eternity so spent in worship paid / to whom we hate" (lines 248-249). And YET he is quite conscious of their current horrible situation, expressing some wishful thinking: "Our torments also may in length of time / become our elements, these piercing fires / as soft as now severe, our temper changed / into their temper, which much needs remove / the sensible of pain" (II:274-278).
I find this epic deeply moving and beautiful and am excited to engage with it and all of you here!
Thank you for these excellent insights into the text and into human (and angel, haha) psychology. We will see even more direct dealing and shame and regret when we get to Adam and Eve, and these insights will be even more helpful there. I bet there are parallels there that you just laid the groundwork for.
I'm reading the Penguin Classics version and noticed lines 731-734 in Book II, when Sin breaks up the fight between Satan and Death (such a perverse Trinity!), questioning "for whom" they would go after each other:
For him who sits above and laughs the while
At thee ordained his drudge, to execute
Whatever his wrath, which he calls justice, bids,
His wrath which one day will destroy ye both.
This made me think of Psalm 2, how even Sin recognizes the futility of this fight against the one who will eventually win, yet their evil is so great they don't even care but pursue a vain course, wanting to wreak as much havoc as possible before the inevitable end. I also notice Sin mocking God's justice, and I thought of those who cannot fathom a God who would be righteous and punish evil.
Friends, check out this series by fellow reader Andrew Roycroft on reading Lewis’s Preface to Paradise Lost: https://open.substack.com/pub/andrewroycroft/p/lost-with-lewis-pt1?r=90e4e&utm_medium=ios
Book 2 is full of wonders and horrors. The great debate between war vs. peaceful coexistence is fascinating. I saw a very small and (to me) interesting thing. A consensus has been reached to seek out this other world God has created, and the assembly says (lines 403 and following):
"But first whom shall we send
In search of this new world, whom shall we find
Sufficient? Who shall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark unbottomed infinite abyss
And through the palpable obscure find out
His uncouth way..."
And after a very long and self-aggrandizing speech, Satan, desiring to escape the fires and bring vengeance on God says that if he is to reign as Lord of Hell, it is only fitting that he should be the one to undertake this mission.
In the 6th chapter of Isaiah, he has a vision of being brought into heaven. He is surrounded by hosts of angels and in the very presence of God. He exclaims in horror that he is an unclean sinner in the presence of the holy God. An angel touches a burning coal to Isaiah's mouth and says: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Then God says: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah replies, "Here I am! Send me." Whereupon God gives him a message of repentance to bring to Israel.
I thought the parallels and contrasts were interesting.
Those are indeed interesting parallels and contrasts! Thank you for drawing those connections. Milton knew the Bible so well--I can't think any echoes like that are accidental.
Belial's argument in lines 209-225 was interesting to me. God may turn down the heat if we submit, he says. He may decide we've been punished enough. We may in time adapt to the fires and the "noxious vapour", our pain will diminish, we may come to find this place not so bad. But if we go on the offensive, God may make things even worse for us.
He wasn't ready to repent, but he thought things might improve if they just didn't rock the boat.
There is such interesting human psychology in that speech!
‘Hanging from a golden chain, this pendent world, he eyes’
Once past Sin and Death, Satan flies to earth. Milton describes that journey as harder than Argo and Ulysses’ adventures. It would seem that just flying through the air would be easy, but evidently not. It was a challenge: “with difficulty and labor hard.” But once he passed (Sin and Death following him, alas) there appeared a “bridge of wondrous length” from hell to earth “by which the Spirits perverse With easy intercourse pass to and fro To tempt or punish mortals, except whom God and good angels guard by special grace.” (1030-1034) So now the path from hell to heaven is all too easy to traverse. Nobody is guarding the gates of hell any longer.
Very insightful, Amy. These are brilliant touches by Milton, aren’t they?
Yes Milton is amazing. I can just see him thinking how depressing it must be for us to read about Satan’s conquests, so he gives us tidbits of God’s perspective: Now there is easy access to earth from hell, but “such was the will of Heav’n” (1025), and “To tempt and punish mortals, except whom God and good angels guard by special grace.” (1032-1033). Thank you, Milton!
Vocab review for Book 2:
5d - 'insatiate' - unable to satisfy
55d - 'opprobrious' - severe criticism, shame
65e - 'Tartarean sulphur' - relating to infernal
215b - 'inured' - to grow accustomed to 'not feel'
250b - 'vassalage' - position of subordinate or submission
490a - 'the louring element' - to look sullen, to be or become dark, gloomy, threatening
500e - 'enow' - enough
535a - 'before each van' - short for vanguard, the forefront of action or movement
580d- 'Lethe the river' - a river in Hades whose waters cause drinkers to forget their past (which following lines state)
595a - 'Burns frore' - frosty, frozen
610d - 'wight' - creature
615e - 'dolorous' - causing or marked by misery, grief
920c - 'when Bellona storms'- Roman goddess of war
945b - 'purloined' - to appropriate wrongly, often by a breach of trust
Excellent vocab choices! "Enow" is an archaic spelling of enough that shows up in Shakespeare a bit. "Opprobrious" remains a great word!
Agree that this would be so much better if we were all in the same room discussing! Has a reading retreat been considered at all? Or at least a Zoom chat periodically?
I'm also reading through Lewis's Preface, and his treatment of the demons' debate is brilliant. Having offended against Heaven, they refuse to do the only thing that would provide any hope of escape, namely repent. Instead, they explore options that we all have at some time employed to avoid this singular opportunity of escape from the consequences of our sins. They reason that it's not so bad, that they'll get used to their horrible new home (which they will - we do lamentably). They consider open warfare against Heaven, but quickly realize that this would be folly. Lewis likens their ultimate decided course of action to a dejected lover whose former beloved is now safe from him but who may at least find sport in poisoning her dog. Wow.
That analysis by Lewis is PHENOMENAL. Thank you for adding that here.
Maybe we could try a Zoom chat sometime! I will toy with that idea. I have such a heavy Zoom schedule most of my life that I resist them overall. (And Zoom also seems not like a real classroom to me!)
However, I want to think about that and also would be interested to see if there is energy here for such a thing among you. Thank you for bringing up the idea.
I wonder if there would be a way we could someday all meet up in person. I’m not sure how that could work out but something to hope for!
“For dignity composed and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropped manna”
This one sounded all to relevant today…
“That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native seat:”
I wonder if Milton had in mind the motif throughout the Bible, that is, “who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?” Satan’s downfall is that he is continuously trying to ascend up by his own power.
I bet he did have that in mind!
Definitely noticed this as well!
Somewhere among the Notes here on Substack, I saw someone class Milton as the first and best fantasy writer. I am inclined to agree. There is so much in his imagery that has been reused in subsequent fantasy literature. Although, brilliant as his imagination is, his imagery is more pagan than Biblical. The frozen part of Hell is from Norse mythology, while the rivers of Hell are from Roman/Greek mythology. The Bible one the other hand, describes God as a consuming fire - the experience of Hell is the experience of God's wrath.
I understood the allegory of Sin and Death but I kept remembering that it was by Adam's disobedience that sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12).
The image of Sin holding the key of Hell also didn't sit right with me. In Revelation (1:18) Jesus says he holds the keys to Death and Hell. I suppose it could be said Milton is envisioning his scene at the beginning of the creation of the world, before Christ came and died and was resurrected. But Jesus is always clear that his power comes from His Father in Heaven - it is God who always held the keys. It is here where Milton's skepticism over the deity of Christ starts to show up - I have read enough of Milton's 'Paradise Regained' to know that Milton does not envision Jesus wresting away the keys of Death and Hell from Sin - 'Paradise Regained' only envisions the temptation of Christ by Satan, not Christ's death and resurrection. I Corinthians 15, which is all about what the Resurrection means in terms of defeating Death, makes it clear that it is by Christ's death for us that sin was defeated and Death is conquered, and Christ's resurrection is the proof and promise of that. So Milton's lack of confidence about just who holds the keys is very telling.
I do think Milton is trying to show that the world of Adam and Eve is a different/new/other world--thus sin entered THAT world through their sin.
It's so deep and complicated theologically (way beyond my paygrade). I know one thing Milton is grappling with is whether evil is a positive existence or the absence of good, and if the former, what is its origins if God did not create evil.
Also, Milton is definitely and intentionally drawing on classical/pagan myth at least as much as the Bible.
Dante also depicted hell as ice.
I was thinking that Milton in Paradise Lost is ushering in Enlightenment literature. Donne's religious works are full of allusions and references, but they are firmly centred around Scripture. Milton is combining pagan and Christian allusion, as if both have equal weight, which is a very Enlightenment thing to do.
Oh! That makes a good deal of sense. It’s a very Renaissance thing to do, too. But there is no bright line between Renaissance and Enlightenment ultimately.
St Augustine of Hippo (11/354 - 8/430) held in his City of God, "evil has no positive nature; but the loss of good has received the name 'evil.'"
Schaff, Philip. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series I/Volume II/City of God/Book XI.
Perhaps Milton (12/1608 - 11/1674) was grappling with this doctrinal thinking?
In his Preface to PL, C. S. Lewis spends considerable time detailing the many places where Milton is influenced directly by Augustine, and a few places where he departs from him. So Augustine is all over here! Good catch, Teri.
To your point, Holly, it's also important to remember that Jesus claims to be I AM and was present with God in the beginning, as John said in John 1. Jesus was at the creation of the world as the Word that God spoke when he said, "Let there be Light!" I'm with you -- he was there and would have had access to the keys, I bet.
You said: "I understood the allegory of Sin and Death but I kept remembering that it was by Adam's disobedience that sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12)."
What I see in Milton's claim that sin entered the world through Satan's opening the gates of hell is that there is a necessary precursor to Adam's sin, and that's a realization that disobedience is a possibility. Prior to choosing to disobey God, Adam had to entertain the notion that he could make a choice. I think that's what Milton alludes to when he talks about how Satan had an affair with Sin in heaven before the rebellion erupted.
So yes, Sin entered the world through Adam's disobedience, but Sin was not a first cause but a consequence. The first cause was a deep recognition of what free will and choice could really mean for Adam in particular and humanity in general: We can oppose God, if we desire.
But death, like marriage, does not come to angels. God removed the Tree of Life from humanity's reach after the Fall so that we wouldn't become immortal evil beings (Genesis 3:22). In allowing us to die, God kept the way open for Jesus Christ to die for us.
There is a old Roman/Greek myth about Aurora, the daughter of Apollo, falling in love with a mortal man. She successfully petitions her father to give her mortal lover immortality, but forgets to ask for eternal youth, so her beloved eternally ages, eventually becoming only a voice. It is a ghastly parable of what might have happened if God hadn't removed the Tree of Life. Tolkien, in his fantasy, called death the gift of man. Death isn't really a gift, it is a curse. But there is no Saviour to die for the fallen angels.
As for Satan bringing us Sin and Death, I think the Western world, steeped as it is in total skepticism towards the spiritual realm, has forgotten some things. One thing it has forgotten is that the earth is under humanity's authority. The earth, due to the Fall, bearing thorns a thistles, makes men's work harder, but our dominon over it wasn't taken away. Many Western Christians mistakenly think that demon possession can be accidentally or unintentionally incurred. But the physical realm belongs to humans. Those who live in traditions where the power of spirits are sought out and revered know that humans must yield their will to the spirits for the spirits to work - once the will has been yielded, then the human becomes vulnerable to possession. Satan didn't bring us sin and death, he only tempted us to disobey. As Paul points out in his first letter to Timothy, the woman was genuinely decieved and ate, but the man wasn't decieved and chose to eat anyway. The sin brought into the world was humanity's own, it was not engendered by Satan.
On fantasy literature, I would consider Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Faerie Queen as precursors to PL. Milton wouldn't have known about Beowulf (which text was discovered in the Eighteenth Century), but it too seems in the fantasy family tree. Not to argue against Milton's place in the development of fantasy (especially, perhaps, as William Blake envisions Milton and PL). But in literature, there seems always to be a precursor.
Yes, I thought of Spenser afterward, although I haven't read a lot of the Faerie Queen, and Tolkien translated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Middle English, which I have read. Even Shakespeare had his moments of fantasy. But Milton brings concrete description where others only hint. It is rather like the difference between Isaiah and Ezekiel's description of the throne of God. Isaiah in one short chapter (6) gives a brief description that produces a sense of awe, where Ezekiel goes into painstaking detail - although even his multi chapter descriptions (1, 11) cannot quite capture the wonder of what he saw. Milton goes into Ezekiel-like detail of his imagined worlds and it leaves an impression. I see a direct connection between Milton's Satan and Tolkien's Balrog.
Of course, before even Beowulf was a long tradition of mythology, both written and unwritten. The human imagination is almost boundless in the how it takes the elements it knows to describe what it does not know.
I feel like we need a definition of fantasy literature, LOL!
One of our readers here, Samuel Loncar, notes, for example, that Tolkien is more properly considered myth than fantasy. I honestly don't know to define it!
I would see Spenser as Romance more than fantasy, but I don't know fantasy that well.
Ah, the literary gente versus the literal meaning of fantasy! To me, literary genres are the artificial classification, and are, rather like Latin biological names, apt to be proved wrong under further study, while the literal definition of the word fantasy as 'the faculty or activity of imagining improbable things' (OED) remains unshaken. Then again the OED definition of the literary genre is pretty wide: 'a genre of imaginative fiction which involves magic and adventure'.
Is Milton lacking confidence in the Biblical text, or could he be portraying the scene as a moment before Jesus has taken the keys? Revelations 1:18 is later than Genesis in Biblical narrative order. What might be interesting to check is whether the keys appear in PL, Books 11 and 12, in which the entire Biblical narrative is presented as prophecy to Adam. I don't recall, sorry to say. I hadn't thought about it before.
Interesting! I don't recall either but will look for that when we get there.
Another possibility is that, in PL I should stipulate, Jesus gets his authority in Book 4, in the heretical passage. Again, I wasn't looking for keys.
For starters, Milton is amazing. Maybe it’s just me but his pace and organization of sentences makes so much sense to my neurodivergent brain 😂 I’m pretty sure I think in this order of phrases! Who knew pentameter was my mother tongue?!
Next: along with Milton’s (horrific) depictions of sin and death, his depiction of Satan’s disorienting and overstimulated journey through the realm of Chaos and Night/ primordial deep is exactly as it should be! To me, it gives me perspective on when I run into the sharp edges of the fall. On one hand, it dignifies how terrible it feels. On the other hand, it sobers me up to the truth that it could be so much worse. At least my encounters are in the context of a world still under Noah’s covenant of some semblance of order and beauty that retains itself even amid the effects of the fall. To be only and ever in the chaos and night would be so much worse. My fallen experience of these sharp edges of the fall is the only version of hell I’ll ever experience, and that fortifies my resolve to walk through them with faith and eyes forward. -Ashley Gorman
I love that he makes sense to your brain! I wonder now of Milton wasn’t neurodivergent! He certainly was some kind of genius.
He really does present a terrifying (and therefore accurate) portrayal of sin, death, Satan, etc.
I’m so glad you are reading along here, Ashley! 😃
“What sit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determined us and foiled with loss
Irreparable;”
I recently had a serendipitous experience. I'd finished the second book in Paradise Lost, and was reading news stories. I saw something pop up in my feed, an article in the “Wall Street Journal” written by Elliot Ackerman. Ackerman has had an interesting life, from a normal Generation X slacker to a United States marine and finally as a writer. In some ways, he is the poet laureate of the troops who fought in the Middle Eastern wars at the beginning of this century.
After finishing the piece, I went back to some of his works and was struck by quote at the beginning of his book Places and Names. A central theme is the quote from Milton’s second book, “What sit we then projecting peace and war? War hath determined us. . . .” In his memoir, Ackerman delves into the reasons behind his actions and the reckonings he’s faced since. He explores themes of violence, heroism, and the devastation of the Middle East. Ackerman’s personal story is similar to Beelzebub’s, but on a human scale. Both are trying to make sense of loss and destruction by taking action in the future. Obviously, the motives and desires of the American soldiers and fallen angels couldn’t be more different; but the way in which war, even wars fought for the most noble of intentions, can warp us and refashion those who fight beyond what is imaginable.
What strikes me in this is curious balance between volition and determinacy. The ambitions of both groups is what led them to take up arms; but afterwards they all bear a peculiar scar of indeterminacy. In attempting to win, they have given themselves over to the fatalism of fighting.
Both works explore the theme of ambition and its role in driving conflict. In Paradise Lost, Satan and Beelzebub are driven by their ambition to overthrow God and establish their own dominion. Their desire for power leads them to manipulate and deceive others, culminating in the fall of mankind. In Places and Names, the author reflects on the ambitious goals of American intervention in the Middle East and the unintended consequences that followed. Ackerman questions the motivations behind these interventions and grapples with the human cost of pursuing such ambitious objectives. Both works depict the irreparable damage caused by war. In Paradise Lost, Beelzebub acknowledges the "loss irreparable" suffered by the fallen angels in their war against Heaven. He proposes a new strategy to regain their lost power and exact revenge on God. Similarly, Places and Names centers on Elliot Ackerman's personal journey as he attempts to reconcile with the losses he experienced during his military service. Ackerman seeks to understand the purpose of war and the lasting impact it has had on him and others. The repeated imagery of "ruins" and "wreckage" throughout the book emphasizes the enduring nature of loss. Both works offer insights into the complexities of the human condition, particularly in times of war. Paradise Lost explores the inner turmoil of the fallen angels, caught between despair and a desire for redemption on their own terms via their own ambition. They engage in debates about the nature of good and evil, free will, and fate. Similarly, Places and Names delves into the psychological and emotional experiences of individuals affected by war. The author grapples with feelings of guilt, trauma, and disillusionment. Ultimately unexamined ambition, for goals good or ill, magnanimous or selfish, will bring some level of loss and that loss makes us confront our own frailty. Though Milton’s characters are not human, he uses them to explore the human condition.
What is interesting is that when one starts pealing determinism or free will apart, one is left with too many questions. In The Myth of Religious Violence, William Cavanaugh rightly notes that one’s shared cultural story or narrative compels one to go to war. In Milton’s case, the fallen angels discuss how they wish their narrative would continue. Chris Hedges explores the psychological and emotional appeal of war in War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, highlighting how the allure of heroism and the desire for meaning can drive individuals toward warfare. This perspective suggests a tension between determinism, in the sense of innate human desires, and the individual's choice to embrace the path of the warrior. The fallen angels are called to pursue their agenda to a point where their pride offers them the worst of both worlds. They are free to leave behind their pride, but in giving themselves over to it, they relinquish their identity apart from their pride.
Perhaps the most insightful exploration is the recent book: Why War? In it, Richard Overy rejects monocausal explanations for war, suggesting that warfare is shaped by a combination of natural imperatives and human agency. He argues that humans operate within broad parameters shaped by biology, psychology, and culture, but act from conscious motives related to resources, belief, power, and security. These motives can operate in various combinations and are further complicated by unpredictable factors like individual ambitions. This perspective suggests that while certain predispositions toward violence may exist, the decision to wage war remains a matter of free will driven by specific circumstances and goals.
Put simply, looking to separate the free choice to fight from the destined to fight is a fool’s errand that is made all the more hazardous by our human desire to assist others. The justification of Satan that occurs in our contemporary era is built on a drive to rationalize the motivations of compulsion. “If I have exhausted the justifications, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say: 'This is simply what I do.'" wrote Ludwig Wittgenstein from his book Philosophical Investigations. Indeed all of our desires thrive when we seek to look for answers to explain sinful temptations. There is no hack or trick or explanation at the bottom of sin. The devil and all his angels are never motivated by some great and noble crusade. They do not represent the battle cry of the “free thinkers.” They are damned by giving into their temptation and calling it freedom.
In Paradise Lost the argument is framed that the war in Heaven is a consequence of the angels' free will and ambition. Satan, driven by pride and a desire for power, chooses to rebel against God, leading his followers into a doomed conflict. Beelzebub, echoing this sentiment, advocates for continued war against Heaven, highlighting the fallen angels' agency in perpetuating the conflict. Their illusion of free will is actually something that determines their fate more than rejecting their rebellion.
This brings me back to Elliot Ackerman’s accounts of our contemporary wars. Ackerman echoes this idea at the root of “War hath determined us and foiled with loss” in Places and Names through his own experiences and his conversations with others affected by war. He and his friend Mike, both veterans, feel compelled to engage with the conflict in Syria despite their disillusionment with past interventions. Their past experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have shaped their worldviews and continue to draw them back into the orbit of war. Similarly, Abu Hassar, a former jihadist, describes his decision to fight in Iraq as an unavoidable duty, a consequence of his identity and America's invasion.
The quote from Paradise Lost runs through Ackerman’s understanding of the problems of soldiers who have gone through wars. "War hath determined us" suggests that even though individuals may choose to enter a conflict, war itself becomes a defining force, shaping their lives, limiting their choices, and perpetuating cycles of violence. It highlights the tragic paradox of war, where even in defeat, its consequences continue to shape the future.
What a rich and thoughtful contribution to this discussion, Philip. Thank you. I admit I read very little war literature and so this makes your contribution here all the more helpful.
One of the gifts of great literature that passes the test of time is how it can so easily connect to seemingly random events and news reports of today, as you so aptly point out here. I’m really grateful for this contribution and for your making this reading journey with us.
Busy week and I really wanted to try and get this right.
Mammon speaks to the fallen angels as we speak to ourselves today: “but rather seek our own good from ourselves, and from our own live to ourselves, though in this vast recess, free, and to none accountable, preferring hard liberty before the easy yolk of servile pomp.” Book 2, lines 252 - 257.
Isn’t this the truth? So convicting.
It is good to remember that the Evil One has studied us for a very long time and often knows us better than we know ourselves. In Satan’s speech, he says “Whither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn what creatures there inhabit, of what mould, or substance, how endued, and what their power, and where their weakness, how attempted best, by force or subtlety . . . “ (lines 354-358). How good to know the LORD knows us and him even better. What a reminder that we are in a fight, even when we forget that it is so. Ephesians 6:24: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”
This is an excellent reminder of what Milton powerfully portrays: Satan studies his revenge. How much more ought we to study God and his ways.
Must admit to getting pretty confused with the speech of Satan's mother. (849-870)
849- She is 'his mother' who speaks to 'her sire.'
863f - 'Of mine own brood... thou art my father, thou my author, thou my being gav'st me...'
870 - 'Thy daughter and thy darling...'
What is Milton up to here? Is the mother of Satan worshipping/adoring her son? Could this be an allusion Mary worshipping/adoring her Son?
It can be so very hard to follow the grammar and syntax in these lines. So the "his" in line 849 is referring to Death mentioned a few lines above. Sin is Death's mother. She then speaks to Satan in 863f, and calls herself Satan's daughter and darling. (Satan is Sin's father.)
Some editions use quotation marks that help mark the speeches and some don't. I have two different editions I'm using for that reason!
Finally getting some mental space in my week to gather my thoughts about Book II (I missed responding to Book I but did read!) One theme that has come up for me the several times I have read and taught Paradise Lost is this thread of regret/shame that seems woven throughout. Near the beginning of Book IV we get this incredible lamentation by Satan aggrieved over what he had been and what he now was ("now conscience wakes despair / that slumbered, wakes the bitter memory / of what he was, what is, and what must be." Book IV:23-25). I think it might be this insight into his thoughts that makes him so appealing to modern readers as a hero.
But this through-line of regret starts in the argument between the demons about what their next steps are. There are so many times when I read/listen to this poem that my heart feels literally squeezed with pain and sadness (the final lines usually leave me in tears!). And although it is fantasy and not to be treated as scripture, I find it a helpful tool in deeply understanding/experiencing/feeling the effects of the fall--both the first fall of Satan and the other angels and the second fall we encounter in the latter half of the poem.
But here are some lines that jumped out at me from Book II regarding the feelings of loss and regret the angels are having. Their words reflect anger but, as it is often said, anger is a secondary emotion, and I think their anger is related to a deep sense of shame and regret.
Moloch, in arguing for open war: "What can be worse / than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemned / in this abhorréd deep to utter woe" II: 85-87
Belial, in arguing for making the best of their circumstances: "...this is now / our doom; which if we can sustain and bear, / our supreme foe in time may much remit / his anger..." II:208-211
*There is a sad hope in Belial's words that maybe this can be undone or that their "horror will grow mild, this darkness light..." II:220-221
I just think the undertones of regret and loss can sometimes be buried in the angels' anger and pompous words.
And then there's Mammon...who has no interest in an "eternity so spent in worship paid / to whom we hate" (lines 248-249). And YET he is quite conscious of their current horrible situation, expressing some wishful thinking: "Our torments also may in length of time / become our elements, these piercing fires / as soft as now severe, our temper changed / into their temper, which much needs remove / the sensible of pain" (II:274-278).
I find this epic deeply moving and beautiful and am excited to engage with it and all of you here!
Thank you for these excellent insights into the text and into human (and angel, haha) psychology. We will see even more direct dealing and shame and regret when we get to Adam and Eve, and these insights will be even more helpful there. I bet there are parallels there that you just laid the groundwork for.
So grateful to have you along!
I'm reading the Penguin Classics version and noticed lines 731-734 in Book II, when Sin breaks up the fight between Satan and Death (such a perverse Trinity!), questioning "for whom" they would go after each other:
For him who sits above and laughs the while
At thee ordained his drudge, to execute
Whatever his wrath, which he calls justice, bids,
His wrath which one day will destroy ye both.
This made me think of Psalm 2, how even Sin recognizes the futility of this fight against the one who will eventually win, yet their evil is so great they don't even care but pursue a vain course, wanting to wreak as much havoc as possible before the inevitable end. I also notice Sin mocking God's justice, and I thought of those who cannot fathom a God who would be righteous and punish evil.
So very sobering. They know they will lose in the end but want to do as much harm in the meantime as they can.