Paradise Lost By Milton And Hell Essay, Research Paper

Thesis: In Paradise Lost, Milton creates a Hell that is easily imagined through

his use of concrete images, powerful diction, and serious tone. I. Paradise Lost

is a great epic A. "John Milton?.a dedicated figure, in the

seventeenth-century English literature" (Diaches 390). B. Paradise Lost is

considered to be "a triumph beyond which, in its own kind, the force of

English poetry could no farther go" (Hopkins 153). C. In Paradise Lost,

Milton creates a Hell that is easily imagined through his use of concrete

images, powerful diction, and serious tone. II. Concrete images are used by

Milton to create a Hell that is easily imagined. A. "With ? eyes / That

sparkling blazed"(Milton 283 193-4) B. Imagery is used to describe

Satan?s "scaly rind" (Milton 283 206) . C. "With hideous ruin

and combustion, down / To bottomless perdition, there to dwell / In adamantine

chains and penal fire" (Milton280 46-8). III. Powerful diction is used and

creates a image of Hell in Paradise Lost. A. "With floods and whirling

winds of tempest fire" (Milton 280 77). B. " Where peace and rest can

never dwell" (Milton 280 66-7). C. "Who durst defy the

Omnipotent" (Milton 280 49). IV. Tone is also a element that is used in

Paradise Lost. A. "To whom the Archenemy, / And thence in Heaven called

Satan, with bold words / Breaking the horrid silence, thus began" (Milton

280 81-3). B. "And justify the ways of God to men" (Milton 278 26). C.

"Treble confusion, wrath, and vengeance poured" (Milton 283 220). V.

The epic, Paradise Lost, is known for being a Christian epic. A. " his long

narrative and dramatic poems all deal with disputes" (Wain 1657). B. Milton

creates a image of Hell through literary devices. C. In Paradise Lost, Milton

creates a Hell that is easily imagined through his use of concrete images,

powerful diction, and serious tone. Paradise Lost Critical Analysis Ed Truelove

March 25, 1999 London John Milton?s Paradise Lost is a narrative epic that was

written in the seventeenth century. John Milton was known as a "dedicated

figure in? English Literature" (Diaches 390). Paradise Lost is considered

to be "a triumph beyond which, in its own kind, the force of English poetry

could no farther go (Hopkins 153). In Paradise Lost, Milton creates a Hell that

is easily imagined through his use of concrete images, powerful diction, and

serious tone. The literary device of imagery is used to create concrete images.

Milton creates an image of Satan that can be seen in the minds of his readers.

This can be shown a number of times throughout the epic. "With?eyes /

That sparkled and blazed" and his "scaly rind" help describe and

create an image of Satan (Milton 283 193-4, 283 206). He also creates a mental

picture of Hell for the readers. This can be shown when God casts Satan

"With hideous ruin and combustion, down / To bottomless perdition, there to

dwell / In adamantine chains and penal fire" out of Heaven (Milton 280

46-8). There are many literary devices that can be used to devise an image of

Hell. Milton also uses powerful diction to help create an image of Hell and

Satan in Paradise Lost. Hell is described as a place "with floods and

whirling winds of tempest fire" and "Where peace and rest can never

dwell" (Milton 280 77, 280 66-7). Milton wants the reader to know that Hell

is a evil and unhappy place to be. Satan is then referred to as the one

"Who durst defy the Omnipotent " (Milton 280 49). Diction is used by

Milton to convey a particular meaning and express what he wants the reader to

think. Milton also uses a serious tone to convey his meaning of Hell and Satan

to his audience. Tone is writers attitude toward their work. "To whom the

Archenemy, / And thence in Heaven called Satan, with bold words / Breaking

horrid silence, thus began" and as well as "Treble confusion, wrath,

and vengeance poured" is what Milton writes to let the reader know that the

tone has turned very serious. Paradise Lost is known for being a Christian epic

and Milton is known for "his long narrative and dramatic poems all deal

with disputes" (Wain 1657). In Paradise Lost, Milton creates a Hell that is

easily imagined through his use of concrete images, powerful diction, and

serious tone.

Diaches, David. A Critical History of English Literature. New York: The

Ronald Press Company. 1970. 390. Hopkins, Kennith .English Poetry:A Short Story.

Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company. 1962.153. Wain, John.The Critical

Perspective. New York: Chelsea House Publishers: 1986. 1657. Milton, John.

English Literature with World Masterpieces. New York: Glencoe.1989.278.