John Milton Short Biography wiki ,Life,Works,poems, education,family,wife,children,style,poetry, prose.
If Shakespeare represents the Elizabethan age , Milton's represent the puritan age . Shakespeare and Milton are the two poet's who stand head and shoulders above the other English poets.
In the history of the English literature 17th century is generally described as The Age Of Milton (1625-1660) . This period marks the end of what is known as the Renaissance.John Milton is one of the prominent writer in the English literary history . Milton is the greatest product of puritanism, in his work the moral and religious influences of puritanism are combined with the generous culture of the Renaissance.
John Milton Biography
John Milton was an English Poet, Man of letters, Polemicist,and civil servant for the commonwealth of England was born in London in bread street ,Cheapside ,on the 9th December, 1608 .
BORN -
9 December 1608 , London , England
PARENTS-
Senior John Milton( Father)
Sarah Jeffrey (Mother) , Daughter of a merchant tailor .
SIBLINGS-
Anne (Sister) , Christopher (Brother)
DIED - 8November 1674 Bunhil London , England.
NATIONALITY
English
OCCUPATION
Poet ,Prose ,Civil servant , Polemicist.
WIFE
Mary powell,daughter of a royalist squire of Oxfordshire.
Katharine Woodcock (second wife)
Early Life And Family Background
John Milton's Father Senior John Milton was a scrivener And Mother Sarah Jeffrey was the daughter of wealthy Merchant Tailor .Milton's Father was also a music Composer possibly the poet inherited from his father a tendency towards religious independence, which latter spread through his poetry.Milton had an sister Anne ,who married in 1623 and a younger brother Christopher,who became a lawyer .The poets life long devotion to music is seen in the warmth of his allusion to it.in may 1642 several months before the outbreak of the Great Rebellion, Milton married Mary powell,the daughter of a royalist squire. They had three children Anne ,Mary,Deborah, Mrs Milton Died a few days after Deborah's birth.
John Milton Education
Milton received his early education at home under private tutors of Thomas young, a Scottish Presbyterian with an M.A. from the University of St. Andrews.After the tutorship Milton was admitted to St.Paul School,where he studied Latin and Greek ,besides other subjects.
In 1625, Milton matriculated at Christ college , Cambridge.He obtained His B.A degree in 1629 And his M.A in 1632 at the same university
Milton in his latter life wrote two letters and Latin Elegy IV (1627) toh his private tutor Thomas young in which he gratefully recalled Young's introducing him to Latin Poetry. Milton was a great reader from childhood,This extensive reading proved to be the initial cause of his subsequent Blindness.His earliest attempts at verse made at the age of 15,were rhymed paraphrases of Psalms 114 and 136 . He also wrote a few Latin exercises at this time.
LATIN POETRY
Milton's Latin poetry attained higher levels than any other English writer ,Elegy V ,a picture of awakening spring ,is aflame with the sexual imagery of an intense through innocent paganism.In Elegy VII he presents himself as a confident foe of Cupid who is overcome by the beauty of a girl he encounters. The sensuous instincts of the young poet were displayed along with his mastery of Italian,in Six Italian Sonnets (1630).
John Milton Early English Poems
In the year 1628 Milton's wrote the earliest of the English poems ,on the death of a fair infant .in the Latin Elegy VI , addressed to Diodati in the season of christmas ,he praised the light verse inspired by wine and Love ,but turned from that to celebrate the ascetic purity of the heroic poet . The elegy ended with a reference to a poem he had just written, His first great poem in English, ON The morning Of Christ's Nativity. In the long vacation of 1631 ,Milton wrote two companion poems L' Allegro and II penseroso this were less ambitious in theme than the Nativity Ode.In the year 1631 he also wrote two elegies on Hobson The Cambridge carrier whose death occasioned much student wit.
John Milton PROSE WRITINGS (1641-60)
Year 1641-60 was almost wholly devoted to prose writing ,The large bulk of Milton's prose is read only by the scholars .Milton's age was an age of great prose.His prose were of undisciplined greatness.Even if he had never written any poetry ,his prose works would remain a valuable interpretation of the puritan Revolution.Those works of Milton have a significant place in the history of political thought.besides, they were also a kind of record of Milton's growth in religion and politics.
Milton also wrote five pamphlets attacking prelacy during 1641-42 ,He also wrote several tracts on marriage and Divorce.In 1654, Milton published his well known Pamphlets, Of Education and Areopagitica , the latter of which is regarded as a classic document.In the next few years Milton probably worked chiefly on the history of Britain and his large treatise on christain doctrine.However ,When Milton Was just 43 ,he had completely lost his eyes-sight which had been failing for years.
His last political pamphlet was published in March 1660.
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Milton's Later Life And publications (1660-74)
The publications of Milton's Later years were ,Paradise Lost (1667), for which he received ten pounds; Text books of simplified Latin Grammar (1669), And Logic (1672): The history of Britain (1670) ,Paradise regained (1671),Samson Agonists (1671),the second ,enlarge edition (1673) of the poems of 1645 ,the second revised edition of Paradise Lost (1674) and Epistolae Familiaries with the Prolusions Oratoriae (1674).
With the re establishment of monarchy in England Milton being a well known apologist and defender of regicide was in real danger ,in the summer of 1660 a warrant for Milton arrest was issued . He was taken into custody but soon released .
Milton Style and Poetical characteristics
In Milton poem the mentioned poetical characteristics of Milton are found ,The lyric note of Milton ,the puritan note ,Sonnet writer ,epic note,Milton's imaginative power,master of grand style .
Milton's poetic style are Sublimity , grandeur, handling of blank verse etc.
The important poetical works of Milton
1) On the morning of christ's Nativity (1629)
2) L ' Allegro (1631)
3) II Penseroso (1631)
4) Arcades (1633)
5) Lycidas (1637)
6) Comus ,A mask (1634)
7) Paradise Lost (1658)
8) Paradise regained (1666)
9) Samson agonists (1667)
10)Sonnets , Milton wrote 23 sonnets ,some of these between the years 1630 and 1632,and the others between 1645 and 1658.
Milton Died on 8th November,1674 ,A month short of his 66th birthday.He was buried in st.Giles's cripplegate Nd the burial was attended by his learned and great friends.
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