Milton
Class Information
Instructor: Menely, Tobias
CRN: 32415
Time: MWF 9:00-9:50
Location: 250 Olson
GE Areas: Writing Experience
Description
John Milton (1608-1674) is the author of _Paradise Lost_, the most important epic in English, a poem that seeks to "justify the ways of God to men" by emphasizing the role of human choice in sacred history. Milton's heterodox theology was aligned with his radical politics. He wrote pamphlets justifying the execution of a tyrannical monarch and in support of rights to divorce and free speech. In this course, we will read some of Milton's powerful short poems and prose writings, but our main focus will be _Paradise Lost, a cosmic poem (it has been called the first work of science fiction) that is also a profoundly moving exploration of rebellion and its consequences, of innocence and experience, of education and vocation, of love and loss.
Students must purchase a paper copy of the Hackett Classics edition of _Paradise Lost_, which costs $13.
Grading
In-class writing, short essays, final exam.