John Milton: A Study of his Works & Writing Advice

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” - John Milton

John Milton’s mind was indeed a place of its own, crafting unique and powerful works of poetry and argumentation up until his death in 1674 that left a massive legacy in their wake. A man of an extremely high degree of education and with the wit to back up his thoughts, Milton was a profuse writer who lived with a backdrop of civil unrest and war in Great Britain, which served to greatly influence many of his most lauded works. Though he was certainly not without his detractors during his life and his life came to an end in relative impoverishment, no longer an esteemed member of the intellectual circuit of England, today John Milton remains an extremely important member of the English literary canon, contributing much in the way of political argumentation and poetic prose. 

In this article, we’ll dive deeper into John Milton’s background, writing style, three of his major works, legacy, and writing advice. 

John Milton: A Brief History

John Milton was born on December 9th, 1608, to a family of comfortable financial standing in London, England. As the eldest son, Milton’s education was heartily prioritized throughout his life, beginning with several years of (expensive) private tutoring before attending St. Paul’s School, where he focused on Latin and Greek. He was a positively voracious reader and learner, and it was said by his younger brother, Christopher, that he often voluntarily stayed up very late into the night reading and studying whatever had piqued his interest. At age seventeen, he began at Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge, where he – at that time – prepared to become an Anglican priest, though his pursuits later changed. And despite being academically successful there, he found it difficult to fit in with his schoolmates, though the few friends he did find there he remained close with. 

After finishing with his Bachelor of Arts in 1929, he stayed on at Cambridge until 1932 when he finished his Master’s degree, prompting him to return home to his parents in Hammersmith where he then undertook six years of self-directed private study; by the end of his studies, both at university and on his own, he had command over Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, and Old English. In 1638, Milton embarked on his “grand tour,” a right of passage for young men of aristocratic or noble birth to travel around continental Europe, and his tour took him through France, Italy, and Spain, among other places, which served to greatly inspire him and his beliefs through the people he met, things he learned, and events he experienced. 

He returned to England in mid-1639, where he dove headfirst into his career as a writer, publishing numerous scathing critiques and argumentations on the Church of England, and he thoroughly established himself as a republican, or someone who wanted a republic as opposed to a monarchy. He spent the remainder of his life writing profusely, both in creative outlets via prose, and continuing his works of political commentary and argumentation, which gained him reknown in intellectual circles. By the time of his death in 1674, he had been pushed into impoverishment and hiding, essentially, because of strong backlash to his political writing, but he remained and remains an influential and inspirational writer to the Englishmen that followed him. 

Writing Style

John Milton was heavily influenced by his studies of Latin and Greek early in his life, to the point that he would go on to introduce new words to the English language that originated from Latin and Greek. Like in his political writings, his style as a whole reflected his desire for freedom, and he wrote openly, freely, often with little regard for the consequences he might face. 

Milton was known to write “grandly,” involving dense allegory and metaphor, complex language, flowing verse, and complicated grammatical constructions in his more creative works, and more straightforward or cut-and-dry in his argumentative works. 

His work overall, though, was heartily influenced by his religious and political opinions, and all of his most famous works have some aspect of one or both involved.

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is an epic poem written first published in 1667 and consists of twelve books; today, it is considered one of the greatest works in the English language, exploring themes of rebellion, the fall of humankind, the nature of evil, and the conflict between free will and divine authority.

The poem begins in medias res (in the middle of things) with Satan and other fallen angels who have been banished from Heaven after rebelling against God. They are lying in the Lake of Fire in Hell, and Satan, a complex and charismatic figure, is the central character. He rouses his followers, and they plan to take revenge on God by corrupting his new creation: humankind.

Meanwhile, God creates the universe, Earth, and Adam and Eve, placing them in the Garden of Eden. He grants them free will but forbids them from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and Satan, disguised as a serpent, enters the Garden to tempt Eve. Satan exploits her curiosity and desire for knowledge and Eve eats the forbidden fruit, persuading Adam to do the same. As a result, they fall from grace and are expelled from Eden by God.

The poem explores the consequences of their disobedience, their feelings of shame and regret, and their eventual departure from Paradise. But despite their fall from grace, Milton presents Adam and Eve as figures capable of redemption through repentance and submission to God's will.

As is likely obvious, Milton addresses several theological and philosophical questions throughout the poem, such as the nature of good and evil, the idea of free will, the existence of predestination, and the purpose of human life. Its philosophical depth is one of the reasons Paradise Lost has had such a profound influence on literature, theology, and popular culture, along with its complex characters and exploration of moral dilemmas. Since its first publishing in 1667,  it has been widely studied and admired, inspiring numerous adaptations, including books, plays, art, and music.

Milton's writing in Paradise Lost was characterized by its grandeur, eloquence, and use of blank verse (also known as unrhymed iambic pentameter). And Milton did not hesitate to employ vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and intricate descriptions to portray the cosmic scope of his narrative. Today, Paradise Lost is known as a seminal work in English literature, if not one of the best ever written, and remains the diamond of Milton’s career. 

Areopagitica

Areopagitica (pronounced Uh-ree-uh-puh-JIT-i-kuh) is a famous work of prose published in 1644 during the English Civil War. The title is derived from the name of the Areopagus, a hill in Athens where the highest court of appeal met in ancient Greece, and the writing itself is a passionate and influential argument against censorship, specifically against the licensing and censorship laws that had been enacted by the English Parliament in 1643. It has been called one of the most influential, passionate, and effective pieces of writing in favor of freedom of the press ever written. 

In the prose, Milton addressed the Parliament of England, urging them to reconsider the Licensing Order of 1643, which required authors to obtain government approval (a license) before their work could be published. He vehemently argued that this pre-publication censorship stifled the free flow of ideas and that censoring was ineffective in preventing harm, stating that suppressing ideas only lead to their proliferation in secrecy and undermined the populace's ability to develop critical thinking skills. 

Milton employed various arguments to support his case for unrestricted printing. For one, he emphasized the importance of individual liberty and the inherent right of individuals to freely express their thoughts and opinions, and he contended that the truth should be allowed to emerge from a marketplace of ideas where differing viewpoints can be debated and evaluated. Milton trusted in the power of reason and believed that truth would ultimately prevail over falsehood in open discussion and debate.

Milton also drew upon religious and historical references, citing biblical passages and referencing classical texts to bolster his argument, and he appealed to the Bible in particular, asserting that God granted humans the ability to reason and make moral choices, and therefore, the freedom to express their thoughts and beliefs without government interference.

Even today, several hundred years after it was created, Areopagitica remains a seminal text in the history of free speech and has had a lasting impact on discussions surrounding freedom of expression. Its arguments continue to be relevant in contemporary debates about censorship, the role of government in regulating speech, and the importance of protecting the free exchange of ideas in a democratic society, and it is one of John Milton’s most lauded works. 

Lycidas

Lycidas is a poem published in 1638. It is considered one of Milton's most famous early poems and is dedicated to the memory of Milton's friend Edward King, who drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of Wales in 1637. The poem is written in the form of a pastoral elegy, a classical poetic genre that mourns the death of a friend or fellow shepherd and comprises 193 lines in monody– a form of lyric poem expressing a single speaker's grief or lamentation.

Its narrative revolves around the persona of a mourning shepherd, who laments the untimely death of his friend Lycidas, symbolizing Edward King. Milton employed a rich variety of poetic devices and literary techniques throughout the poem, including alliteration, metaphors, similes, and intricate imagery, and overall the poem showcases Milton's skillful use of language and his mastery in crafting elegiac verse. Pastoral imagery and allegory are utilized repeatedly as well, reflecting on themes of loss, mortality, faith, the fragility of life, and the transient nature of life, and he employed natural elements such as flowers, shepherds, and the sea to illustrate the cycle of life and death. Besides shepherds, Milton incorporated many Christian themes and references throughout the poem as well, addressing questions of divine justice and the afterlife and contemplating the idea of divine providence and the mystery of God's plan in the face of tragedy.

Today, Lycidas is admired for its emotional depth, eloquence, and lyrical beauty, and it is considered a significant work in English literature with great influence on subsequent elegiac poetry. The poem remains a classic example of the pastoral elegy genre and continues to be studied for its exploration of grief and its artistic expression of mourning and remembrance.

Milton’s Legacy & Influence

John Milton's legacy and influence in literature, politics, theology, and philosophy have been profound and enduring. His writings played a significant role in shaping modern ideas about freedom, individual rights, and democratic principles, and his writing also played a role in the current events of his time, seeing as he was a staunch advocate on behalf of his beliefs. Milton's philosophical ideas, as well, particularly regarding free will, the nature of evil, and the purpose of human existence, continue to provoke scholarly discussions and debates today.

His poetic works have also been known to have influenced later poets and writers, including Romantic poets such as William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley because of his style, use of blank verse, and exploration of grand themes.

Overall, John Milton's legacy endures through his literary achievements, his defense of individual liberties, and his profound impact on various fields, making him a towering figure in English literature and intellectual history.

Writing Advice

As is well known, Milton was a staunch advocate for the free exchange of ideas, but he also left some specific writing advice in "The Reason of Church-Government Urged against Prelaty," published in 1642, where he emphasized the importance of simplicity, clarity, and sincerity in non-fiction or argumentative writing. He advocated for the use of plain language, free from unnecessary ornamentation or artificiality, believing that clear and straightforward expression was essential to effectively communicate ideas to readers. 

However, we also know that Milton’s elaborate and extravagant style was one of the reasons his creative writing, in particular, was so lauded, so it can perhaps be assumed that Milton preferred more cut-and-dry writing for writing of a non-creative nature.