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THE ARGUMENT.

THIS first book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject, man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise, wherein he was placed. Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the serpent, or rather Satan in the serpent; who, revolting from God, and drawing to his side many legions of Angels, was by the command of God driven out of heaven with all his crew into the great deep. Which action passed over, the Poem hastens into the midst of things, presenting Satan with his Angels now fallen into hell, described here, not in the centre, for heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed; but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos: here Satan, with his Angels lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion, calls up him who next in order and dignity lay by him: they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded: they rise; their numbers, array of battle, their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech, comforts them with hope yet of regaining heaven, but tells them lastly, of a new world and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy or report in heaven: for that Angels were long before this visible creation, was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this prophecy, and what to determine thereon, he refers to a full council. What his associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenly built out of the deep the infernal Peers there sit in council.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK I.

Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater man
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat,
Sing, heavenly muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire

That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed,

I. Parse the words :

LINES 1-16.

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I. of; 2. fruit; 3. whose; 4. woe; 5. with ; 6. till; 7. restore; 8. sing; 9. muse; 10. first; 11. seed; 12. if; 13. fast; 14. that; 15. while; 16. yet.

2. What is the force of that in line 2? What word does it seem to point out as the antecedent to whose?

3. In line 4, the preposition with may shew the relation either between fruit and loss, or between woe and loss; which do you prefer? Why?

4. In what mood are the verbs restore and regain? Give the rule for the use of the subjunctive mood.

5. What are the two objects of taught in line 8? Parse each of the words in the second. Has the verb teach always two ob

jects? Give the rule.

6. What is the meaning here attached to mortal, fast, and rhyme? Give their usual meaning.

7. Quote the passages of Scripture alluded to in the following expressions ;-I. 'brought death,' &c.; 2. 'loss of Eden'; 3. 'till one greater man restore us,' &c.; 4. 'that Shepherd,' &c.; 5. 'in the beginning,' &c.; 6. 'Siloa's brook.' To what does the expression 'the blissful seat' refer?

8. Where was Mount Horeb or Sinai situated? Why is its top said to be secret?

In the beginning how the heavens and earth
Rose out of chaos: or if Sion hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flow'd
Fast by the oracle of God, I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventurous song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above the Aonian mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.
And chiefly thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all temples the upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for thou know'st; thou from the first
Wast present, and, with mighty wings outspread,
Dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast abyss,
And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is dark,

ΙΟ

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9. What is the meaning here attached to the Greek word 'chaos'? Wherein does it differ from the meaning attached to it by the Greeks? What was the 'chaos' of Ovid?

10. Where was Sion hill? What great poet lived there? II. The oracle of God. Explain the meaning of the word oracle. Why was the temple so called?

12. What is the name of the Aonian mount?

what is meant by soaring above it.

13. Collect instances of invocation similar to this. 14. Heavenly Muse. Name the Nine Muses.

I. Parse:

LINES 17-26:

Explain

I. chiefly; 2. thou; 3. that; 4. pure; 5. first; 6. outspread; 7. brooding; 8. pregnant; 9. what; 10. raise: II. that; 12. justify; 13. to.

2. Mention the finite verbs in this period, and tell the kind of sentence of which each is the predicate.

3. Give the history and meaning of the words :

I. chiefly; 2. prefer; 3. temples; 4. upright; 5. instruct; 6. brooding; 7. abyss; 8. illumine; 9. support; 10. height.

4. (1) What is the meaning here given to the word argument? (2) What is its derivation and original meaning? (3) What other meanings has it?

·

5. From what passages of Scripture are the following expres sions taken :-I. that dost prefer...pure'; 'thou from the first ...and sat'st brooding'; 3. dove-like.'

Illumine; what is low, raise and support;

That to the height of this great argument

I

may assert eternal Providence,

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And justify the ways of God to men.

Say first for Heaven hides nothing from thy view,

Nor the deep tract of hell-say first, what cause

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Moved our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favour'd of Heaven so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will
For one restraint, lords of the world besides?
Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?
The infernal Serpent; he it was whose guile,
Stirr'd up with envy and revenge, deceived

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6. What is the meaning of the phrase 'that to the height of this great argument '?

7. How may Milton be said (1) 'to assert Eternal Providence'; (2) to justify the ways of God to men'? (3) What word does Pope use instead of justify?

8. Why does the poet invoke the Holy Spirit to help him? 9. Do you see anything worthy of note in this exordium or preface?

[blocks in formation]

1. for; 2. tract; 3. what; 4. favoured; 5. off; 6. 7. transgress; 8. lords; 8. for; 9. he; 10. whose; II. stirred; 12. if; 13. raised; 14. attempt.

2. Parse first. This word has occurred three times before (lines 1, 8, 19). Point out the relation it bears to the other words in each of these places.

3. Point out the various parts of the complex adjective clause, 'whose guile...vain attempt' (34-44), and shew the relation in which they stand to one another.

4. Nor (line 28.) What conjunction is this used for? Read the sentence supplying the ellipsis.

5. Give the derivation and meaning of :—

1. favoured; 2. transgress; 3. seduced; 4. guile ;

5. deceived; 6. rebel; 7. angel; 8. ambitious; 9. monarchy.

6. What is the meaning of-1. 'grand parents; 2. 'to transgress his will for one restraint;' 3. besides ;' 4. 'what time'; 5. 'battle proud.'

The mother of mankind, what time his pride
Had cast him out from heaven, with all his host
Of rebel angels; by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have equalled the Most High,
If he opposed; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of God,
Raised impious war in heaven, and battle proud,
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurl'd headlong flaming from the ethereal sky,
With hideous ruin and combustion down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In adamantine chains and penal fire,
Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms.

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7. He trusted to have equalled. Is this usage strictly correct? If not, what would you say? Give other examples of the same construction.

8. To set himself in glory above his peers. This has been pointed out as a contradiction to Book V. 812. Is it so ?

9. Say first for Heaven hides nothing from thy view. What are the passages in which Homer and Virgil address the Muse with a similar plea? Wherein does this request differ from theirs? Is there any correlative to first?

10. Who first seduced them? The infernal serpent. Do you know any expression similar to this in another poet?

[blocks in formation]

1. flaming; 2. who; 3. times; 4. space; 5. rolling ; 6. immortal; 7. more; 8. for; 9. both; 10. round.

2. Analyze the passage (44-9) giving the character of each of the extensions.

3. Name the extensions of lay, line 52. What kind of extensions are they?

4. What is the derivation of-1. perdition; 2. ethereal; 3. adamantine; 4. penal; 5. defy; 8. vanquished; 7. confounded; 8. happiness; 9. torments; 10. baleful; and II. obdurate? Give the meaning of these words.

5. Horrid crew. Paraphrase the expression. Give examples of the different meanings of the word crew.

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