Literature Network » John Milton

Milton's purgatorio.(John Milton)

Content courtesy of

From: Philological Quarterly
Date: 20010322
Author:DiPasquale, Theresa M.

Because Milton was preoccupied with the shape of his own poetic career, many of the works he wrote before Paradise Lost reflect his long-term plan to write a great epic and his anxiousness about when and how he would make himself ready to undertake such a monumental task. The poem most often linked to this concern is "Lycidas," the pastoral mode of which gives the work a clearly-defined place in the literary career of a poet determined to emulate Virgil. The principal speaker, "the uncouth swain," clearly reflects both Milton's ambition and his sense of his own limitations in ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on John Milton

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.