John Milton Prereqs.

[winzer]

I hope this is the correct place to post this.
I have read some John Milton I find quite frankly to be too dense of English prose. But I really liked what I picked up from it. Is there any reading anyone wold recommend before submerging into Milton?

[JBI]

Virtually all the Greek and Latin Classics, and The Bible.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I hope this is the correct place to post this.
I have read some John Milton I find quite frankly to be too dense of English prose. But I really liked what I picked up from it. Is there any reading anyone wold recommend before submerging into Milton?

If your talking about Paradise Lost read it a book at a time and fully absorb the argument before-hand, break it down into smaller parts to make it easier. Milton is definitely worth sticking at, you are better to understand 10% of Milton than 100% of most novels. You could also check out Genesis in the Bible first.

[Dark Muse]

For reading Paradise Lost this is a great resource

http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/darknessvisible/index.html

[LitNetIsGreat]

You might want to read Samson Agonistes as it is quite short and quite accessible. It is based upon the story of Samson and Delilah in Judges but written in the form of Greek tragedy, I'm reading it again at the moment as with Paradise Lost (somewhat addicted to the power Milton at the moment) and it is easily read in one sitting. This may be a better way into Milton I suppose, but you need to read Judges first, my old addition has kindly included Samson in Judges along with extensive notes, get a good copy as it always helps. If you are still around what Milton are/have you been reading may I ask?

I am definitely left burning to read Paradise Regained going to order it now I think, though I have Racine on order and I really should be cracking on with Uni stuff! It'll be OK though.

[kasie]

Winzer, you particularly mentioned Milton's prose - if you are reading Miton's prose works as opposed to the poetic works, may I suggest you look at the social history behind their composition? A little knowledge about the events up to and following the English Civil War would be useful background to works such as Areopagitica - Christopher Hill has written widely on the period, one of his books is specifically about Milton in this period, Milton and the English Revolution. Christopher Hibbert also writes on this period - his book The English Bible and the Seventeenth Century Revolution is dense with references and is very illuminating but is perhaps more detailed than you need as a general introduction for which the relevant chapter(s) in Simon Schama's History of Britain might well be sufficient for your needs.

[mono]

Neither Paradise Lost nor Paradise Regained will seem easy reads; several people will have different interpretations of a four-line poem, and, combined, the Paradise duo measure thousands of lines.
JBI had some good suggestions of the Greek and Latin classics, The Bible would help, too. Perhaps The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri would not hurt to help get you in that indescribable mindset, or some works by Edmund Spenser.
Keep in mind, even some of the prerequisites will read with some difficulty - Dante takes a lot of historic Florentinian research, Spenser can get a bit dry, and The Bible is The Bible. Personally, even as an avid reader and literary snob, I take no shame in reading a book companion to help me along the way (with Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, it felt mandatory); with such a classic as Milton, if all else fails, I have no doubt you would have difficulty in finding a decent book guide.
Good luck! :)

[LitNetIsGreat]

(I think our OP has gone and left us.)

Really though the best way to understand Milton is to read Milton. The only thing someone new to Milton needs is all there in the text and in the argument before each book. Prerequisite reading is fine but certainly not essential, just read it, please read it, Milton deserves reading.