Milton's masterpiece, Paradise Lost (1667), is an epic poem in blank verse recounting the fall of man, depicting Satan's rebellion against God and Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden. Its companion piece, Paradise Regained (1671), portrays Christ's triumph over Satan's temptations. Samson Agonistes (1671), a tragic drama, reflects Milton's own struggles with blindness and political defeat. His earlier works include the masque Comus (1634) and the pastoral elegy Lycidas (1637). Among his prose writings, Areopagitica (1644) stands as a landmark defense of freedom of speech and of the press. Milton's profound influence on English literature and political thought endures to this day.
John Milton
John Milton (1608–1674) was an English poet, intellectual, and civil servant widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in London, he was educated at St Paul's School and Christ's College, Cambridge, where he mastered Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. A passionate supporter of the Puritan and republican cause, Milton served as Secretary for Foreign Tongues under Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth government, producing pamphlets defending the revolution. He became completely blind by 1652, yet remarkably composed his greatest works after losing his sight.