Reading Paradise Lost

Concise enough to be assimilated in a single session, this short volume maps the wonders of Milton’s poetic landscape. The book offers an exploration of some of the main narrative and poetic elements of the epic poem – qualities which have compelled and fascinated readers for more than three centuries. The author, a celebrated authority on English poetry of the period, engages with (and attempts to counter) some of the critical arguments that impede readers’ enjoyment of the poem. This volume emphasizes the aesthetic experience of reading Paradise Lost and brings out the pleasure to be derived from one of the great literary achievements of humanity.