John Milton
An English poet and polemicist, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, which retells the biblical story of the Fall of Man with unparalleled grandeur and intellectual depth. Milton's work explored profound theological, philosophical, and political themes, including free will, divine justice, and rebellion. His masterful command of language and elevated style left an indelible mark on English literature.
In Paradise Lost Milton produced poem of epic scale, conjuring up a vast, awe-inspiring cosmos and ranging across huge tracts of space and time. And yet, in putting a charismatic Satan and naked Adam and Eve at the centre of this story, he also created an intensely human tragedy on the Fall of Man. Written when Milton was in his fifties - blind, bitterly disappointed by the Restoration and briefly in danger of execution - Paradise Lost's apparent ambivalence towards authority has led to intensedebate about whether it manages to 'justify the ways of God to men', or exposes the cruelty of Christianity.