The Impact of Paradise Lost For generations since his death, and perhaps even during his lifetime, Milton's "bogeyman" has haunted every master of the English language as an art. It was difficult to explore the verse in a way he hadn't already done, or so they say. Although Milton truly exhausted all that is good in English verse, his figure is essential to the integrity of English literature. Paradise Lost is part of what is considered “canon,” which is something undeniable and irrevocable. Men like TS Eliot attempted to kill Milton's haunting presence by using an entirely different set of figurative sources, as in The Waste Land; but nevertheless, what Milton did and the immensity of his accomplishment must not be diminished by other works. Great works in the English language are now destined to share their spotlight with Milton, or to be in some way influenced by Milton. The reasons for this are numerous. And to convince a group of atheists or agnostics to approach the great epic work as a serious work of literature, the crux of my argument would simply be that the story - by its very nature - does not need be true in objective reality to teach us things and reveal other truths that we do not know. From Beowulf to The Tempest, there have been important works in English literature whose basis is little more than folklore and mysticism - and to dismiss them as unworthy of close attention would be contrary to the very essence of the literary arts. In the other great epic of the English language, the "poet's poet" writes: I have very well written, most powerful Soveraine, that all this famous ancient history, from the abundance of an idle brain, will be judged and painted as a forgery, rather then a matter of right memory (II:1:1-5). Spenser predicts, of The Faerie Queene, that some will regard it as a mere children's story, an illusion painted for useless purposes. In light of this prediction, however, he argues, later asking: "Why then should the foolish man so misunderstand/that nothing is but what he has seen?" (II:3:4-5). This is the same kind of prediction that Milton implies when he claims to reveal things "invisible to mortal sight." He knew that whether the Bible was true or not, his story was just that: a story. There were lessons to be learned from it that remain in the text, regardless of the fact that the story is no longer considered true in any sense by most. When discussing The Faerie Queene, Catherine Belsey refers to the concept of trompe l'oeil eye fallacy as the porting of the individual's desire in relation to a piece of literature, although this term is usually applied in the visual arts context. . Even if the border between art and nature is blurred in the story of Spenser's epic, what makes the work interesting is not so much the clear and objective presentation of the themes, but much more these "errors eyes,” those delightful interludes where one looks beyond the particular moral of an episode of the work, and instead appreciates the work itself, as something beautiful to appreciate. It is with this attitude that we must approach a work like Paradise Lost. Some of the greatest myths and legends came from pagan religions such as those of the Greeks, giving rise to equally great art reflecting these stories - from great verse and fiction to phenomenal works of sculpture, architecture and painting. And ignore the absolute beauty of the story of Pygmalion, for example – much less take it to a modern level like that of George Bernard Shaw – because itis not credible, it loses the flavor of artistic appreciation. Of course, the story is not true, but it can nonetheless be appreciated for its captivating images of exquisite material beauty and reverent intellectual beauty. It's the same with Paradise Lost. It is difficult to read even the first five verses of Milton's epic - if one knows anything about the character of its author - and not come with reverence to his altar. Often, regardless of scriptural premises, the "greater man" whose coming is predicted provides images of Milton himself as a hero, the redeemer of literature as Christ is the savior of the soul. In his long apologia “De Profundis,” Oscar Wilde refers to Jesus as the true beginning of the Romantics, a precursor of their ideas. He says there is something simply incredible about a young Galilean shepherd taking the world on his shoulders. In the same sense, there is something about an almost blind learned heretic becoming God's spokesman that simply awakens the senses, revitalizes the spirit of loyalty and piety - whether in reference to his deity, to his country or to himself - just like Virgil once did. Obviously the story of the Aeneid is fiction, but it has its place in classical literature because of its artistic appeal and its place in history, in the minds and hearts of men. Oscar Wilde himself said: “All art is utterly useless.” In terms of industry and conquest, a poem or a painting will accomplish nothing. But the true essence of Wilde's statement, which Milton boldly echoes throughout eternity in his epic, is that of art for art's sake. Even the most ardent disbeliever cannot deny the reality, the effects that religions have had on the art and culture of different eras. Despite the fact that almost no one believes in the Greek pantheon and relatively few in current religious trends, including Christianity, the immense proliferation of art with religious themes is more than sufficient evidence to indicate the effects of beliefs to many cultural levels. In the same sense, even if people don't believe in Paradise Lost - or the Bible - as accounts of real events in the history of the world as we know it, it offers a lens, or perhaps a mirror, through which we can explore the world. world of Milton, of Christianity, of the English language. Whether or not one believes in a certain philosophy, doctrine or history, it is irrational to deny the effects of these on individuals and societies. This is the case with Paradise Lost. But Milton's work goes far beyond simply respecting his own culture. The themes of the epic can hardly be ignored – and to say that it is simply an apologetic eulogy arguing for Christianity would be to miss the many complex ideas presented. Milton's Satan, for example, is one of the most complex and intensely sustained characters in the history of English literature. It is a striking example of the idea that Milton was not reluctant to examine different aspects of his faith and culture, and was in no way going to chain his hands and the minds of his readers by writing a book simple and direct Christian. panegyric. Even the Chinese peasants like the character of Satan and find him more emphatic and more human than the others in Paradise Lost - this can hardly have been unconscious on the part of a Milton so conscious of his place in literature. And modern-day atheists, agnostics, pantheists (non-theists of all kinds) are – and often declare themselves – literary Satanists. And why not? Satan is the ultimate rebel; the adversary of authority; the one who invoked the.