Milton's Complex Words: Essays on the Conceptual Structure of Paradise Lost

This book explores the specific meanings that Milton develops around key words in Paradise Lost, such as theological or philosophical terms, words that shape the imagined world, and small words or prefixes that subtly move the argument in new directions. Milton expects his readers to be alert to the special semantic field he creates around these words, often by infusing them with biblical and literary connotations and activating their etymological roots.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 498 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Every major poet or philosopher develops their own distinctive semantic field around those terms which matter most to them, or which contribute most profoundly to the imagined world of a particular work. This book explores the specific meanings which Milton develops around key words in Paradise Lost. Some of these are theological or philosophical terms (e.g. evil, grace, reason); others are words which shape the imagined world of the poem (e.g. dark, fall, within); yet others are small words or even prefixes which subtly move the argument in new directions (e.g. if, not, re-). Milton seems to expect his readers to be alert to the special semantic field which he creates around such words, often by infusing them with biblical and literary connotations, and activating their etymological roots; alert also to the patterns created by the repetitions of such words, and particularly to their diverse use (and often their blatant misuse) by different characters. To understand the migrations and malleability of key words is part of the education of Milton's reader.

Every major poet or philosopher develops their own distinctive semantic field around those terms which matter most to them, or which contribute most profoundly to the imagined world of a particular work. This book explores the specific meanings which Milton develops around key words in Paradise Lost. Some of these are theological or philosophical terms (e.g. evil, grace, reason); others are words which shape the imagined world of the poem (e.g. dark, fall, within); yet others are small words or even prefixes which subtly move the argument in new directions (e.g. if, not, re-). Milton seems to expect his readers to be alert to the special semantic field which he creates around such words, often by infusing them with biblical and literary connotations, and activating their etymological roots; alert also to the patterns created by the repetitions of such words, and particularly to their diverse use (and often their blatant misuse) by different characters. To understand the migrations and malleability of key words is part of the education of Milton's reader.

Weight: 752g
Dimension: 155 x 235 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198891918