On Reading Paradise Lost

Gustav Dore's Depiction of the Main Character

of John Milton's epic Paradise Lost



In the early early morning, every work day, after a cup of coffee at home and a scan of the NY Times, before I walk to the subway and another day at the office, I have been reading -- or attempting to read, or reading very slowly, or perusing -- a couple of pages of John Milton's Paradise Lost. It's one of those texts that I have skimmed over the years with a goal of actually reading in full.

And,although I am reading it slowly, it is marvelous, fantastic, provocative, so much so that after reading a few lines, it is such a dense text, filled with historical and biblical references and allusions and images, that my mind soars, with a blissed out distraction, both a desire to read more and to stop everything and hop into my own writing, that I see it may take a Miltonian aeon to make itthrough this work. Not at all a slog, it is a delight to read, but so stimulating that my little patches of time each morning simply are not enough time and space to achieve this goal. But still I will remain in pursuit. Every day, every morning, a couple of pages, and then another reference or allusion and I see it is once again time to say goodbye - to my family, to Milton and the dreams of the unfettered creative life --and make my way to work. Once again, Paradise Lost...

--Anthony Napoli

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