All Milton ever wanted was to be the best poet ever. Is that too much to ask?

Now, we're not keeping score or anything, but the guy came pretty close to achieving his goal. His Paradise Lost is one of the most read epics in lit classes across the world. What else made Milton rise above the rest?

Well, he was super religious—no duh, right? He did write a lot about Satan and heaven and hell and whatnot. And he was also imprisoned for being a threat to the crown.

In his time, he was something of a player as well. He had three wives. Not at the same time, though.

And, perhaps most importantly, Milton was deeply concerned with issues of free will, piety, and arrogance. Specifically, the kind of arrogance that might prompt Satan to wage a war against God. Just tiny issues of God and man like that. You know.

Paradise Lost

Don't quote us on this one, but we think Satan is the most interesting character in Paradise Lost. It's not that we're rooting for the bad guy or anything. It's just that, creatively speaking, Milton poured his, um, heart and soul into Satan.

Satan is one of the most richly developed characters in this work, and he grapples with a lot of the same issues your run-of-the-mill mortal might face. Like, how do you take charge of your life in a universe ruled by an all-seeing, all-knowing God? What do you do when you want to control everything, but know that you can't?

Paradise Lost takes a look at what room there is for freedom and free will in Christian theology. And how the rest of us non-deeply religious folks might fare when we take on fate.

"Lycidas"

Can "Lycidas" still count as a tribute to Milton's deceased friend if this poem memorializing his death seems like it's really just a declaration of Milton's own greatness? Seriously, this work is like a giant neon sign proclaiming that the author, Mr. Milton himself, is one of the greats. You check it out and let us know what you think.

Chew on This

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Renaissance writers loved their Greek and Roman myths. So, how do you think Milton's work holds up against Homer's Odyssey or Iliad?

Why do humans suffer? The easy answer is: there just isn't one. Oh, right. But before we get too boohoo about it, let's take a look at Milton's exploration of the nature of suffering in Samson Agonistes. He's got a lot to say on the subject… particularly since he experienced a fair amount of suffering in his own day.