"Through a Glass Darkly": Milton's Reinvention of the Mythological Tradition (Casebook Series) (Medieval & Renaissance Literary Studies) - Hardcover

Mulryan, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0820702676 ISBN 13: 9780820702674

Publisher: Duquesne University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Perhaps our most Christian poet, Milton chose to communicate his vision of reality in the language of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. As Mulryan points out, Milton - as no other poet before him - mastered the texts of classical mythology in their original languages and seldom wrote a line that did not betray their influence. Here, we are reintroduced to the Renaissance milieu that was not only intimately familiar to Milton but that helped to shape his thinking about fundamental matters that he addresses in his poetry, particularly Paradise Lost.Mulryan's study first establishes the incredible richness of the mythological tradition that was available to Milton, including many sources that have either been ignored or depreciated in current scholarship. Milton's own view of classical myth is then explored, and Mulryan provides insight into how this view had to deal with the problem of reconciling pagan learning and Christian thought. Finally, this study demonstrates how Milton drew upon and assimilated the mythological traditions in his poetry as a reflection of the receptiveness to such acts of "creative mythologizing" during his own time.

About this title

Synopsis:

In this wide-ranging and ambitious study, John Mulryan contributes significantly to our knowledge of the mythological under-pinnings of John Milton's works. Perhaps our most Christian poet, Milton chose to communicate his vision of reality in the language of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. As Mulryan points out, Milton -- as no other poet before him -- mastered the texts of classical mythology in their original languages and seldom wrote a line that did not betray their influence. Here, we are reintroduced to the Renaissance milieu that was not only intimately familiar to Milton but that helped to shape his thinking about fundamental matters that he addresses in his poetry. Mulryan's study first establishes the incredible richness of the mythological tradition that was available to Milton, and it includes quotations from many sources that have either been ignored or depreciated in current scholarship. Milton's own view of classical myth is then explored, and Mulryan discusses the problem of reconciling pagan learning and Christian thought.

Finally, this study demonstrates how Milton drew upon and assimilated the mythological traditions in his poetry as a reflection of his era's receptiveness to such acts of 'creative mythologizing'.

About the Author:

John Mulryan is professor of English at St. Bonaventure University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Duquesne University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0820702676
• ISBN 13: 9780820702674
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320