Summary of "Seventeenth Century Printed Quaker Verse" By Rosemary Moore

Quakers rejected many aspects of 17th century English society such as the arts, non-religious poetry was included in this list. Before 1660s there was hardly any published Quaker verse, with only 1 major exception George Fox’s The Great Mistery of the Great Whore(Moore, 5-6). In the period form 1660-1666 there was a change in Quaker attitude toward verse and its publication, more verse was being published mostly in collections of short papers(Moore, 7). Much of the verse written during this time was comprised of apocalyptic proclamations, and, warnings of the hell that awaited evildoers, including the persecutors of the Quakers(Moore, 9). One of the most prominent authors of Quaker verse of this period was John Perrot. Perrot was imprisoned while traveling through Italy where he wrote number of poems, many of which were brought back to England and published. Perrot was returned to England in 1661 where he became a major figure in Quaker policy. Many Quakers saw him as a great preacher and he became somewhat of a heroic figure in the Quaker community. However Perrot was not well like with the Quaker hierarchy especially George Fox, this led to dispute about the direction the movement was headed and eventually a split in the Quaker ideology and population(Moore, 7-8). Six prominent Quaker authors of this time were women a good number in a time when women’s expression of thought was not seen as valid. After the period from 1662 to 1666 there was a steep decline in the amount of Quaker verse published this could be due to increasing persecution of Quaker thought, or simply an inhibition of Quaker authors to publish their works and share them with the public(Moore, 12).

Citation information,
Moore, Rosemary. "SEVENTEENTH CENTURY PUBLISHED QUAKER VERSE." Quaker Studies 9.1 (Sep. 2004): 5-16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 1 Oct. 2008 .

John Milton's Political Message Within Paradise Lost

In “Book One” and “Book Two” of Paradise Lost, John Milton introduces the story of Satan and the fallen angels’ descent from heaven to hell from their perspective, rather than the customary prospective of God and his angels in heaven. I think that one of the reasons that Milton chose to tell the story, especially through Satan’s perspective, is because Milton was trying to send a political message to the public. In the epic poem of Paradise Lost, Satan symbolizes Milton’s struggle to free himself and others from the tyranny of a higher authority.

To understand John Milton’s political message to the public, one must first understand the time period in which Milton composed Paradise Lost. Milton was raised in a time of political confusion – in England in the 1600s. At the time, it was the King versus Parliament fighting for power and control. John Milton was against King Charles I; he was against tyranny. After Charles I was beheaded, Oliver Cromwell, a parliament war leader, took over. Milton supported Cromwell whose army named him Lord Protector. Milton uses his views to influence his work in Paradise Lost.

In Paradise Lost, God is a symbol for the English monarchy. The English monarchy is powerful, and even though there was a brief period where there was no monarchy, the monarchy still prevailed and still exists today. After Cromwell died, the English Parliament invited Charles II to return, demonstrating the everlasting authority and control of the English monarchy. The monarchy is strong and cannot be easily taken over. Similar to the monarchy, in Paradise Lost, God is described as having everlasting power over the angels and as being unconquerable. “Against the throne and monarchy of God/ Raised impious war in Heav’n and battle proud/ With vain attempt” (1.42-44). According to Milton’s description of God, God will always prevail in battle, just as the monarchy prevailed in England in the 1600s.

When the monarchy did prevail in England in the 1600s, all of those who supported Cromwell were ordered to be arrested and sent to prison. In Paradise Lost, hell symbolizes prison, a place where people who are fed up with tyrannous rule are sent to be punished. “Such place Eternal Justice had prepared/ For those rebellious, here their pris’n ordained/ In utter darkness and their portion set/ As far removed from God and light of Heav’n…O how unlike the place from whence they fell!” (1.70-75). In Paradise Lost, Satan and his followers are sent to hell, away from heaven where God rules with a strict hand. Similarly, Milton and Cromwell’s followers were sent to prison to be separated from the monarchy and the rest of the English society. Milton did not want to succumb to the rule of the monarchy, just as Satan and his followers did not want to yield to the rule of God. Milton’s notion is that it is better to be imprisoned than be forced to serve a tyrant. “Here at least we shall be free…Here we may reign secure…Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven!” (1.259-63). Milton, similar to Satan, resists the rule of an oppressor. “With what eyes could we/ Stand in His presence humble and receive/ Strict laws imposed to celebrate His throne/ With warbled hymns and to His Godhead sing/ Forced hallelujas while he lordly sits/ Our envied sov’reign and His alter breathes/ Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers/ Our servile offerings… How wearisome/ Eternity so spent in worship paid/ To whom we hate!” (2.239-48). By writing Paradise Lost, Milton seems to be providing others opposed to the monarchy with a bit of hope, just as Satan tries to do in Paradise Lost. “But he his wonted pride/ Soon recollecting with high words that bore/ Semblance of worth, not substance, gently raised/ Their fainting courage and dispelled their fears” (1.527-30). Satan is a leader, as he alone partakes in the journey to Earth to destroy God’s creation of man. Similarly, by writing Paradise Lost, Milton serves as a leader to others who do not support the monarchy in providing them with hope that there is a way to battle against the stronger power.

individual CPB entry 1

"What sit we then projecting peace and war?/War hath determined us and foiled with loss/ Irreparable, terms of peace yet none/ Vouchsafed or sought. for what peace will be giv'n/ To us enslaved but custody severe/ And stripes and arbitrary punishment/ Inflicted? and what peace can we return/ But to our pow'r hostility and hate,/Untamed reluctance and revenge, though slow,/Yet ever plotting how the Conqueror least/ May reap his conquest and may least rejoice/ In doing what we most in suffering feel?/Nor will occasion want nor shall we need/ With dangerous expedition to invade/ Heav'n whose high walls fear no assault or siege/ Or ambush from the Deep. What if we find/ Some easier enterprise?"(Book II, lines 329-345)

If taken at face value this quote leads us to what we would expect, that the fallen angels inspired by Beelzebub, would resort to some underhanded, sinful means of returning to heaven, instead of attempting to regain heaven through their valor or good will. However throughout book one Milton has turned our ideas of what is expected and what we see as right upsidedown, for example as we disscussed in class the fallen angels see through darkness which is not what we see as normal or expect. If we take this idea, and what was described in class about how Milton disliked tyranical rule we can form a diffrent opinon about this quote. We must turn or preconcieved notions about who the fallen angels are upsidedown and see them as members of a group opposing what they see as a tyranical reign. Not as rebels against what most of us would see as a totally good rightous being. Useing this idea we can conclude that Milton is telling us that a easier possibly subversive means of resolving a problem is not evil or a sin, It is simply a smarter soloution to a problem that must be solved by any means necessary, and going further if by these easier means we can save lives, bloodshead, or a fight these means minght even be morally right.

about me

My names mike im from windsor CT. Im actually a sophomore last year i just didnt take english. Im a marketing major, and i also play rugby for the club team

About Me

My name is Barbara. I am from Woodbridge, CT which is a small town near New Haven. I love working with kids, and I am interested in child development. I am a Psychology major, but I am also interested in English. I am looking forward to becoming a more analytical reader and a better writer from this class.

About Me

My name is Wynne (win) and I'm originally from Stamford, CT. I play field hockey and last year my team won the state championship. I'm declared as an economics major so you might be able to guess that english isn't my strongest subject. I'm looking forward to really dissecting Paradise Lost, and hopefully doing well in the class.