Featured Poem: Paradise Lost by John Milton (1/2)

This week’s Featured Poem is an extract taken from Paradise Lost by John Milton and read by Clare.

For November, our Featured Poems will be taken from the epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton. Paradise Lost tells the biblical story of the Fall of Man, which culminates with Adam and Eve falling into temptation and eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Throughout the poem, we watch as God and Satan struggle on opposing sides to assert dominion over mankind.

This text features on this year’s The Reader Bookshelf, which focuses on the theme of Light & Darkness. To find more about the Bookshelf, a link can be found here.

Paradise Lost (Chapter 9)

O Earth, how like to Heav'n, if not preferr'd
More justly, Seat worthier of Gods, as built
With second thoughts, reforming what was old!
For what God after better worse would build?
Terrestrial Heav'n, danc't round by other Heav'ns
That shine, yet bear thir bright officious Lamps,
Light above Light, for thee alone, as seems,
In thee concentring all thir precious beams
Of sacred influence: As God in Heav'n
Is Center, yet extends to all, so thou
Centring receav'st from all those Orbs; in thee,
Not in themselves, all thir known vertue appeers
Productive in Herb, Plant, and nobler birth
Of Creatures animate with gradual life
Of Growth, Sense, Reason, all summ'd up in Man.
With what delight could I have walkt thee round,
If I could joy in aught, sweet interchange
Of Hill, and Vallie, Rivers, Woods and Plaines,
Now Land, now Sea, and Shores with Forrest crownd,
Rocks, Dens, and Caves; but I in none of these
Find place or refuge; and the more I see
Pleasures about me, so much more I feel
Torment within me, as from the hateful siege
Of contraries; all good to me becomes
Bane, and in Heav'n much worse would be my state.
But neither here seek I, no nor in Heav'n
To dwell, unless by maistring Heav'ns Supreame;
Nor hope to be my self less miserable
By what I seek, but others to make such
As I, though thereby worse to me redound:
For onely in destroying I find ease
To my relentless thoughts