Student Introducing Paradise Essay
Paradise, a concept deeply embedded in human imagination and aspiration, has been envisioned across cultures and throughout history. From ancient walled gardens to celestial realms, the idea of paradise has served as a beacon of hope, a symbol of ultimate fulfillment, and a reflection of humanity's deepest desires. Exploring the multifaceted nature of paradise through the lens of literature, personal experience, and philosophical inquiry offers a profound understanding of its enduring significance.
Gardens as Paradise
An ancient conception of paradise was a walled garden, a sanctuary of beauty, abundance, and tranquility. This imagery resonates with the descriptions found in the Qur'an, where paradise is depicted as a well-watered garden, a haven of respite in arid lands. The presence of banana trees laden with fruit, abundant shade, and flowing water evokes a sense of perpetual sustenance and serenity.
In Alexandria, Egypt, a friend's villa porch offers a glimpse into this earthly paradise. Two small pools glimmer in the porch light, guarded by bushes of yellow Angel Trumpets. The gardener diligently tends to a vibrant array of plants: tomatoes, hibiscus flowers, a banana tree, a lemon tree, and colorful flowers climbing the garden wall. This scene embodies the essence of a well-tended garden, a microcosm of paradise on earth.
Paradise Lost: A Literary Exploration
John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, delves into the complexities of paradise, its loss, and the consequences of human disobedience. The poem reimagines the biblical story of Adam and Eve, exploring themes of good and evil, free will, and the relationship between humanity and God.
Paradise Lost is a magnificent epic poem about the fall of Adam and Eve from Eden at the hands of Satan, in which Milton dilates the brief Biblical account in Genesis into a much longer, more elaborate poem. The actions in the poem are vivid and forceful, and it explores central questions about what it means to be human by imagining a time before we were recognizably us, then how we got to be who we are through alienation from one another, from our natural surroundings, from God, and from our first mythic home-i.e., how Paradise [was] Lost-all with God (in the characters of the Father and the Son), demons (especially a rather compelling Satan) and naked people (Adam and Eve, of course).
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The poem's opening scene plunges the reader into the depths of Hell, where the fallen angels, led by Satan, grapple with their defeat and plot their revenge against God. The vivid descriptions of the infernal landscape, "a dungeon horrible, on all sides round as one great furnace flamed," evoke a sense of despair and eternal torment.
Milton's Grand Style
Milton's writing style in Paradise Lost is characterized by its grandeur, complexity, and allusiveness. He employs elevated language, intricate sentence structures, and a wealth of classical and biblical references to create a rich and immersive reading experience.
Milton's style is "grand" since it is neither the low, nor the middle style, but the high. The low style is composed of simple words (usually of Anglo, not Latinate origin) in simple or coordinated sentences, the whole marked by casual clarity; the high style, of more elevated words (often from Latin) in complex sentences, the whole marked by greater difficulty.
One of the difficulties of the poem for many first readers is the fact that it is a poem; that is, since we are accustomed to prose, we struggle with verse. Milton wrote Paradise Lost in blank verse; that is, in lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter. A pentameter line has five feet. And an iambic rhythm is dominated by the rhythm of its base foot of two syllables, unstressed-stressed (de-DUM): “Of that / forbid/den tree, / whose mor/tal taste . . ..”
Milton's use of Latinate diction, words derived from Latin, adds to the poem's formal and intellectual tone. For example, the word "disobedience" is a doubly difficult word since the root of "obedience" is the Latin verb, oboedire, meaning "to obey, or do as one is supposed to," yet is negated by the prefix, "dis," meaning "apart, asunder or away." Milton's diction is often Latinate when he wants to be precise. He has not reached for a difficult word; he's reached for a precise one.
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The Allure of Satan
One of the most intriguing aspects of Paradise Lost is its portrayal of Satan. While traditionally viewed as the embodiment of evil, Milton's Satan is a complex and compelling character, often seen as a tragic hero who rebels against tyranny.
Many people over the past centuries have been trying to determine who the main protagonist of Paradise Lost really is. Satan is no longer to be feared: he is to be jeered, scorned, and mocked! At least this is the attitude shared by notable scholars like C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, and Thomas More.
The fallen angels and their leader are our protagonists, and the unfallen angels, and God the Father and the Son, and Adam and Eve, are all supporting players.
His defiance and determination resonate with readers, leading some to sympathize with his cause. As one reader exclaimed, "By God! I know not what the outcome may be, but this Lucifer is a damned fine fellow, and I hope he may win!"
The Fall and Its Consequences
The central event in Paradise Lost is the fall of Adam and Eve, their transgression against God's command not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. This act of disobedience has profound consequences, leading to their expulsion from Paradise and the introduction of sin and death into the world.
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Before the Fall, the relationship Adam and Eve had was ideal. There were no arguments, and they worked as a team to tend to the Garden of Eden. However, after the Fall, their relationship disintegrated into something much less perfect.
The poem explores the themes of guilt, shame, and alienation that arise from their sin. Adam and Eve's separation from God and from each other marks the beginning of human suffering and the loss of innocence.
Paradise Regained: A Vision of Hope
While Paradise Lost focuses on the loss of paradise, Milton's sequel, Paradise Regained, offers a vision of hope and redemption. The poem recounts the story of Jesus's temptation by Satan in the wilderness, where he resists the devil's allurements and reaffirms his obedience to God.
For a start, Paradise Regained tells us the story of that world’s saving. I argued in a previous essay that Bach and others see the death of Christ as the seesaw on which history hinges - how, if inclined to a Christian perspective - one can see the world existing in two states: before being saved and after. Milton inclines to this too. If Paradise Lost is the story of history beginning, of the mistake that causes time to tick, then Paradise Regained splits that time into before and after mercy.
Jesus's triumph over temptation represents the possibility of overcoming sin and restoring humanity's relationship with God. Paradise Regained offers a message of hope and the promise of eternal salvation.
Paradise as an Intellectual Relationship
Studying literature, especially a complex work like Paradise Lost, can be akin to forming a relationship with the writer. Through careful reading and analysis, students can gain insights into the author's mind, values, and worldview.
DeMaria’s class was an incredible experience. For starters he is brilliant - a man with a learned mind and the kindness to share the fruits of its thinking. He has a sharp wit and a way of understanding text that seemed to drag meaning and beauty from every word or punctuation. He believed firmly in the idea that a hard and fast curriculum gets in the way of learning. If a discussion was interesting but veering away from what he had intended to talk about he would let it run.
When we spoke to students not in the class about Milton, we would describe it as “introducing them” rather than “telling them about”. As one of my colleagues remarked after a class deep into the semester, “I feel that if Milton walked up to us now, I’d be able to talk to him as if we had met a little before”.
This intellectual relationship can be a deeply enriching experience, fostering a sense of connection and understanding across time and cultures.
Paradise and Urban Planning
The concept of paradise can even inform urban planning and design. The goal of creating a perfect world to live in, a place that fosters community, connection, and well-being, can be seen as a modern-day attempt to recreate Eden.
The Barbican is a development of interconnected apartments, schools, shops and performing arts spaces built in the most brutal of brutalist style in the aftermath of the blitz. Running through its centre, next to the church is a long pond, affectionately known as “the beach” by its residents. It is, in many ways, a picture of what life could - I argue should - be. Connected balconies encourage neighbourly interaction; generous public spaces encourage a feeling of community and connection; stairwells made of glass reduce crime by preventing areas where two people may be completely unwitnessed together; the way in which whole schools (City of London Girls and Guildhall drama school) coexist in the space to promote a sense of intergenerationality; open areas are design so that seating options are diegetic to the urban landscape meaning that groups can congregate in natural looking clumps as they would in a park.
While no place can ever fully achieve this ideal, the striving to create a better world reflects the enduring human desire for paradise.
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