Metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another. As you read Paradise Lost, pay attention to what is being compared in its metaphors.
Epic Hero and Antihero. An epic hero represents the ideals of the culture that creates it. An antihero is a central character who lacks many of the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. An antihero may be lacking in beauty, courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples. As you read Paradise Lost, decide who the epic heroes and antihero are.
Epic. An epic is a long story, often told in verse, involving heroes and gods. Grand in length and scope, an epic provides a portrait of an entire culture, of the legends, beliefs, values, laws, arts, and ways of life of a people.
Speaker. The speaker is the character who speaks in, or narrates, a poem—the voice assumed by the writer. As you read “On His Blindness,” look for the emotions the speaker expresses.
Allusion and Pun. An allusion is a rhetorical technique in which reference is made to a person, event, object, or work from history or literature. A pun is a play on words, one that wittily exploits a double meaning. As you read "On His Blindness," look for the reference that is both an allusion and a pun.
Sonnet and Rhyme Scheme. A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem, usually in iambic pentameter, that follows one of a number of different rhyme schemes. A rhyme scheme is a pattern of end rhymes, or rhymes at the ends of lines of verse. The rhyme scheme of a poem is designated by letters, with matching letters signifying matching sounds.
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The twelve-book epic poem Paradise Lost was published in 1667 and was immediately recognized as a masterpiece. “To justify the ways of God to men,” Milton tells in the poem the story of Adam and Eve’s fall. Milton published a sequel, Paradise Regained, in 1671. “On His Blindness” was published in 1655, four years after Milton lost his sight. In the selection, Milton eloquently alludes to events in the Bible, which he knew by heart.
As you read Paradise Lost, make a cluster chart listing the attitudes, values, and beliefs of Puritan England. One example has been done for you.
As you read "On His Blindness," make a chart of the words that rhyme and designate a letter to each group of rhyming words. The first quatrain has been done for you.
What is your definition of disobedience? In your experience, what are the repercussions for disobedience?
Which sense would be the most difficult for you to lose? Why?
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