Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is John Milton's epic poem based on the biblical account of humanity's Fall. Its action joins the rebellion of Satan and his followers to Adam and Eve's life in Eden, their temptation, and the consequences of disobedience. Speeches, debates, and changes of perspective make freedom and responsibility central questions, while the promise of redemption places catastrophe within a larger Christian history. Milton's blank verse supports both elevated description and intimate exchanges between the human pair. The poem's powerful presentation of opposing voices requires judgment: rhetorical force does not in itself establish moral authority.