3.22: Paradise Lost as an Epic Poem

Paradise Lost is considered to be one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. However, it is much more complex than a traditional epic.

Consider Beowulf as our first example of epic poetry, even though as we discussed, it is only partially an epic poem. In Beowulf, it was clear that Beowulf was the hero. He was strong, loyal, and generous, and he exemplified all of the qualities of a leader within that culture. In the same way, it was clear that the villains were Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the Dragon. Beowulf had a quest that caused him to physically locate and kill Grendel and later Grendel's mother, and after living a long, comfortable life, he also sought the Dragon (Beowulf).

However, the characteristics of epic poetry are not as clear-cut in Paradise Lost. Although it's easy to presume that Adam is the hero, many have argued that the actual hero might be Satan, while others have argued that God is the ultimate hero because he has a divine plan to send a Savior for the human race. And although there is some physical movement as Satan comes from hell to earth, and God and an angel come from heaven to earth, one could argue that the actual quest is not a physical one, but rather a psychological or spiritual one, as many of the characters wrestle with the concept of free will. These are some of the nuances we will discuss as we read the poem.

Despite the complexity of these topics, Paradise Lost is not generally read by most people unless they are required to read it for a class, so you may be wondering why someone should read it? The article, “Why You Should Re-read Paradise Lost,” provides some context for reading Paradise Lost and argues that “this epic poem, …, remains a work of unparalleled imaginative genius that shapes English literature even now.”

I wish we had the time to read the entire poem and an entire semester to discuss it. However, this is not a graduate seminar on Paradise Lost, so we will need to settle for studying four of the key books within the poem. The poem is available in many places online; however, I recently stumbled upon this reading room at the University of Dartmouth which offers an electronic version of the poem containing hyperlinks which offer commentary on various elements of the poem. Therefore, I highly recommend that you read the poem using the links below:

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