| Milton and the Transformation of Ancient Epic Contributor(s): Martindale, Charles (Author) |
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ISBN: 1853996505 ISBN-13: 9781853996504 Publisher: Bristol Classical Press OUR PRICE: $39.55 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2002 Annotation: Milton has long been recognised as being among the English poets most indebted to ancient literature, but the full range and depth of that debt have rarely been explored. His most obvious debt, to Virgil, has been exaggerated and too vaguely described. Here Charles Martindale reassesses that debt and examines the use Milton made of other ancient poets, notably Homer, Ovid and Lucan, and the way in which they influenced his style. Some surprising elements in the style of "Paradise Lost"--Horace, for example--are also uncovered. The Introduction surveys Milton??'s attitude to the classics and raises questions of method, while the bulk of the book provides a full account of the relationship between Milton and those four poets who influenced him most profoundly. Renaissance views of classical poets are described, and the value of eighteenth-century commentaries on Milton is demonstrated. Finally, Martindale considers the limits of Milton??'s classicism and the important differences between "Paradise Lost" and its ancient forebears. The book contains a rare combination of scholarship and critical judgement. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Poetry | European - English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh - Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh - Literary Collections | Ancient, Classical & Medieval |
| Dewey: 821.4 |
| Series: Bristol Classical Paperbacks |
| Physical Information: 0.52" H x 5.52" W x 8.5" (0.72 lbs) 256 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Milton has long been recognised as being among English poets most indebted to ancient literature, but the range and depth of that debt have rarely been explored. Here Martindale examines the use Milton made of other ancient poets, notably Homer, Ovid and Lucan, and finds some surprising elements in the style of Paradise Lost - Horace for example. He is primarily concerned with Milton's attitude to the classics and the questions that raises as to his methods. Renaissance views of classical poets and eighteenth-century commentaries on Milton are brought to bear on these questions. Finally the limits of Milton's classicism and the differences between Paradise Lost and its predecessors are considered. |