Approaches to Teaching Milton’s Paradise Lost

by Herman, Peter C.; Berry, Boyd (CON); Bryson, Michael (CON); Duran, Angelica (CON); Fulton, Thomas (CON)

• ISBN13: 9781603291170
• ISBN10: 1603291172
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-12-01
• Publisher: Modern Language Assn of Amer

Summary

This second edition of Approaches to Teaching Milton'sParadise Lost addresses Milton in the light of the digital age, new critical approaches to his poem, and his continued presence in contemporary culture. It aims to help instructors enliven the teaching of Paradise Lostand address the challenges presented to students by the poem--the early modern syntax and vocabulary, the political and theological contexts, and the abounding classical references. The first part of the volume, "Materials," evaluates the many available editions of the poem, points to relevant reference works, recommends additional reading, and outlines useful audiovisual and online aids for teaching Milton's epic poem. The essays in the second part, "Approaches," are grouped by several themes: literary and historical contexts, characters, poetics, critical approaches, classrooms, and performance. The essays cover epic conventions and literary and biblical allusions, new approaches such as ecocriticism and masculinity studies, and reading Milton on the Web, among other topics.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Materials
Editions and Texts	p. 3
Reference Works and Biographies	p. 8
Audiovisual and Online Aids	p. 9
Required and Recommended Reading for Students	p. 12
The Instructors Library	p. 13
Approaches
Introduction	p. 19
Literary and Historical Contexts
Teaching Paradise Lost and the Bible	p. 28
Paradise Lost and the Jews	p. 35
Teaching Paradise Lost and the Epic Tradition	p. 41
Clues to the Classical Tradition	p. 52
Paradise Lost and Milton's Revolutionary Prose and Poetry	p. 58
Radical Politics in Paradise Lost?	p. 68
Characters
The Problem of God	p. 78
The Problem of Satan; or, How to Teach Satan on His Own Terms	p. 84
Teaching Eve: The Grammar of Eden	p. 89
Milton's Adam	p. 95
Paradise Lost and Milton's Biography	p. 101
Poetics
Narrators	p. 105
Approaches to Teaching Paradise Lost Allegorically	p. 112
Fit Quantity of Syllables	p. 118
Critical Approaches
The Analogical Approach to Paradise Lost and Milton's Prose: Uses and Abuses	p. 125
Editing Milton with Richard Bentley	p. 131
Visualizing Paradise Lost: Artists Teaching Milton	p. 136
Imitating Milton in the Classroom	p. 147
Teaching Paradise Lost through Adaptation; or, Books Promiscuously Read	p. 151
Teaching Paradise Lost through the New Milton Criticism	p. 161
Dieting in Paradise: Angelic Eating, Metaphysics, and Poetry in Paradise Lost	p. 167
Ecocritical Milton	p. 174
Classrooms
Paradise Lost in the British Literature Survey Course	p. 180
Teaching Paradise Lost in a Western Civilization Course	p. 184
The John Milton Reading Room: Teaching Paradise Lost with an Online Edition	p. 189
Performance and Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost as an Oral Epic	p. 192
Premeditated Verse: Marathon Readings of Milton's Epic	p. 197
Notes on Contributors	p. 203
Survey Respondents	p. 207
Works Cited	p. 209
Index	p. 229
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