Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
Most quotes as famous as this are from Shakespeare, but this one is from the tremendous epic poem, Paradise Lost written by John Milton, who was, by all accounts, a punk poet 300 years before the invention of punk.
Banned
Milton’s poem was banned by the Charles II and, eventually, the Catholic Church, because of its criticism of the church and the throne.
You can understand Charles II’s distaste of the poet, who took to the side of Oliver Cromwell during the civil war. If someone supported the man who killed your father, you would probably feel the same way.
Milton
Following the restoration of the monarchy, Milton was left without direction. His leader had been reduced to a head sitting atop a spike, and the son of the man he dethroned, was wearing the crown. So, he threw himself into writing the 10,000 line epic, Paradise Lost. The poem tells the story of creation. But with significantly more detail than the Bible. The parallels between the story and his feelings about the monarchy and short-lived republic are clear.
The poem has been controversial from day one because of the re-telling of the creation story. Milton himself was a deeply religious man, even believing that when he went blind, this was god’s way of helping him focus on his work. Paradise Lost was finished via dictation.
Satan
The story follows the fall of Satan and one strand of the poem follows the fallen angels as they discuss what they should do, deciding the best course of action is to corrupt mankind. Which, of course, leads Satan to the garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve are the other part of the story but Milton depicts Adam as a greater sinner than Eve, as Adam was aware he was sinning and Eve was tricked. An interesting concept, that Eve was tricked by a great deceiver and Adam just decided to give up and join in.
An interesting concept, that Eve was tricked by a great deceiver and Adam just decided to give up and join in.
Now, a poem about the creation story that runs to 10,000 lines might not sound that appealing but I urge you to give it a try. It is written in blank verse so there are no rhyming couplets but there is a rhythm to the poem and it is easy to read once you hit that rhythm.
If you don’t fancy the poem then check out some more on Milton, he was a fascinating character who helped topple a King, defended freedom and gave the English Language its equivalent to Homer’s Odyssey.
Charlotte Wood is a feminist and writer of the macabre and sinister. She reads horror, fantasy, classic literature and historical fiction (with a preference for history from a woman’s perspective).
Charlotte’s debut novel Heather available for preorder now!
A compelling, frightening and heart-breaking tale of desperation, Heather is a ghost story spanning 100 years that will keep you guessing till the end.