Lewalski milton biography definition

Will stand for some time as the readable one-volume biography of Milton. It doesn't replace Parker (which nevertheless needs replacing), but it doesn't seem intended to. These Blackwell lives claim to have a mandate to offer readable summations that avoid unnecessary scholarly carping.

That's a difficult task to achieve with Milton, whose life and views invite precisely such fraught debates.

Lewalski milton biography definition us history Other than that, there are more brief and straight forward biographies such as Forsyth's that would better suit a general audience. Learn more about this copy. In other words, if one reads this volume purely for interpretations of the poetry or prose, one will inevitably find oneself hopscotching about more than one may wish. And I was surprised how little of the book is dedicated to exploring Paradise Lost, the work for which Milton is of course most well-remembered.

Lewalski nevertheless masters a rather large body of critical material and takes positions on important issues without allowing the arguments to overwhelm the life. Some may take issue with the structure of the text. Chapters end with a close reading of particular texts described earlier in the chapter. While this procedure has the value of putting, say, 20 pages on Paradise Lost in one place, the fact is that the preceding chapters often discuss historical and social background in ways that necessarily lead to some discussing of the text being 'saved' for the end of the chapter.

It's a tricky balancing act that sometimes leaves chapters feeling as if they are holding themselves back for the explication de texte rather than saying everything they know.

Lewalski milton biography definition ap Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 2. Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. While this procedure has the value of putting, say, 20 pages on Paradise Lost in one place, the fact is that the preceding chapters often discuss historical and social background in ways that necessarily lead to some discussing of the text being 'saved' for the end of the chapter. A superb contribution to Milton criticism.

In other words, if one reads this volume purely for interpretations of the poetry or prose, one will inevitably find oneself hopscotching about more than one may wish. If you have the patience to hear (some) things twice, the organization won't bother you. With a scholar as generally balanced and fair and broadly knowledgeable as Lewalski, it's worth being patient.

What will absolutely try your patience, however, is the volume's utterly asinine handling of the notes.

Lewalski milton biography definition She shows how Milton, even as a young poet, constructed himself as a new kind of author, commanding astonishing resources of learning and artistry to develop a radical politics, reformist poetics, and an inherently revolutionary prophetic voice. Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. Rate this book. Though the book is listed as around pages, it is really just "just" pages of text and around pages of end notes.

It's clear that modern print practices mandate endnotes over footnotes. But why on earth are there not sensible indicators in the Notes section, for what pages the notes are intended? The entire Notes section has the completely worthless header 'Notes'. No shit. Since Lewalski typically has hundreds of notes per chapter, one actually has to flip through a dozen pages to find out if the footnote you are looking for (and mistakenly think you have found) is for chapter 13 or chapter 14 or chapter 3.

Other Blackwell lives (see DeMaria's Johnson) don't do this, so why this moronic economy of ink was employed here, making the notes a pain to look through, is beyond me.