JohnMi lton(

9December1608–8Nov ember1674)wasanEngl ishpoetandi ntell

ect
ualwho
serv
edasaci vi
lserv
antfort
heCommonweal thofEnglandunderitsCouncilofStateandlat
er
underOliverCromwell.Hewroteatati
meofr eli
giousfl
uxandpoliti
calupheaval
, andisbest
knownf orhisepicpoem Par
adiseLost(1667)
.Wr it
teninbl
ankverse,Paradi
seLosti swidel
y
consideredtobeoneoft hegreat
estworksoflit
eratur
eeverwri
tten.

JohnMi
l
ton

Por
trai
tofMi
l
ton,
cir
ca1629

Por
trai
tofMi
l
ton,
cir
ca1629

Bor
n

9December1608

Br
eadSt
reet
,Cheapsi
de,
London,
Engl
and

Di
ed

8Nov
ember1674(
aged65)

Bunhi
l
l,London,
Engl
and

Rest
ingpl
ace

StGi
l
es-
wit
hout
-Cr
ippl
egat
e

Occupat
ion

Poet
,pr
osepol
emi
cist
,ci
vi
lser
vant

Language

Engl
i
sh,
Lat
in,
Greek,
Hebr
ew,
French,
Spani
sh,
Ital
i
an,
OldEngl
i
sh,
Dut
ch

Al
mamat
er

Chr
ist
'sCol
l
ege,
Cambr
idge

Spouse

Mar
yPowel
l

(
​
m.1642;
died1652)
​
Kat
her
ineWoodcock

(
​
m.1656;
died1658)
​

El
i
zabet
hMy
nshul
l(
​m.1663)
​

Chi
l
dren

Si
gnat
ure

Writi
ngi
nEnglish,
Lat i
n,andItalian,heachievedint
ernati
onalrenownwi t
hinhisli
feti
me;his
cel
ebrat
edAreopagiti
ca( 1644) ,
wr i
ttenincondemnationofpre-publi
cati
oncensorship,i
s
amonghistor
y'smosti nf
luentialandi mpassi
oneddef encesoffreedom ofspeechandf reedom
ofthepr
ess.Hisdesireforfreedom ext endedintohi
sst yl
e:heintr
oducednewwor ds(coined
fr
om Lati
nandAnci entGreek)t otheEngl i
shlanguage,andwast hefir
stmoder nwrit
erto
employunrhy
medv er seoutsideoft hetheatr
eort r
anslati
ons.

Wi l
l
iam Hay l
ey'
s1796bi ogr
aphycalledhimt he"great
estEngl i
shaut hor",
[1]andher emains
gener all
yregarded"asoneoft hepreeminentwr i
tersi
nt heEnglishlanguage" ,[
2]thoughcri
ti
cal
recept i
onhasosci l
latedi nt
hecenturiessincehisdeath( of
tenonaccountofhi srepubli
cani
sm).
Samuel Johnsonpr aisedParadiseLostas" apoem whi ch..
.wit
hr especttodesi gnmaycl ai
mt he
fi
rstpl ace,andwithrespecttoper f
ormance, thesecond, amongt hepr oductionsoft hehuman
mind" ,thoughhe(aTor yandrecipi
entofroy alpatr
onage)descr i
bedMi l
ton'spoli
ticsasthoseof
an" acrimoniousandsur l
yrepubli
can".[
3]PoetssuchasWi ll
iam Blake,Wi l
li
am Wor dsworthand
ThomasHar dyreveredhi m.

Bi
ogr
aphy

Poet
ry

Vi
ews

Legacyandi
nfl
uence

Wor
ks

Not
es
Ref
erences

Sour
ces

Ext
ernal
li
nks

Lastedi
ted6day
sagoby103.
211.
54.
29

Cont
enti
sav
ail
abl
eunderCCBY-
SA3.
0unl
essot
her
wisenot
ed.

Pr
ivacypol
i
cyTer
msofUseDeskt
op