Description
Book SynopsisA splendid student edition. Remarkably fresh and uncluttered, it offers strong historical context as well as specific linguistic guidance for the modern reader. Priority goes to the poetry and the decision to return to original spelling proves no hindrance but rather seems to deepen the reader's engagement with the texts.
Trade Review“This new edition gives us an accurate picture of how Milton’s publication of his shorter poems evolved across a lifetime. Its main strength, in my opinion, is that Revard will introduce readers who might otherwise not have considered Milton as a literary polyglot to the 1645 Poemata and other Latin and Italian poems in their proper contexts, which cannot but enrich such readers’ understanding of Milton’s work.” (Milton Quarterly, 2011)
"Original spelling and punctuation are retained, and in all other ways the volume prioritizes accessibility and clarity, with chronology, introductions to each section and ample but not swamping footnotes to each poem. The introductory essays do not assume scholarly knowledge, and they make every poem seem vibrant, and vital to Milton's development as a writer."(
TLS, April 2010)“A splendid student edition. Remarkably fresh and uncluttered, it offers strong historical context as well as specific linguistic guidance for the modern reader. Priority goes to the poetry and the decision to return to original spelling proves no hindrance but rather seems to deepen the reader's engagement with the texts. An outstanding edition which is easy to handle and to use.”
Margaret Kean, St. Hilda’s College, University of Oxford
Table of ContentsNote on This Edition xii
Acknowledgments xii
List of Illustrations xiii
Chronology xiv
Textual Introduction xxi
Introduction to the 1645 Volume: Poems of Mr. John Milton 1
English and Italian Poems 11
The Stationer to the Reader 15
On the morning of CHRISTS Nativity 16
A Paraphrase on Psalm 114 28
Psalm 136 29
The Passion 32
On Time 35
Upon the Circumcision 36
At a solemn Musick 38
An Epitaph on the Marchioness of Winchester 40
On May morning 43
On Shakespear 44
On the University Carrier 45
Another on the same 46
L’Allegro 48
Il Penseroso 53
Sonnets 59
I O Nightingale 59
II Donna Leggiadra 60
III Qual in Colle Aspro 61
Canzone 62
IV Diodati, e te’l dirò 63
V Per certo i bei vostr’occhi 64
VI Giovane piano 65
VII How Soon Hath Time 66
VIII Captain or Colonel, or Knight in Arms 67
IX Lady That in the Prime of Earliest Youth 68
X Daughter to That Good Earl 69
Arcades 70
Lycidas 74
A Mask of the Same Author. Title page 81
To the Right Honourable, John Lord Vicount BRACLY 82
The Copy of a Letter Writt’n By Sir HENRY WOOTTON 84
The Persons 87
A MASK Presented At LUDLOW-Castle, 1634 88
Introduction to the Poemata, 1645 121
The Poemata, 1645 125
Translator’s Note: The Latin Poems 127
Testimonia 128
Haec quae sequuntur de Authore testimonia 130
Joannes Baptista Mansus ad Joannem Miltonium 132
Ad Joannem Miltonem Epigramma Joannis Salsilli 132
Ad Joannem Miltonum (Selvaggi) 132
Al Signor Gio. Miltoni (Antonio Francini) 134
JOANNI MILTONI LONDINIENSI (Carolus Datus) 140
Elegiarum Liber Primus 143
Elegia prima ad Carolum Diodatum 144
Elegia secunda. In obitum Præconis Academici Cantabrigiensis 152
Elegia tertia. In obitum Præsulis Wintoniensis 154
Elegia quarta. Ad Thomam Junium 158
Elegia quinta. In adventum veris 168
Elegia sexta. Ad Carolum Diodatum 178
Elegia septima. 186
Haec ego mente [Retraction] 192
In proditionem Bombardicam 194
In eandem 195
In eandem 196
In eandem 197
In inventorem Bombardæ 198
Ad Leonoram Romæ cantentem 199
Ad eandem 200
Ad eandem 201
Sylvarum Liber 203
In obitum Procancellarii medici 204
In quintum Novembris 210
In obitum Præsulis Eliensis 224
Naturam non pati senium 230
De Idea Platonica 236
Ad Patrem 240
Psalm 114 248
Philosophus ad regem 250
Ad Salsillum 252
Mansus 256
Epitaphium Damonis 266
Introduction to Poems, &c. UPON Several Occasions, 1673 284
English Poems Added in 1673 289
On the Death of a fair Infant dying of a Cough 293
Sonnets 297
XI a Book Was Writ of Late Call’d Tetrachordon 297
XII on the Same 299
XIII to Mr. H. Lawes, on His Aires 300
xiv [On ye religious memory of mrs Catharine Thomason] 301
xv (18) On the late Massacher in Piemont 302
xvi (19) When I consider how my light is spent 304
xvii (20) Lawrence of virtuous Father 305
xviii (21) Cyriack, whose Grandsire 306
xix (23) Methought I saw 307
The Fifth Ode of Horace. Lib. I 308
Ad Pyrrham. Ode V 309
At a Vacation Exercise in the Colledge 310
On the new forcers of Conscience under the Long PARLIAMENT 314
Psalms 316
I 316
II 316
III 317
IV 318
V 319
VI 320
VII 321
VIII 323
LXXX 324
LXXXI 326
LXXXII 328
LXXXIII 329
LXXXIV 330
LXXXV 332
LXXXVI 333
LXXXVII 335
LXXXVIII 336
Latin and Greek Poems Added in 1673 339
Poem added to Elegiarum Liber in 1673 340
Apologus de Rustico & Hero 340
Poems Added to Sylvarum Liber in 1673 342
In Effigiei Ejus Sculptorem 342
Ad Joannem Rousium 344
Introduction to the Uncollected Poems 354
Sonnets Published in 1694 357
To my Lord FAIRFAX 358
To Oliver Cromwell 360
To Sir HENRY VANE 362
To Mr. CYRIAC SKINNER Upon his Blindness 366
Unpublished Latin Poems 369
Carmina Elegiaca 370
Verses in Lesser Asclepiads (Ignauus Satrapam) 372
Introduction to Poems Published in 1671 373
Introduction to Paradise Regained 375
Paradise Regained 381
Book I 385
Book 2 401
Book 3 416
Book 4 431
Introduction to Samson Agonistes 451
Samson Agonistes 457
Of that sort of Dramatic Poem which is call’d Tragedy. 461
The Argument 462
The Persons 463
Samson Agonistes 464
Appendix 513
Bridgewater Maske 515
Manuscript of songs by Henry Lawes from A Mask 539
Trinity Manuscript: a page from A Mask 543
Select Bibliography 545
Textual Notes 555
Textual Notes to English and Italian Poems, 1645 557
Textual Notes to Poemata, 1645 565
Textual Notes to English Poems Added in 1673 569
Textual Notes to Sonnets Published in 1694 572
Textual Notes to Unpublished Poems 574
Textual Notes to Paradise Regained 575
Textual Notes to Samson Agonistes 577
