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A Preface to Paradise Lost
In A Preface to Paradise Lost, Lewis spends nearly half of the book defending the form of epic poetry. For the student, it becomes a lesson in understanding not only the style of Milton but also of Homer, Virgil, and the author of Beowulf. Contrasted to even our contemporary means of reading books (and perhaps even Scripture) where we highlight individual statements and verses, epic poetry teaches us “the subordination of the line to the paragraph and the paragraph to the book and even of the Book to the whole, of the grand sweeping effects that take a quarter of an hour to develop themselves”
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1942
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,120 books43.9k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
February 21, 2022
2022 update: updated to 5 stars. The more I understand the better I like it.
I found the early chapters on epic poetry extremely helpful. His words on Paradise Lost were also enlightening. I love how Lewis respects his readers and writes as if he is just having a conversation, sometimes just throwing out thoughts he isn't quite sure about yet.
I found the early chapters on epic poetry extremely helpful. His words on Paradise Lost were also enlightening. I love how Lewis respects his readers and writes as if he is just having a conversation, sometimes just throwing out thoughts he isn't quite sure about yet.
December 20, 2012
Brilliant. Don't let the title fool you! It's about way more than Paradise Lost. Lewis traces the expectations behind Paradise Lost by looking at Homer and Virgil and Beowulf. C.S. Lewis knew why he loved books. Makes me want to read Milton.
His defense of Milton's Style had this fine gem, worth quoting at length:
"The older poetry, by continually insisting on certain Stock themes--as that love is sweet, death bitter, virtue lovely, and children or gardens delightful--was performing a service not only of moral and civil, but even of biological, importance. Once again, the old critics were quite right when they said that poetry "instructed by delighting," for poetry was formerly one of the chief means whereby each new generation learned, not to copy, but by copying to make, the good Stock responses. Since poetry has abandoned that office the world has not bettered. While the moderns have been pressing forward to conquer new territories of consciousness, the old territory, in which alone a man can live, has been left unguarded, and we are in danger of finding the enemy in our rear. We need most urgently to recover the lost poetic art of enriching a response without making it eccentric, and of being normal without being vulgar. Meanwhile--until that recovery is made--such poetry as Milton's is more than ever necessary to us."
So that's why we read fiction.
His defense of Milton's Style had this fine gem, worth quoting at length:
"The older poetry, by continually insisting on certain Stock themes--as that love is sweet, death bitter, virtue lovely, and children or gardens delightful--was performing a service not only of moral and civil, but even of biological, importance. Once again, the old critics were quite right when they said that poetry "instructed by delighting," for poetry was formerly one of the chief means whereby each new generation learned, not to copy, but by copying to make, the good Stock responses. Since poetry has abandoned that office the world has not bettered. While the moderns have been pressing forward to conquer new territories of consciousness, the old territory, in which alone a man can live, has been left unguarded, and we are in danger of finding the enemy in our rear. We need most urgently to recover the lost poetic art of enriching a response without making it eccentric, and of being normal without being vulgar. Meanwhile--until that recovery is made--such poetry as Milton's is more than ever necessary to us."
So that's why we read fiction.
July 26, 2013
C.S. Lewis writes what may be a very poorly titled book in A Preface to Paradise Lost.
Certainly, the last half of the book, or so, is a book about how to enjoy and understand John Milton's Paradise Lost. The first half of the book, however, is a book about epic poetry. Lewis makes some very poignant observations about epic poetry in general and about The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Aeneid specifically, in addition to Paradise Lost.
His clear favorite, I'm sure, is Virgil's The Aeneid. He sees it as an improvement, or at least, an advancement of Homer's tales. He also sees flaws in Milton's Paradise Lost that he believes Virgil does not make. Any student or teacher interested in epic poetry in general or in any one or more of the epic poems named would do well to read Lewis's preface. Don't be deceived by the title.
Certainly, the last half of the book, or so, is a book about how to enjoy and understand John Milton's Paradise Lost. The first half of the book, however, is a book about epic poetry. Lewis makes some very poignant observations about epic poetry in general and about The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the Aeneid specifically, in addition to Paradise Lost.
His clear favorite, I'm sure, is Virgil's The Aeneid. He sees it as an improvement, or at least, an advancement of Homer's tales. He also sees flaws in Milton's Paradise Lost that he believes Virgil does not make. Any student or teacher interested in epic poetry in general or in any one or more of the epic poems named would do well to read Lewis's preface. Don't be deceived by the title.
September 22, 2012
I enjoy Lewis' work whether it be fiction, essays, religious matters, even some of his poetry, but he is undoubtedly at his best in his professional capacity, writing as a professor on his subject of medieval and renaissance literature.
This study of “Paradise Lost” was a delight to read. He uses his extensive scholarship with a delightful light touch, and teaches a considerable amount about the background, the form and content of the work in a very lucid and helpful style. Where he disagreed with the views of other academics, even where he disagreed fundamentally – for instance with Saurat over the nature of Miltons theology as shown in the poem - this was done graciously, and was a pleasure to read. Often in his religious writings he resorts to the equivelant of a blunderbuss or heavy club in assailing anyone with whom he disagrees. This can be extremely irritating. Here, there was little of that, except maybe when writing about the views of those who upheld a “modernist” approach to poetry.
I still don’t know enough of or about the poem or of other critics of the poem, to be able to compare Lewis’ view with differing views; but it was fascinating just to read someone who was extremely knowledgable and well read on the concept of epic poetry, and who had also probably read all the relevant works of epic poetry. It was equally interesting to read someone who personally enjoyed the genre, but also who wholeheartedly believed in the literal truth of the underlying biblical story on which the poem was based. This sharing of fundamental belief with the author adds a sympathy to Lewis’ insights that makes them fundamentally different from those who don’t share that belief. I don’t necessarily know if that makes them more valuable, but it added a warmth and enthusiasm that was hard to resist, a warmth and enthusiasm that made me want to go back and re-read passages as he referred to them.
Lewis is like Chesterton to a large extent, in that all his writing and judgements rest explicitly on the foundation of his faith, as well as on a foundation of highly conservative, traditional views of culture and society. He therefore could not resist launching into discussion of fundamental values and beliefs, and criticsm of those aspects of the culture of his day that were in conflict with his views. I’m sure that it’s ever possible for an author to avoid doing this. What I do like about Lewis, is that he makes no pretence that it’s possible to avoid doing so, that in some way he’s writing from an objective point of view.
This study of “Paradise Lost” was a delight to read. He uses his extensive scholarship with a delightful light touch, and teaches a considerable amount about the background, the form and content of the work in a very lucid and helpful style. Where he disagreed with the views of other academics, even where he disagreed fundamentally – for instance with Saurat over the nature of Miltons theology as shown in the poem - this was done graciously, and was a pleasure to read. Often in his religious writings he resorts to the equivelant of a blunderbuss or heavy club in assailing anyone with whom he disagrees. This can be extremely irritating. Here, there was little of that, except maybe when writing about the views of those who upheld a “modernist” approach to poetry.
I still don’t know enough of or about the poem or of other critics of the poem, to be able to compare Lewis’ view with differing views; but it was fascinating just to read someone who was extremely knowledgable and well read on the concept of epic poetry, and who had also probably read all the relevant works of epic poetry. It was equally interesting to read someone who personally enjoyed the genre, but also who wholeheartedly believed in the literal truth of the underlying biblical story on which the poem was based. This sharing of fundamental belief with the author adds a sympathy to Lewis’ insights that makes them fundamentally different from those who don’t share that belief. I don’t necessarily know if that makes them more valuable, but it added a warmth and enthusiasm that was hard to resist, a warmth and enthusiasm that made me want to go back and re-read passages as he referred to them.
Lewis is like Chesterton to a large extent, in that all his writing and judgements rest explicitly on the foundation of his faith, as well as on a foundation of highly conservative, traditional views of culture and society. He therefore could not resist launching into discussion of fundamental values and beliefs, and criticsm of those aspects of the culture of his day that were in conflict with his views. I’m sure that it’s ever possible for an author to avoid doing this. What I do like about Lewis, is that he makes no pretence that it’s possible to avoid doing so, that in some way he’s writing from an objective point of view.
February 2, 2014
Nicely done! I found Lewis' style to be slightly pedantic in the beginning but it gradually grew on me. He presents his arguments in a well-knitted, logical and convincing manner and I especially enjoyed the chapters "Is Criticism Possible?" and "The Doctrine of the Unchanging Human Heart". Very nicely argued! Also, he touches upon the famous "Satanic predicament": whether or not Satan was the real, intended hero of Paradise Lost. Lewis argues against the William Blake notion, and very intelligently. He also defends Adam which seemed to me to be quite a daring thing to do! Not many critics see in Adam anything heroic or admirable, but Lewis pleads his case with great conviction. The last few chapters on Milton's theology, his concept of angels, and the Fall in general are also some of the most informative and interesting chapters in the book.
I wasn't expecting this book to be enjoyable as books of criticism are mostly preconceived to be dry and tedious. But Lewis, with his wit, humor and logical acuity, keeps the reader engaged and fascinated. I must also applaud the subjects he chose for his discourse: rather than writing a nauseating panegyric on Milton's style and themes, he chooses quite different and interesting areas of study.
Recommended to students of Milton and to classical epic enthusiasts in general. The latter because, in the first few chapters, Milton discusses the traditional epic as written by Homer and Virgil and also comments upon Beowulf. An informative read, indeed!
I wasn't expecting this book to be enjoyable as books of criticism are mostly preconceived to be dry and tedious. But Lewis, with his wit, humor and logical acuity, keeps the reader engaged and fascinated. I must also applaud the subjects he chose for his discourse: rather than writing a nauseating panegyric on Milton's style and themes, he chooses quite different and interesting areas of study.
Recommended to students of Milton and to classical epic enthusiasts in general. The latter because, in the first few chapters, Milton discusses the traditional epic as written by Homer and Virgil and also comments upon Beowulf. An informative read, indeed!
October 21, 2021
It's all the in-between bits and pieces, set around Lewis's analyzation of PL, that make this book worth reading. Short and easy, though seeped in the lit critics of his day.
Quotes:
"For who can endure a doc trine which would allow only dentists to say whether our teeth were aching, only cobblers to say whether our shoes hurt us, and only governments to tell us whether we were being well governed?"
"The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual."
[on poetry] "The whole art consists not in evoking the unexpected, but in evoking with a perfection and accuracy beyond expectation the very image that has haunted us all our lives."
"When our participation in a rite becomes perfect we think no more of ritual, but are engrossed by that about which the rite is performed; but afterwards we recognize that ritual was the sole method by which this concentration could be achieved.... A schoolboy who reads a page of Milton by chance, for the first time, and then looks up and says, 'By gum!' not in the least knowing how the thing has worked, but only that new strength and width and brightness and zest have transformed his world, is nearer to the truth than they."
"And Milton goes on to explain that God's withdrawal consists not in a spatial retraction, but in 'not putting forth His goodness'; that is, there are parts of space over which God is not exercising His efficacy, though He is still, in some undefined mode, present in them."
"In the religious life man faces God and God faces man. But in the epic it is feigned, for the moment, that we, as readers, can step aside and see the faces both of God and man in profile. We are not invited (as Alexander would have said) to enjoy the spiritual life, but to contemplate the whole pattern within which the spiritual life arises. Making use of a distinction of Johnson's we might say that the subject of the poem 'is not piety, but the motives to piety'."
"The moment you put it into words you falsify it. It is like trying to see what a thing looks like when you are not looking at it. You cannot make a true picture of that no-man's-land between the visible and the in visible which exists on the edges of our field of vision, because just in so far as you make a picture you are bringing it into the centre. I do not say that it may not be fun to try."
Quotes:
"For who can endure a doc trine which would allow only dentists to say whether our teeth were aching, only cobblers to say whether our shoes hurt us, and only governments to tell us whether we were being well governed?"
"The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual."
[on poetry] "The whole art consists not in evoking the unexpected, but in evoking with a perfection and accuracy beyond expectation the very image that has haunted us all our lives."
"When our participation in a rite becomes perfect we think no more of ritual, but are engrossed by that about which the rite is performed; but afterwards we recognize that ritual was the sole method by which this concentration could be achieved.... A schoolboy who reads a page of Milton by chance, for the first time, and then looks up and says, 'By gum!' not in the least knowing how the thing has worked, but only that new strength and width and brightness and zest have transformed his world, is nearer to the truth than they."
"And Milton goes on to explain that God's withdrawal consists not in a spatial retraction, but in 'not putting forth His goodness'; that is, there are parts of space over which God is not exercising His efficacy, though He is still, in some undefined mode, present in them."
"In the religious life man faces God and God faces man. But in the epic it is feigned, for the moment, that we, as readers, can step aside and see the faces both of God and man in profile. We are not invited (as Alexander would have said) to enjoy the spiritual life, but to contemplate the whole pattern within which the spiritual life arises. Making use of a distinction of Johnson's we might say that the subject of the poem 'is not piety, but the motives to piety'."
"The moment you put it into words you falsify it. It is like trying to see what a thing looks like when you are not looking at it. You cannot make a true picture of that no-man's-land between the visible and the in visible which exists on the edges of our field of vision, because just in so far as you make a picture you are bringing it into the centre. I do not say that it may not be fun to try."
November 17, 2010
I recently heard from one of my professors that "when you read Lewis' critical stuff, you wonder 'wow, how did people ever get published with stuff like this?'" I pulled this off the shelf to reassure myself that such statements are silly, and it worked. A book like this would have trouble getting published today, but that's just to say that people like Lewis did their jobs back then: we have no room for sweeping, incisive criticism like this anymore because it's been done, and we need to chop our subjects up into tiny peices to "create knowledge" about them now. Lewis is astonishing because his specialty is Literature. Not this or that sort of literature, but all of it. He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs, and peep about to find dishonorable graves.
February 11, 2024
Perhaps this would have been better to read *after* reading Paradise Lost, as a lot of it went over my head without the context.
Nevertheless, there were brilliant gems in there which stopped me in my tracks, that had nothing particularly to do with Milton's work. Just the kinda stuff you would expect when Lewis gets to talking about things he cares about.
Nevertheless, there were brilliant gems in there which stopped me in my tracks, that had nothing particularly to do with Milton's work. Just the kinda stuff you would expect when Lewis gets to talking about things he cares about.
December 7, 2018
My third reading was just as beneficial as my first. I love this as both a Homer and Milton source.
Read
June 2, 20232023: The things I understood were great; but many others were beyond my ability to fully understand. I am grateful for books that force me to focus and think harder. Now unto Paradise Lost.
July 14, 2024
This took me awhile to read, for such a short book it seems ridiculous, but his lectures definitely pack a punch. I kept thinking what it must have been like to be in his live lectures. It was above my level but I still gained insight into what Milton was doing. Lewis thinks about things from every angle, he is very thorough in his thinking and I appreciate it.
I think it would make the most sense to read it after Paradise Lost if it’s your first reading.
I think it would make the most sense to read it after Paradise Lost if it’s your first reading.
March 18, 2015
Although the ultimate focus of this book is John Milton's Paradise Lost, the first eight or nine chapters have a broader scope. Lewis takes the reader through the history of epic poetry, identifying primary epics (e.g. Homer's works) and secondary epics (e.g. Milton's Paradise Lost), and discussing the subjects, techniques, and style of each.
Lewis comments on the great works in the early chapters: Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Beowulf, Dante's Commedia, and Faerie Queen. Because of this, I recommend this book as an aid to anyone tackling these classics. Lewis helps the reader understand the progression of epic poetry over the course of the ages and how this legacy affected Milton when he set out to write his own epic.
Lewis says that primary epics were composed for recitation before an audience; secondary epics were composed to be read by individuals sitting in their armchairs. Lewis explains that Homer's works are not called oral poetry because they were never written down, but because they were written for recitation. Because of this, Homer makes effective use of repetition and stock phrases. This is not laziness or to make it easier for memorization, but for the sake of the listener. Repetition and stock phrases make it easier for the listener to follow the story and to process the language he is hearing.
In chapters 10 to 19, Lewis focuses on Paradise Lost. He examines its theology and, for the most part, defends Milton against charges of heresy by showing how closely Milton's theology aligns with Augustine's theology.
The section on hierarchy is probably one of the most significant when it comes to understanding Paradise Lost. Without a proper understanding of hierarchy, I think it really isn't possible to receive Paradise Lost as it was meant to be received. Hierarchy in modern times has been almost totally flattened and modern (post-modern!) readers need to make a conscious effort in order to understand it. In doing so, one realizes just how completely the idea of hierarchy has been rendered illegitimate in contemporary thought--and how much I have subtly accepted this thinking. This is a fascinating development, because for Milton, the root of Satan's fall, and of Eve's and Adam's, grows out of a rebellion against the God-ordained hierarchy. One is left contemplating what this means for us, given our own disdain for hierarchy.
Lewis also seeks to defend Milton against William Blake's suggestion that Milton made Satan his hero. Lewis argues that Milton, along with all of his readers, can relate to Satan far more than he and they can relate to the sinless and unfallen creature, much less the Divine. It is much harder to imagine a pure Mind than a diabolical one, given the fact that we ourselves are diabolical. I am not doing this thought justice (go read what Lewis wrote), but when I read it I immediately thought of boys everywhere, who almost without exception, want to pretend to be the villain.
A very enthusiastic five stars for this book, particularly for readers who are reading any of the great classics listed above.
Lewis comments on the great works in the early chapters: Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Beowulf, Dante's Commedia, and Faerie Queen. Because of this, I recommend this book as an aid to anyone tackling these classics. Lewis helps the reader understand the progression of epic poetry over the course of the ages and how this legacy affected Milton when he set out to write his own epic.
Lewis says that primary epics were composed for recitation before an audience; secondary epics were composed to be read by individuals sitting in their armchairs. Lewis explains that Homer's works are not called oral poetry because they were never written down, but because they were written for recitation. Because of this, Homer makes effective use of repetition and stock phrases. This is not laziness or to make it easier for memorization, but for the sake of the listener. Repetition and stock phrases make it easier for the listener to follow the story and to process the language he is hearing.
In chapters 10 to 19, Lewis focuses on Paradise Lost. He examines its theology and, for the most part, defends Milton against charges of heresy by showing how closely Milton's theology aligns with Augustine's theology.
The section on hierarchy is probably one of the most significant when it comes to understanding Paradise Lost. Without a proper understanding of hierarchy, I think it really isn't possible to receive Paradise Lost as it was meant to be received. Hierarchy in modern times has been almost totally flattened and modern (post-modern!) readers need to make a conscious effort in order to understand it. In doing so, one realizes just how completely the idea of hierarchy has been rendered illegitimate in contemporary thought--and how much I have subtly accepted this thinking. This is a fascinating development, because for Milton, the root of Satan's fall, and of Eve's and Adam's, grows out of a rebellion against the God-ordained hierarchy. One is left contemplating what this means for us, given our own disdain for hierarchy.
Lewis also seeks to defend Milton against William Blake's suggestion that Milton made Satan his hero. Lewis argues that Milton, along with all of his readers, can relate to Satan far more than he and they can relate to the sinless and unfallen creature, much less the Divine. It is much harder to imagine a pure Mind than a diabolical one, given the fact that we ourselves are diabolical. I am not doing this thought justice (go read what Lewis wrote), but when I read it I immediately thought of boys everywhere, who almost without exception, want to pretend to be the villain.
A very enthusiastic five stars for this book, particularly for readers who are reading any of the great classics listed above.
July 17, 2017
Read for ENGL 385
This didn't actually help me with my dislike of Paradise Lost, but it did take me down a peg or two in my judgment of how well John Milton achieved his literary goals. My favorite part is Chapter IV: The Technique of Primary Epic, in which he writes about why we need ritual and how modernity has lost the art of truly enjoying ritual.
This didn't actually help me with my dislike of Paradise Lost, but it did take me down a peg or two in my judgment of how well John Milton achieved his literary goals. My favorite part is Chapter IV: The Technique of Primary Epic, in which he writes about why we need ritual and how modernity has lost the art of truly enjoying ritual.
September 6, 2020
PDF here.
Read this in my Milton course at Bob Jones University with Dr. Caren Silvester (Fall 2005). It's very good, and I'd probably give it 5 stars a second time around.
Read this in my Milton course at Bob Jones University with Dr. Caren Silvester (Fall 2005). It's very good, and I'd probably give it 5 stars a second time around.
May 17, 2009
Magnificent. Also read around September of 1986.
December 8, 2021
Leave it to Lewis to draw a remarkable parallel between Jane Austen and Milton's Satan just to blow my mind as I went innocently into this essay thinking it's just about Paradise Lost. Instead I got an erudite lecture of Platonic Theologians and Ficino (first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin). Top notch but 4/5 as he could have (as per usual) spared me some of his personal Christianity.
"To admire Satan, then, is to give one's vote not only for a
world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of
wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography. Yet the choice is
possible. Hardly a day passes without some slight movement
towards it in each one of us. That is what makes Paradise Lost
so serious a poem. The thing is possible, and the exposure of it
is resented. Where Paradise Lost is not loved, it is deeply hated.
As Keats said more rightly than he knew, 'there is death' in
Milton. We have all skirted the Satanic island closely enough
to have motives for wishing to evade the full impact of the
poem. For, I repeat, the thing is possible ; and after a certain
point it is prized. Sir Willoughby may be unhappy, but he
wants to go on being Sir Willoughby. Satan wants to go on being
Satan. That is the real meaning of his choice 'Better to reign
in Hell, than serve in Heaven.' "
* * *
"I had much rather know what I should feel
like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius
would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible
Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible C. S.
Lewis in Lucretius. There is in G. K. Chesterton's Avowals and
Denials a wholly admirable essay called On Man : Heir of All the
Ages. An heir is one who inherits and 'any man who is cut off
from the past ... is a man most unjustly disinherited'. To
enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain
within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to
actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which
man has passed. You must, so far as in you lies, become an
Achaean chief while reading Homer, a medieval knight while
reading Malory, and an eighteenth century Londoner while
reading Johnson. Only thus will you be able to judge the work
'in the same spirit that its author writ' and to avoid chimerical
criticism.
For what would you not give to have a real, live Epicurean at your
elbow while reading Lucretius?"
***
"To admire Satan, then, is to give one's vote not only for a
world of misery, but also for a world of lies and propaganda, of
wishful thinking, of incessant autobiography. Yet the choice is
possible. Hardly a day passes without some slight movement
towards it in each one of us. That is what makes Paradise Lost
so serious a poem. The thing is possible, and the exposure of it
is resented. Where Paradise Lost is not loved, it is deeply hated.
As Keats said more rightly than he knew, 'there is death' in
Milton. We have all skirted the Satanic island closely enough
to have motives for wishing to evade the full impact of the
poem. For, I repeat, the thing is possible ; and after a certain
point it is prized. Sir Willoughby may be unhappy, but he
wants to go on being Sir Willoughby. Satan wants to go on being
Satan. That is the real meaning of his choice 'Better to reign
in Hell, than serve in Heaven.' "
* * *
"I had much rather know what I should feel
like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius
would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible
Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible C. S.
Lewis in Lucretius. There is in G. K. Chesterton's Avowals and
Denials a wholly admirable essay called On Man : Heir of All the
Ages. An heir is one who inherits and 'any man who is cut off
from the past ... is a man most unjustly disinherited'. To
enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain
within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to
actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which
man has passed. You must, so far as in you lies, become an
Achaean chief while reading Homer, a medieval knight while
reading Malory, and an eighteenth century Londoner while
reading Johnson. Only thus will you be able to judge the work
'in the same spirit that its author writ' and to avoid chimerical
criticism.
For what would you not give to have a real, live Epicurean at your
elbow while reading Lucretius?"
***
April 1, 2023
My favorite Lewis is the literary Lewis. Packed with brilliant insights. Because Lewis believes poetry is for wisdom, he is an exceptional guide through an exceptional poem.
"If Heaven and Earth are ransacked for simile and allusion, this is not done for display, but in order to guide our imaginations with unobtrusive pressure into the channels where the poet wishes them to flow . . ." (44-45).
"If Heaven and Earth are ransacked for simile and allusion, this is not done for display, but in order to guide our imaginations with unobtrusive pressure into the channels where the poet wishes them to flow . . ." (44-45).
February 2, 2023
A review by my favorite author on the greatest piece of literature ever composed in the English language. Yes it is worth 5 stars.
March 27, 2014
C.S. Lewis does it again. Not only does he supply enlightening commentary to accompany a reading of Paradise Lost, but he touches on a number of other books and subjects, conveying fascinating information in an extremely accessible narrative.
A Preface to Paradise Lost is a compilation of Lewis' Ballard Matthews Lectures, which he gave in 1941 to students at the University College of Northern Wales. Lewis' expertise was Medieval and Renaissance literature, and while reading this book, it is apparent that he is in his element, as he covers not only Paradise Lost but also gives the reader an introduction to the genre of epic and insights into how to read it.
Lewis' initial chapters --- more than one-third of the book --- cover epic poetry, both primary and secondary, and he provides numerous examples contrasting the two, from The Odyssey, The Iliad, Beowulf, The Aeneid and, of course, Paradise Lost, to further the readers' understanding. Next, in a lecture titled, The Unchanging Human Heart, he deals with how to read a poem (or book), which is perhaps my favourite lecture of all. How do we deal with the gulf between our era and the author's? Do we read only for what is relevant to us, or do we attempt to engage with the author? Lewis deals with both approaches:
"A method often recommended may be called the method of The Unchanging Human Heart. According to this method the things which separate one age from another are superficial ……. if we stripped [off the superficialities] …… we should find beneath … an anatomy identical with our own ….. we shall find the Unchanging Human Heart, and on this we are to concentrate.
I held this theory myself for many years, but I have now abandoned it. I continue, of course, to admit that if you remove from people the things that make them different, what is left must be the same, and that the Human Heart will certainly appear as Unchanging if you ignore its changes ……. [thus] our whole study of the poem will then become a battle between us and the author in which we are trying to twist his work into a shape he never gave it, to make him use the loud pedal where he really used the soft, to force into false prominence what he took in his stride, and to slur over what he actually threw into prominence ……….. I do not say that even on these terms we shall not get some value out of our reading; but we must not imagine that we are appreciating the works the old writers actually wrote ……
Fortunately, there is a better way. Instead of stripping the knight of his armour you can try to put his armour on yourself ………. I would much rather know what I should feel like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible C.S. Lewis in Lucretius ……
To enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which man has passed …….. Only thus will you be able to judge the work 'in the same spirit that its author writ' and to avoid chimerical criticism. It is better to study the changes in which the being of the Human Heart largely consists than to amuse ourselves with fictions about its immutability ………."
Finally Lewis delves into Paradise Lost, but instead of summarizing the chapters, Lewis concentrates on expounding on particular characters and certain themes. He explores the poem's theology, hierarchy, Satan, Satan's followers, the angels, Adam and Eve, unfilled sexuality, and the Fall. Addressing some of the controversies over the poem, Lewis deals with the difficulties with his typical logical summations and a sprinkling of dry wit. And while mostly praising Milton's achievement, he does not hesitate to point out perceived flaws in the work, and while doing so, gives the reader a more profound comprehension of the challenges of Milton's task.
While amazingly thorough, Lewis' writing is simple, clear and understandable. His lectures encourage the reader to read critically, and his explanation of Milton's worldview is not only helpful, but necessary, to gain a good understanding of the poem. While being very readable, this guide is the definitive "go-to" book for tackling Paradise Lost for readers who want to go in-depth with their study.
A Preface to Paradise Lost is a compilation of Lewis' Ballard Matthews Lectures, which he gave in 1941 to students at the University College of Northern Wales. Lewis' expertise was Medieval and Renaissance literature, and while reading this book, it is apparent that he is in his element, as he covers not only Paradise Lost but also gives the reader an introduction to the genre of epic and insights into how to read it.
Lewis' initial chapters --- more than one-third of the book --- cover epic poetry, both primary and secondary, and he provides numerous examples contrasting the two, from The Odyssey, The Iliad, Beowulf, The Aeneid and, of course, Paradise Lost, to further the readers' understanding. Next, in a lecture titled, The Unchanging Human Heart, he deals with how to read a poem (or book), which is perhaps my favourite lecture of all. How do we deal with the gulf between our era and the author's? Do we read only for what is relevant to us, or do we attempt to engage with the author? Lewis deals with both approaches:
"A method often recommended may be called the method of The Unchanging Human Heart. According to this method the things which separate one age from another are superficial ……. if we stripped [off the superficialities] …… we should find beneath … an anatomy identical with our own ….. we shall find the Unchanging Human Heart, and on this we are to concentrate.
I held this theory myself for many years, but I have now abandoned it. I continue, of course, to admit that if you remove from people the things that make them different, what is left must be the same, and that the Human Heart will certainly appear as Unchanging if you ignore its changes ……. [thus] our whole study of the poem will then become a battle between us and the author in which we are trying to twist his work into a shape he never gave it, to make him use the loud pedal where he really used the soft, to force into false prominence what he took in his stride, and to slur over what he actually threw into prominence ……….. I do not say that even on these terms we shall not get some value out of our reading; but we must not imagine that we are appreciating the works the old writers actually wrote ……
Fortunately, there is a better way. Instead of stripping the knight of his armour you can try to put his armour on yourself ………. I would much rather know what I should feel like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible C.S. Lewis in Lucretius ……
To enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which man has passed …….. Only thus will you be able to judge the work 'in the same spirit that its author writ' and to avoid chimerical criticism. It is better to study the changes in which the being of the Human Heart largely consists than to amuse ourselves with fictions about its immutability ………."
Finally Lewis delves into Paradise Lost, but instead of summarizing the chapters, Lewis concentrates on expounding on particular characters and certain themes. He explores the poem's theology, hierarchy, Satan, Satan's followers, the angels, Adam and Eve, unfilled sexuality, and the Fall. Addressing some of the controversies over the poem, Lewis deals with the difficulties with his typical logical summations and a sprinkling of dry wit. And while mostly praising Milton's achievement, he does not hesitate to point out perceived flaws in the work, and while doing so, gives the reader a more profound comprehension of the challenges of Milton's task.
While amazingly thorough, Lewis' writing is simple, clear and understandable. His lectures encourage the reader to read critically, and his explanation of Milton's worldview is not only helpful, but necessary, to gain a good understanding of the poem. While being very readable, this guide is the definitive "go-to" book for tackling Paradise Lost for readers who want to go in-depth with their study.
May 10, 2020
This evening I finished reading C.S.Lewis's book of literary criticism A Preface To Paradise Lost, which he dedicated to his friend and fellow Inkling, Charles Williams.
This fascinating book on John Milton's masterpiece Paradise Lost, which I have read some of, was challenging, engaging, funny in parts when he poked fun at T.S.Eliot, and deeply moving. Lewis delves deeply into the literature and mythology that influenced Milton, as well as his personal theology.
It must have been an incredible sight hearing Lewis lecture in person on literature, art, myth, theology, and language.To some degree, I had some sense of what that must have been like when I was in Oxford, England back in March of 2018. Those ten days were some of the happiest days of my life.
This fascinating book on John Milton's masterpiece Paradise Lost, which I have read some of, was challenging, engaging, funny in parts when he poked fun at T.S.Eliot, and deeply moving. Lewis delves deeply into the literature and mythology that influenced Milton, as well as his personal theology.
It must have been an incredible sight hearing Lewis lecture in person on literature, art, myth, theology, and language.To some degree, I had some sense of what that must have been like when I was in Oxford, England back in March of 2018. Those ten days were some of the happiest days of my life.
October 25, 2020
"The first qualification for judging any piece of workmanship from a corkscrew to a cathedral is to know what it is—what it was intended to do and how it is meant to be used."
Consistently scholarly, never boring. Yet another book chock full of Lewisian wisdom. An excellent way to get your bearings before reading Paradise Lost. Lewis will rescue you from reading Milton's masterpiece improperly, through a modern lens, and instead show you how to read it as Milton actually intended. Along the way, you will learn much not only about Paradise Lost but also about epic poetry as a whole.
Consistently scholarly, never boring. Yet another book chock full of Lewisian wisdom. An excellent way to get your bearings before reading Paradise Lost. Lewis will rescue you from reading Milton's masterpiece improperly, through a modern lens, and instead show you how to read it as Milton actually intended. Along the way, you will learn much not only about Paradise Lost but also about epic poetry as a whole.
December 27, 2022
yes okay i’m a nerd
November 12, 2021
A great work on criticism in general and on Paradise Lost in particular. Also contains great philosophy besides.
June 26, 2022
It’s always rewarding to read CSL when he is discussing subjects in his field of expertise— Medieval Literature. It gives a glimpse of what it may have been like to be in one of his classes. If only!
I tried to get through Milton’s Paradise Lost several years ago but gave up about halfway through because I just wasn’t really enjoying it. After this introduction I think I’m in a much better position to appreciate its value. Lewis explains what epic poetry is supposed to be and what we should expect as a reader. He discusses the differences between Primary and Secondary Epic poetry in both style and subject, and gives an overview of Milton’s theology.
A highlight was a chapter about how we moderns (postmoderns?) should interpret the works of authors whose experiences and worldviews were so different than our own. Some critics believe that we should try to strip away all their seemingly bizarre beliefs and prejudices in order to discover the underlying and “unchanging human heart” that we can relate to. Lewis instead recommends a different approach:
“Fortunately there is a better way. Instead of stripping the knight of his armor you can try to put his armor on yourself; instead of seeing how the courier would look without his lace, you can try to see how you would feel with his lace; that is, with his honor, his wit, his royalism, and his gallantries out of the Grand Cyrus. I had much rather know what I should feel like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible CS Lewis in Lucretius. […]
“To enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which man has passed…Only thus will you be able to judge the work ‘in the same spirit that its author writ’ and to avoid chimerical criticism. […]
“We must therefore turn a deaf ear to professor Saurat when he invites us ‘to study what there is of lasting originality in Milton‘s thought and especially to disentangle from theological rubbish the permanent and human interest.’ This is like asking us to study Hamlet after the ‘rubbish’ of the revenge code has been removed, or centipedes when free of their irrelevant legs, or Gothic architecture without the pointed arches. Milton‘s thought, when purged of its theology, does not exist. Our plan must be very different— to plunge right into the ‘rubbish’, to see the world as if we believed in it, and then, while we still hold that position in our imagination, to see what sort of a poem results.”
Thanks to CSL’s instruction I think I am now ready to give Paradise Lost another go.
I tried to get through Milton’s Paradise Lost several years ago but gave up about halfway through because I just wasn’t really enjoying it. After this introduction I think I’m in a much better position to appreciate its value. Lewis explains what epic poetry is supposed to be and what we should expect as a reader. He discusses the differences between Primary and Secondary Epic poetry in both style and subject, and gives an overview of Milton’s theology.
A highlight was a chapter about how we moderns (postmoderns?) should interpret the works of authors whose experiences and worldviews were so different than our own. Some critics believe that we should try to strip away all their seemingly bizarre beliefs and prejudices in order to discover the underlying and “unchanging human heart” that we can relate to. Lewis instead recommends a different approach:
“Fortunately there is a better way. Instead of stripping the knight of his armor you can try to put his armor on yourself; instead of seeing how the courier would look without his lace, you can try to see how you would feel with his lace; that is, with his honor, his wit, his royalism, and his gallantries out of the Grand Cyrus. I had much rather know what I should feel like if I adopted the beliefs of Lucretius than how Lucretius would have felt if he had never entertained them. The possible Lucretius in myself interests me more than the possible CS Lewis in Lucretius. […]
“To enjoy our full humanity we ought, so far as is possible, to contain within us potentially at all times, and on occasion to actualize, all the modes of feeling and thinking through which man has passed…Only thus will you be able to judge the work ‘in the same spirit that its author writ’ and to avoid chimerical criticism. […]
“We must therefore turn a deaf ear to professor Saurat when he invites us ‘to study what there is of lasting originality in Milton‘s thought and especially to disentangle from theological rubbish the permanent and human interest.’ This is like asking us to study Hamlet after the ‘rubbish’ of the revenge code has been removed, or centipedes when free of their irrelevant legs, or Gothic architecture without the pointed arches. Milton‘s thought, when purged of its theology, does not exist. Our plan must be very different— to plunge right into the ‘rubbish’, to see the world as if we believed in it, and then, while we still hold that position in our imagination, to see what sort of a poem results.”
Thanks to CSL’s instruction I think I am now ready to give Paradise Lost another go.
June 30, 2019
Some books do something to you that transcends words. This was one.
June 5, 2024
Often brilliant, always insightful, usually entertaining, occasionally frustrating and unnecessarily, even absurdly “logic chopping” :)
September 4, 2024
What a fascinating book, not merely about Paradise Lost, but about; the epic poem, hierarchies, theology, you name it - it's in there! (well almost).
Whilst the book focuses on Paradise Lost it looks at it in broader terms, in terms of the author, the time it was written, works it took inspiration from, and then Lewis bundles it all together in an easy to read format for the simpleton like me.
Ultimately I concluded it is not the right time to read Milton, but perhaps later in life, however the coverage of the epic through Homer and Virgil means I wish to read those again first before delving further into Paradise Lost.
"For though the human heart is not unchanging (nay, changes almost out of recognition in the twinkling of an eye) the laws of causation are. When poisons become fashionable they do not cease to kill."p.57 (I thought this was very apt for our times).
"Now if once the conception of Hierarchy is fully grasped, we see that order can be destroyed in two ways: (1) By ruling or obeying natural equals, that is by Tyranny or Servility. (2) By failing to obey a natural superior or to rule a natural inferior - that is, by Rebellion or Remissness." p.76
"In the religious life man faces God and God faces man. But in the epic it is feigned, for the moment, that we, as readers, can step aside and see the faces both of God and man in profile. We are not invited to enjoy the spiritual life, but to contemplate the whole pattern within which the spiritual life arises." p.132
Whilst the book focuses on Paradise Lost it looks at it in broader terms, in terms of the author, the time it was written, works it took inspiration from, and then Lewis bundles it all together in an easy to read format for the simpleton like me.
Ultimately I concluded it is not the right time to read Milton, but perhaps later in life, however the coverage of the epic through Homer and Virgil means I wish to read those again first before delving further into Paradise Lost.
"For though the human heart is not unchanging (nay, changes almost out of recognition in the twinkling of an eye) the laws of causation are. When poisons become fashionable they do not cease to kill."p.57 (I thought this was very apt for our times).
"Now if once the conception of Hierarchy is fully grasped, we see that order can be destroyed in two ways: (1) By ruling or obeying natural equals, that is by Tyranny or Servility. (2) By failing to obey a natural superior or to rule a natural inferior - that is, by Rebellion or Remissness." p.76
"In the religious life man faces God and God faces man. But in the epic it is feigned, for the moment, that we, as readers, can step aside and see the faces both of God and man in profile. We are not invited to enjoy the spiritual life, but to contemplate the whole pattern within which the spiritual life arises." p.132
June 1, 2024
Excellent. Definitely one of Lewis’ best works. Here his professional writing meets his passion writing.
Quotes I enjoyed and wanted to remember:
X.4: “As the angels point out, whoever tries to rebel against God produces the result opposite to his intention. At the end of the poem Adam is astonished at the power ‘that all this good of evil shall produce’. This is the exact reverse of the program Satan had envisaged in book 1, when he hoped, if God attempted any good through him, to ‘pervert that end’; instead he is allowed to do all the evil he wants and finds that he has produced good. Those who will not be God’s sons become His tools.”
X.10: “Since the fall consisted in man’s Disobedience to his superior, it was punished by man’s loss of Authority over his inferiors; that is, chiefly, over his passions and his physical organism. Man has called for anarchy: God lets him have it.”
X.11: “‘Obedience to the will of God makes men happy and Disobedience makes them miserable.’”
Quotes I enjoyed and wanted to remember:
X.4: “As the angels point out, whoever tries to rebel against God produces the result opposite to his intention. At the end of the poem Adam is astonished at the power ‘that all this good of evil shall produce’. This is the exact reverse of the program Satan had envisaged in book 1, when he hoped, if God attempted any good through him, to ‘pervert that end’; instead he is allowed to do all the evil he wants and finds that he has produced good. Those who will not be God’s sons become His tools.”
X.10: “Since the fall consisted in man’s Disobedience to his superior, it was punished by man’s loss of Authority over his inferiors; that is, chiefly, over his passions and his physical organism. Man has called for anarchy: God lets him have it.”
X.11: “‘Obedience to the will of God makes men happy and Disobedience makes them miserable.’”
May 24, 2022
This is a great book to understand Lewis’s main profession as a Literary Historian. His approach is to understand genre first and to see how a text uses the conventions of the genre. Lewis assumes you’ve read the classics (Virgil, Homer) and assumes you’ve read Paradise Lost. The title may mislead one to think he is giving an introduction but really he is going over common topics about the poem in lecture style.
I would not recommend this book if you haven’t read a least portions of PL, Aeneid, and Homer.
I would not recommend this book if you haven’t read a least portions of PL, Aeneid, and Homer.
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