CCS 110 : Milton

Biography assignment

As I suggested in our opening class, Milton, of the major English poets, probably led the most interesting life, and he played a part in the significant events of the mid-seventeenth century. Rather than assign a single biography of Milton, I thought it might be interesting to propose a set of questions and let you browse in the biographies that you can find in the library and on-line. I don't want you just to answer these questions; rather I'd like you to read around in the biographical material and in the process of so doing come upon answers to the following. These questions should guide your reading, not limit it.

The web site for the class contains links to various sites that contain short biographies and chronologies of Milton's life.

On October 17 we'll discuss Milton's life, and I expect that you'll be able to answer the following questions:

Where was Milton born, and what was the economic situation of his family? What did his father do? How did these economic conditions influence the education he received and his post-university opportunities? Where did Milton receive elementary education?

Where did Milton attend university? Was his time at university entirely smooth? What incident interrupted his early studies? For what profession was he preparing?

What did Milton do after receiving his MA? How did he thank his father for these benefits?

What languages did Milton read and speak?

Where did Milton spend most of his time during his Continental travels. In what four cities did he spend the longest time? Why does he say he broke off his travels? What predominantly interested Milton during his travel abroad? What famous scientist did Milton meet during his sojourn in Florence?

Who is Charles Diodati. When does he die?

How does Milton occupy himself when he returns to London? Who is Edward Phillips, and what significance does he have for subsequent biographies of Milton?

What kind of writing does Milton do during the 1640s?

What is Areopagitica? How does it reflect an important aspect of Milton's intellectual life?

What are the circumstances of Milton's first marriage? What happened, and how was it finally resolved? How do the "divorce tracts" reflect Milton's sense of marriage?

How many times was Milton married? How many children did he have?

Did Milton support or oppose the execution of Charles I? How do we know?

What post did Milton hold in Cromwell's government? What were his duties? How did blindness affect his official work? When did he go completely blind?

What political tract did Milton write on the eve of the Restoration of the monarchy? What position did he take?

Why did Milton spend some time in jail in 1660, and what English poet helped get him off the hook?

How, in his blindness, did he write Paradise Lost? What method of composition did he use?

What other works did he write in the last decade of his life?

When did Milton die? What happened to his body in the 18th century?