Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained

Everyone focuses on Satan. Nobody focuses on Christ. Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained assert “Eternal Providence” and “justify the ways of God to men” through the magnification of the Son over sin and death. In Paradise Lost, John Milton chronicles the fall of the demon horde into the depths of Hell, the escape of the archfiend into the beauties of unfallen Eden, the deception of Eve and the abdication of Adam, and the promise of future redemption. In the equally important follow-up, Paradise Regained, the great seventeenth-century poet investigates the motivations of Satan as he tempts Jesus in the wilderness, culminating in a second and even greater fall. Throughout both poems, which ought to be read together, the Son is consistently exalted and glorified as the Mighty Victor of Heaven and Earth, the One who will reconcile God to man. This is His story, and it is glorious. “Hail, Son of God, Savior of Men! Thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song.” – Paradise Lost III.412-413 Edited with a new introduction and notes by Joe Carlson. Table of Contents Introductions by Joe Carlson Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained: Last of the Great Epics What Makes an Epic… an Epic? So, What Do I Do With an Epic Poem? Alright, Back to Milton A Brief History of Paradise Lost A Note on Paradise Regained Quick Tips for Reading Milton’s Verse Main Texts Paradise Lost Paradise Regained