My friend Rob Zseleczky reminded me that today is Milton’s birthday. As in John Milton, as in
Milton! thy name effulgent speaks to men,I just made up those lines.
As ever thus the poet truth proclaims.
I like “Lycidas” best.
Other posts with John Milton
Inclement weather
“[S]omething carelessly solid”
comments: 4
"L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso" for me! I lo-ove to tell sophomores when Milton composed these poems and why (as part of a class exercise on which is more excellent, the night or the day. He was, I think, about 17). But PL is my real favorite, as predictable as that sounds. The apartment in Chicago's Little Italy where Tracy and I lived for a couple of years may still have the "infinite wrath, infinite despair" Sharpied on the bathroom wall. "Which way I fly am hell. Myself am hell." Oh my.
Later tenants must have thought the apartment had been occupied by Satanists. Well, we know what William Blake said about Milton, right?
Did you read about the retired theatre professor who memorized all 12 books of PL? There's a story here, with a link to his web site: http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/memorizing-milton/25697
I missed that story — thanks, Mike. Here’s one back: an actor who’s memorized The Great Gatsby. This segment was just re-broadcast on WNYC’s Studio 360.
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