Paradise Lost Syllabus

English II Linder

Syllabus: John Milton’s Paradise Lost

Wed 10/15 PSAT—no English class

Thu 10/16 William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18, Sonnet 130, and Sonnet 138 (Packet 34). Vocab: reek (find the most neutral—i.e. not negative— meaning your dictionary offers), belie. What claim do the last two lines of Sonnet 18 make? Do these three poems present compatible views of love, or do they contradict one another?

Fri 10/17 Book talks and independent reading.

Mon 10/20 Edna St. Vincent Millay, “I, Being Born a Woman,” “Love Is Not Blind,” “I Shall Forget You Presently, My Dear,” and “I Think I Should Have Loved You Presently” (Photocopies distributed in class). Vocab: propinquity, entreat, contrive, reticence. Consider these sonnets in comparison to Shakespeare’s. Are there similarities, differences, or both? Do the Millaysonnets seem more “modern”? If so, how? How do they compare to the carpe diem poems (Marvell, Herrick) we read a few weeks ago?
Sonnet assigned in class

Tue 10/21 Read Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord,” and Peter Meineke, “The Poet, Trying to Surprise His God” (Packet 36). Vocab: sot, eunuch. Characterize each speaker’s tone and attitude toward the figure of “God.” Do they seem to be addressing the same God?

Wed 10/22 Introduction to John Milton and Paradise Lost. For every reading assignment in Milton: Mark spoken lines with quotation marks; mark simple subject(s) and verb(s) in each sentence (circle subject and double-underline verb)
Peer-edit workshop sonnet

Thu 10/23 Read Book I (1-191; incl. “The Verse” and “The Argument”) vocab: invoke (13), confound (53), obdurate (58), suppliant (112), impetuous (175). How does Milton describe his intentions in the invocation (ll. 1-26)? Look closely at Milton’s descriptions of Satan; underline all significant descriptive phrases, and look up any unfamiliar words.

Fri 10/24 Book talks and independent reading.
Sonnet due in class

Mon 10/27 Book I (615-end)—Satan addresses the other fallen angels: vocab: repute (639), guile (646), impious (686), zenith (745), jocund (787) How does Satan describe the rebellion in heaven? What does he propose they do now? What is Satan’s main complaint against God? Underline significant descriptive phrases and look up any unfamiliar words.

Tue 10/28 Book II (Argument), Book III (Argument, 1-55), Book IV (Argument, 1-113, 358-92) vocab: suffusion (III.26), tumultuous (IV.16), vain (IV.87), innocence (IV.388). How does Milton describe sight, vision, and poetic inspiration in the invocation to Book III? How does Satan react upon first seeing Eden? How does he justify his destructive intentions? How does Satan describe Adam and Eve? Underline all significant descriptive phrases and look up any unfamiliar words.

Wed 10/29 Book IV (689-775), Books V-VIII (Arguments), Book IX (Argument, 1-191) vocab: ween (IV.741), venial (IX.5), harbinger (13), imp (89), bane (123), redound (128) In what form does Satan choose to enter the Garden and why does he choose this? How does Satan describe himself and his predicament as he contemplates God’s creation? Underline all significant descriptive phrases and look up any unfamiliar words.
Choral readings assigned.

Thu 10/30 Book IX (192-384) vocab: ply (201), affront (328). Why does Eve insist that she be allowed to work alone? What arguments does she use to support her claim? Why does Adam object? What counterarguments does he use? Why does he finally submit? Look closely at Adam’s descriptions of Eve and Eve’s descriptions of Adam. Underline all significant descriptive phrases and look up any unfamiliar words.

Fri 11/2 Book talks and independent reading.

Mon 11/3 Book IX (385-493) vocab: rancour (409), sapient (442), pent (445). Why is Satan so pleased to see Eve working alone? What effect does the sight of her have on him? What do you make of his reaction?

Tues 11/4 Book IX (494-779)—In-class group reading/no reading assigment, but look up vocabulary before class. vocab: organic (530), insatiate (535), demur (558), capacious (603), credulous (644), elocution (748).

Wed 11/5 Book IX (780-1066) vocab: ignorance (809; cf. innocence [1054]), distemper (887), fondly (999) How does Milton depict the immediate effects of the forbidden fruit on Eve? How does Adam react to her? How does she persuade him to eat it too?

Thurs 11/6 Book IX (1067-end), Book X-XII (Arguments) vocab: concupiscence (1078), impute (1145), facile (1158). What further effects of the forbidden fruit are evident here? How do Adam and Eve talk to each other, compared to earlier examples of their conversation?

Fri 11/7 Book talks and independent reading.

Mon 11/10 No school—parent-teacher conferences

Tue 11/11 Wrap up discussion of Paradise Lost. Prepare for choral readings.

Wed 11/12 Choral readings of Paradise Lost

Thu 11/13 Explication essay assigned in class. Class will meet in computer labs TBA

Fri 11/14 Book talks and independent reading