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Paradise Lost By John Milton

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Paradise Lost was written by John Milton in an effort to explain why, and how, the Fall of Man occurred; but he does this not by reiterating the biblical Genesis story, but by providing readers with an imaginative and poetic re-creation of the story. He is able to retell the story, “Fall of Man,” while also expressing his own perspective and personal truths through the characters. Milton also seems to meet most, if not all, of the epic poem conventions, with this epic, consisting of over ten thousand lines. While reading this epic, it is clear that it was not only the Genesis story that persuaded Milton 's writing, but there were many other sociohistorical contexts, perspectives and criteria that helped form Paradise Lost. In order for any literary work to be considered part of a certain genre, it must meet certain conventions that would be found within said genre. When reading Paradise Lost I noticed many of these conventions to be present. For example, an epic usually deals with a serious subject in relation to that society. There is usually always some type of hero, who has a significant importance to the story. These conventions are met by the epic being about God, the hero of importance, and by the subject being that of Religion. Another epic convention that I find to be in extreme relation to Paradise Lost, is that the character 's success or failure can arbitrate the future for many people. This is apparent due to the fact the Adam and Eve 's decisions will end up

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