A Preface to Paradise Lost: Being the Ballard Matthews Lectures Delivered at University College, North Wales, 1941

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A Preface to Paradise Lost: Being the Ballard Matthews Lectures Delivered at University College, North Wales, 1941

by C.S. Lewis

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 283 ratings · 41 reviews

An interpretation of Milton's purpose in writing the epic.

Paperback, 160 pages

Published December 31st 1961 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1942)

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Feb 01, 2013 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, college-books

Just in one short section of this Preface, Lewis poignantly explains why Milton's Satan is not a comic character and should rather be taken extremely seriously. According to Lewis, Milton began Satan's character in a regal and powerful position and gradually reduced him down through the layers of politician and secret agent and peeping tom and toad to finally the serpent that accosted Eve. Rather than being an apology for his earlier and more grandiose depictions of Satan, Milton's purpose in po...more Just in one short section of this Preface, Lewis poignantly explains why Milton's Satan is not a comic character and should rather be taken extremely seriously. According to Lewis, Milton began Satan's character in a regal and powerful position and gradually reduced him down through the layers of politician and secret agent and peeping tom and toad to finally the serpent that accosted Eve. Rather than being an apology for his earlier and more grandiose depictions of Satan, Milton's purpose in portraying this decline of Satan's is to show the process of one's character who has allowed themselves to be ruled by injured merit, self-pity, and utter self-focus. Lewis contrasts how Milton uses the speeches of Adam and Satan to show what their interests and values are. Adam speaks on a range of subjects all outside himself while Satan, even when addressing something other than himself, always ends up speaking about his position. This and other facets of Satan's character have made him seem comic and indeed have made him one of Milton's best characters. Lewis explains this latter belief by saying that perhaps Milton did have some sort of similarity to Satan and his pride and lust and anger and envy and violence...but then don't we all? Lewis aptly points out that it is far easier for an author to write a character that is worse than him, for all he has to do is drop the moral barriers that are so hard to keep up in the first place and allow his animal side to run rampantly in his imagination. To write a character better than oneself, an author must try to rise above himself and imagine what these higher qualities would look and feel like in a person. Therefore, Milton's well-drawn character of Satan, who at times might seem ludicrous and laughable, should be regarded with caution and solemnity. Each of us takes selfish and dishonest steps every day, and we have all had a share in propogating misery. However, Lewis concludes his criticism by leaving the decision up to the reader. The reader may choose to laugh at what he views to be a comic character, or he may decide to recognize the truth that Satan lives in a monomaniac selfishness of infinite boredom and yet WANTS to go on living that existence. He firmly believes that it is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven, and readers should survey their own hearts in light of this caricature instead of just dismissing Milton's Satan as a comic figure.(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not just for those diving into Paradise Lost but is a great apology for the importance of poetry as well. Lewis places Paradise Lost in the broader context of epic poetry, and for that reason he comments on the differences (both theological and technical) between Homer, Virgil, Beowulf, and Milton.
The first nine lectures discuss the broader framework of epic, its style, technique, purpose, etc. while the last ten or so specifically discuss Milton's great work. A note however, I would read thi...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Brian Robbins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lit-crit

I enjoy Lewis' work whether it be fiction, essays, religious matters, even some of his poetry, but he is undoubtedly at his best in his professional capacity, writing as a professor on his subject of medieval and renaissance literature.

This study of “Paradise Lost” was a delight to read. He uses his extensive scholarship with a delightful light touch, and teaches a considerable amount about the background, the form and content of the work in a very lucid and helpful style. Where he disagreed wit...more I enjoy Lewis' work whether it be fiction, essays, religious matters, even some of his poetry, but he is undoubtedly at his best in his professional capacity, writing as a professor on his subject of medieval and renaissance literature.

This study of “Paradise Lost” was a delight to read. He uses his extensive scholarship with a delightful light touch, and teaches a considerable amount about the background, the form and content of the work in a very lucid and helpful style. Where he disagreed with the views of other academics, even where he disagreed fundamentally – for instance with Saurat over the nature of Miltons theology as shown in the poem - this was done graciously, and was a pleasure to read. Often in his religious writings he resorts to the equivelant of a blunderbuss or heavy club in assailing anyone with whom he disagrees. This can be extremely irritating. Here, there was little of that, except maybe when writing about the views of those who upheld a “modernist” approach to poetry.

I still don’t know enough of or about the poem or of other critics of the poem, to be able to compare Lewis’ view with differing views; but it was fascinating just to read someone who was extremely knowledgable and well read on the concept of epic poetry, and who had also probably read all the relevant works of epic poetry. It was equally interesting to read someone who personally enjoyed the genre, but also who wholeheartedly believed in the literal truth of the underlying biblical story on which the poem was based. This sharing of fundamental belief with the author adds a sympathy to Lewis’ insights that makes them fundamentally different from those who don’t share that belief. I don’t necessarily know if that makes them more valuable, but it added a warmth and enthusiasm that was hard to resist, a warmth and enthusiasm that made me want to go back and re-read passages as he referred to them.

Lewis is like Chesterton to a large extent, in that all his writing and judgements rest explicitly on the foundation of his faith, as well as on a foundation of highly conservative, traditional views of culture and society. He therefore could not resist launching into discussion of fundamental values and beliefs, and criticsm of those aspects of the culture of his day that were in conflict with his views. I’m sure that it’s ever possible for an author to avoid doing this. What I do like about Lewis, is that he makes no pretence that it’s possible to avoid doing so, that in some way he’s writing from an objective point of view.
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Apr 11, 2012 Iris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, school-reading, literary-criticism, worthwhile

C.S. Lewis's A Preface to Paradise Lost is a great introduction to Paradise Lost. In the first half, Lewis explains the epic form and the importance of reading Paradise Lost from the perspective of those Milton was writing to, the people of his age. He then explains different aspects of Paradise Lost (such as Satan, angels, hierarchy) as they were likely understood in Milton's time.
I found this book to be helpful preparation to reading and enjoying Paradise Lost. There are also some sections t...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Jessica (Books: A true story) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dusty-bookshelf-2012, own, blog, 4-stars, amazon, content-none

If you have, like me, tried to read Paradise Lost but couldn’t finish it, then this book is a great resource to help you get through it. I learned a lot from this book. Literally on page one C.S. Lewis talks about how people misread narrative poetry (like Paradise Lost) all the time because used bookstores are full of books of narrative poetry whose first few pages are underlined in random places and the rest of the book is blank. This made me laugh because that’s EXACTLY what my copy of Paradis...more If you have, like me, tried to read Paradise Lost but couldn’t finish it, then this book is a great resource to help you get through it. I learned a lot from this book. Literally on page one C.S. Lewis talks about how people misread narrative poetry (like Paradise Lost) all the time because used bookstores are full of books of narrative poetry whose first few pages are underlined in random places and the rest of the book is blank. This made me laugh because that’s EXACTLY what my copy of Paradise Lost looks like. C.S Lewis points out that you can’t read it like lyrics looking for little nuggets of good lines. That’s what I did the first time and I quit reading Paradise Lost after 20 pages.

Stuff I learned from this Preface in case you don’t really want to read it:

*The form of poetry is important and the rules add to it’s beauty, not take away from it.
*Epic poetry comes from the court so it is meant to be oral. (Good to know – I will try to read it like a speaker instead of a drone voice in my head). Since its traditionally oral, there is a lot of repetition because if you have to think too much while you are listening to a poem you can get lost very easily.
*Epic poetry tends to be about men, historically true and tragic.
*The beauty of the poetry is in the paragraph or the whole. Looking for good lines is like looking for good stones in a cathedral.
*The language is repetitive but not commonplace, like having pumpkin pie every year for Christmas. This also makes it feel ceremonial.
*Everything we need to know is in the poem itself. Another reason I got stuck in Paradise Lost was the massive amount of details. I was delighted when C.S. Lewis said that we don’t need to look up all the places in the notes. The feeling that Milton is trying to achieve is the important part. Yay for that.
*Milton purposefully made it feel like you are listening to a never ending voice go on and on. There aren’t many stopping points in the poem.
*One of the techniques that Lewis suggests in reading Paradise Lost is to immerse yourself in the poem and feel like you are living it yourself instead of trying to strip away all the “exterior stuff.”
*The idea of hierarchy is seen a lot in Paradise Lost. Everything has a superior (except God) and an inferior.
Then Lewis talks a lot about heresy and whether or not it’s there in Paradise Lost (which I didn’t much care about).

So there you have it. I feel properly prepared to read Paradise Lost and actually finish it this time.

This book is also reviewed on my blog Books: A true story (less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Chad Gibbons rated it 4 of 5 stars

There are many introductions and prefaces written for 'Paradise Lost'. Why would anyone choose this particular one to read, especially given that it was written 60 years ago? There are three reasons:

1. The author is C.S. Lewis and people like C.S. Lewis.

2. C.S. Lewis is not only a 'likable' author, but one of the greatest scholars of 17th century English literature to date.

3. C.S. Lewis is not only a scholar of middle English literature, but he is also known as 'The Last of the Old Western Men'....more

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Nov 17, 2010 J. Alfred rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently heard from one of my professors that "when you read Lewis' critical stuff, you wonder 'wow, how did people ever get published with stuff like this?'" I pulled this off the shelf to reassure myself that such statements are silly, and it worked. A book like this would have trouble getting published today, but that's just to say that people like Lewis did their jobs back then: we have no room for sweeping, incisive criticism like this anymore because it's been done, and we need to chop o...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Bryan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: poets, authors, artists, theologians, and devoted Miltonians

Wonderful analysis and preface to a much argued piece of lit. I thoroughly enjoyed Lewis' logic; he competently explains those aspects of the work which for most readers are frequently viewed as shortcomings or obstacles. He gives a great insight into the theological viewpoint of the time period, and also lists many further sources for research. His ability as both critic and author lend a unique credibility to his apologetics: as Lewis' own propensities naturally parallel Milton's, he can illus...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Brian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: c-s-lewis

Brilliant. Don't let the title fool you! It's about way more than Paradise Lost. Lewis traces the expectations behind Paradise Lost by looking at Homer and Virgil and Beowulf. C.S. Lewis knew why he loved books. Makes me want to read Milton.

His defense of Milton's Style had this fine gem, worth quoting at length:

"The older poetry, by continually insisting on certain Stock themes--as that love is sweet, death bitter, virtue lovely, and children or gardens delightful--was performing a service not...more

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May 13, 2012 Esmeralda rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this preface, Lewis first outlines what an epic poem is and what Milton was trying to do with Paradise Lost. Then he discusses his views on how Milton's theology played a role in this epic. Lewis debunks the view that Milton had compassion for Satan. It was a good introduction, which I read before the poem because I thought it might help me comprehend the poem while I'm reading it. It was helpful, though it managed to make me more skeptical that I'll comprehend Paradise Lost.

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May 19, 2012 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-criticism

This is one of the few works of C. S. Lewis I've not previously read. But a book group I'm in is reading Paradise Lost and so it seemed a good time to pull this off the shelves.

Lewis devotes the first half of this short book to a discussion of epic poetry, which is important for understanding the literary conventions of Milton's poem. This is probably most helpful for the literature student but also a helpful introduction for any reader curious about some of the conventions of this poetry.

The s...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Philip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I agree with Steve that most of what Lewis says is beyond me. AND, the middle part of the book about doctrine, theology, Augustine was not of interest to me. I really liked the beginning chapters about epic and epic style, etc. and also the last chapters about the different characters, sexuality, etc. So, really it was only a few middle chapters that I didn't love (maybe though that was mostly because I didn't get them :)). Nothing says intelligence like a smiley face emoticon.

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May 16, 2013 David Haines rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very interesting read by one of the greatest authorities on the subject. Even for a person such as myself, who is reading it not so much for his remarks about Milton as for a better understanding of how C. S. Lewis writes when he is approaching his own domain, this book was extremely interesting, well-written, and have given me the desire to read Milton's Paradise Lost. This is probably the highest praise that one could give to an introductory book about another author, that it inspires the re...more

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Jan 24, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-criticism, 100

This delightful piece of criticism is a reminder of not just why Paradise Lost is one of the great works of literature, but why C. S. Lewis was one of the great literary critics. Lewis surveys the whole sweep of epic poetry from Homer onwards in the introductory chapters which lay the groundwork for his discussion of Milton's work itself. Having established what Milton was trying to achieve in his poem, Lewis concisely addresses some of the main areas of controversy that have arisen from critici...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: essays-and-lit-crit, reviewed

Lewis' very orthodox Christian reading of 'Paradise Lost' that focuses on what Lewis believes Milton would have meant, rather than the supposedly incidental sympathy with the Devil and portrayal of God as a tyrant. I found this book very interesting, though it was quite limited to literal interpretations. The discussions of the tradition of epic poetry were also interesting and useful.

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Feb 16, 2013 Adam Talbott rated it 5 of 5 stars

An essential companion to Paradise Lost. Fish is probably right about Milton wanting us to fall again, but Lewis made Milton come alive for me. His chapter on Eve is probably the healthiest perspective on femininity the modern church has produced.

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Jan 09, 2009 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the Evangelical World in which I was raised we are introduced to C.S. Lewis as a theologian and as an apologist. Here I found him to be the literary critic, and was subsequently impressed with his analysis.

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Feb 19, 2011 Dwight Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

First book of literary criticism by Lewis that I have read. Absolutely brilliant. I can't believe I went through a lit crit class without reading Lewis' criticism. If you're interested in epic poetry, this is the book for you.

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Jun 27, 2011 1.1 rated it 3 of 5 stars

As others have suggested, this may well be more enjoyable and enriching to read than the work it critiques. How I wish I had had this book when I was studying Paradise Lost.

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Dec 14, 2008 Baff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very useful criticism for writing a paper for my 17th Century Literature course at the university. Contains Lewis' extremely helpful essay on epic poetry.

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Nov 23, 2009 Gwen Burrow rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary

Read about half of it, need to go back and read the rest. Chapter 7, "The Style of Secondary Epic," especially caught my eye.

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Jan 23, 2012 Allen Jenkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

For literary criticism, it was superb. That, and it was probably the most clear and concise I have ever read.

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Nov 08, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

Excellent. Informative, and detailed preface. I'd recommend it to anyone reading Paradise Lost.

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May 23, 2009 Mark Adderley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literary-criticism

In a lot of ways, this is a more entertaining book than "Paradise Lost." Och well.

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Feb 25, 2013 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature

Excellent as a preface, and excellent as a work in itself.

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Feb 08, 2012 Jason Farley rated it 5 of 5 stars

For goodness sake, this was wonderfully good.

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Sep 02, 2011 Nadya rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's C.S. Lewis and Paradise Lost!

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Feb 18, 2012 Amelmag rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, 12th-grade-brit-lit

"In an age when everyone puts on his [or her] oldest clothes to be happy in, you must re-awake the simple state of mind in which people put on gold and scarlet to be happy in."

Ever since I discovered this work as a senior in high school (while reading Milton's Paradise Lost for the first time), I have loved it, and my love has only grown with time. Exactly what literary criticism should be -- not narrowing, but ever broadening, giving us a glimpse into a world we might be missing.

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May 12, 2009 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-2009

Great

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Nov 12, 2012 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whether you intend to read Milton's epic, or not... whether you are a fan of verse, or not: this work by Lewis is a must read for anyone who desires to be educated as to what makes a great story "Great". Lewis pulls back the curtain on writingcraft and storycraft, using Paradise Lost as the model. Forget those "How to be a (better) writer" books--here is one that will truly instruct.

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About C.S. Lewis

CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more th...more

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Books by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia #1-7)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

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