Paradise Lost

by John Milton

The world shall burn, and from her ashes spring 335 New Heaven and Earth,

God shall be all in all.

down they cast Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold; Immortal amarant, a flower which once In Paradise, fast by the tree of life, 355 Began to bloom;

And flowers aloft shading the fount of life,

The luminous inferiour orbs, enclosed From Chaos, and the inroad of Darkness old, Satan alighted walks: A globe far off

Of Chaos blustering round, inclement sky; Save on that side which from the wall of Heaven, Though distant far, some small reflection gains Of glimmering air less vexed with tempest loud:

Translated Saints, or middle Spirits hold Betwixt the angelical and human kind. Hither of ill-joined sons and daughters born First from the ancient world those giants came 465 With many a vain exploit, though then renowned: The builders next of Babel on the plain

These stairs were such as whereon Jacob saw Angels ascending and descending, bands Of guardians bright, when he from Esau fled To Padan-Aram, in the field of Luz Dreaming by night under the open sky 515 And waking cried, This is the gate of Heaven. Each stair mysteriously was meant, nor stood There always, but drawn up to Heaven sometimes Viewless;

The stairs were then let down, whether to dare The Fiend by easy ascent, or aggravate 525 His sad exclusion from the doors of bliss:

To Paradise, the happy seat of Man, His journey’s end and our beginning woe. But first he casts to change his proper shape,

The Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the seven Who in God’s presence, nearest to his throne, 650 Stand ready at command, and are his eyes That run through all the Heavens, or down to the Earth

him Satan thus accosts. Uriel, for thou of those seven Spirits that stand 655 In sight of God’s high throne,

All these his wonderous works, but chiefly Man, His chief delight and favour, him for whom 665 All these his works so wonderous he ordained,

In which of all these shining orbs hath Man His fixed seat, or fixed seat hath none,

For neither Man nor Angel can discern Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks Invisible, except to God alone,

though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps At wisdom’s gate, and to simplicity Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill

That place is Earth, the seat of Man; that light 725 His day, which else, as the other hemisphere, Night would invade;

Satan, bowing low, As to superiour Spirits is wont in Heaven, Where honour due and reverence none neglects,

The Hell within him; for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell One step, no more than from himself, can fly By change of place:

I had stood 60 Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised Ambition!

his love accursed, since love or hate, 70 To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell;

Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by submission; and that word Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame Among the Spirits beneath, whom I seduced With other promises and other vaunts 85 Than to submit, boasting I could subdue The Omnipotent.

While they adore me on the throne of Hell. 90 With diadem and scepter high advanced, The lower still I fall, only supreme In misery: Such joy ambition finds.

Mankind created, and for him this world. So farewell, hope; and with hope farewell, fear; Farewell, remorse! all good to me is lost; 110 Evil, be thou my good;

Shade above shade, a woody theatre Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops The verdurous wall of Paradise upsprung; Which to our general sire gave prospect large 145 Into his nether empire neighbouring round. And higher than that wall a circling row Of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit, Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue,

Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life, 195 The middle tree and highest there that grew, Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life Thereby regained, but sat devising death To them who lived; nor on the virtue thought Of that life-giving plant, but only used 200 For prospect, what well used had been the pledge Of immortality.

to value right The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.

All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; And all amid them stood the tree of life, High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit 220 Of vegetable gold;

next to life, Our death, the tree of knowledge, grew fast by, Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill.

Upon the rapid current, which, through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst up-drawn, Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill 230 Watered the garden; thence united fell Down the steep glade,

divided into four main streams, Runs diverse, wandering many a famous realm 235 And country,

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall, Godlike erect, with native honour clad 290 In naked majesty seemed lords of all:

in their looks divine The image of their glorious Maker shone, Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure,

Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed; For contemplation he and valour formed; For softness she and sweet attractive grace; He for God only, she for God in him:

this high seat your Heaven Ill fenced for Heaven to keep out such a foe As now is entered;

he who requires 420 From us no other service than to keep This one, this easy charge, of all the trees In Paradise that bear delicious fruit So various, not to taste

that only tree Of knowledge, planted by the tree of life; 425 So near grows death to life,

let us not think hard One easy prohibition, who enjoy Free leave so large to all things else, and choice 435 Unlimited of manifold delights:

But let us ever praise him, and extol His bounty, following our delightful task, To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers, Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.

For we to him indeed all praises owe, 445 And daily thanks; I chiefly, who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst no where find. That day I oft remember, when from sleep 450 I first awaked, and found myself reposed Under a shade on flowers, much wondering where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.

On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky. 460 As I bent down to look, just opposite A shape within the watery gleam appeared, Bending to look on me: I started back, It started back; but pleased I soon returned, Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks 465 Of sympathy and love: There I had fixed Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire, Had not a voice thus warned me; “What thou seest, What there thou seest, fair Creature, is thyself; With thee it came and goes:

follow me, 470 And I will bring thee where no shadow stays Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he Whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called 475 Mother of human race.” What could I do, But follow straight, invisibly thus led?

Back I turned; Thou following cryedst aloud, “Return, fair Eve; Whom flyest thou? whom thou flyest, of him thou art, His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart, 485 Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear; Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim My other half:” With that thy gentle hand Seised mine:

How beauty is excelled by manly grace, And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

Aside the Devil turned For envy;

Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two, Imparadised in one another’s arms, The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill Of bliss on bliss; while I to Hell am thrust, Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire, 510 Among our other torments not the least, Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines.

All is not theirs, it seems; One fatal tree there stands, of knowledge called, 515 Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbidden Suspicious, reasonless.

I will excite their minds With more desire to know, and to reject Envious commands, invented with design 525 To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt Equal with Gods: aspiring to be such, They taste and die:

Short pleasures, for long woes