John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English Quotes

“II-238. Suppose he should relent / And publish Grace to all, on promise made / Of new Subjection; with what eyes could we / Stand in his presence humble, and receive / Strict Laws impos'd, to celebrate his Throne / With warbl'd Hymns, and to his Godhead sing / Forc't Halleluiah's; while he Lordly sits / Our envied Sovran, and his Altar breathes / Ambrosial Odours and Ambrosial Flowers, / Our servile offerings. This must be our task / In Heav'n, this our delight; II-238. Let's say he forgives us all if we promise to worship him. Are you ready to follow his laws, sing his praises, bring him flowers? II-248. how wearisom / Eternity so spent in worship paid / To whom we hate. II-248. It would make us sick to spend eternity worshiping the one we hate. II-249. Let us not then pursue / By force impossible, by leave obtain'd / Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state / Of splendid vassalage, II-249. Let's forget about fighting a war we can't win, or returning to Heaven in miserable slavery. II-252. but rather seek / Our own good from our selves, and from our own / Live to our selves, though in this vast recess, II-252. Let's make the best of what we have here where we don't owe anybody anything.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“261. And for me, to be a ruler is a worthwhile ambition, even if you're in Hell.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“That was quite a story, sir!”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“IV-40. Pride and ambition caused me to go against God. But why? He's the one who gave me my glory. He was kind to me. And he didn't ask much in return. IV-46. What was so hard about giving him the praise and thanks that he deserved? IV-48. But all his goodness only made me bad. IV-49. I was in a high position, but it just made me want to be higher. IV-52. I got sick of always saying thank you.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“254. The mind is its own place, and in it self / Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“I-252. Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings / A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time. I-252. Welcome your new master—one who brings a mind that does not change by place or time.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“I-156. Whereto with speedy words th' Arch-fiend reply'd. / Fall'n Cherube, to be weak is miserable / Doing or Suffering: but of this be sure, / To do ought good never will be our task, / But ever to do ill our sole delight, / As being the contrary to his high will / Whom we resist.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“Even if I could be forgiven, how long could I keep up the insincere apologies I made in pain, once I was back in my comfortable old high place. IV-98. For never can true reconcilement grow / Where wounds of deadly hate have peirc'd so deep:”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English

“IV-132. Of Eden, where delicious Paradise, / Now nearer, Crowns with her enclosure green, / As with a rural mound the champain head IV-135. Of a steep wilderness, whose hairie sides / With thicket overgrown, grottesque and wilde, IV-137. Access deni'd; and over head up grew / Insuperable highth of loftiest shade, / Cedar, and Pine, and Firr, and branching Palm / A Silvan Scene, and as the ranks ascend / Shade above shade, a woodie Theatre IV-142. Of stateliest view. Yet higher then thir tops / The verdurous wall of paradise up sprung: IV-144. Which to our general Sire gave prospect large / Into his neather Empire neighbouring round. IV-146. And higher then that Wall a circling row / Of goodliest Trees loaden with fairest Fruit, / Blossoms and Fruits at once of golden hue / Appeerd, with gay enameld colours mixt: IV-150. On which the Sun more glad impress'd his beams / Then in fair Evening Cloud, or humid Bow, / When God hath showrd the earth; so lovely seemd IV-153. That Lantskip: And of pure now purer aire / Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires / Vernal delight and joy, able to drive / All sadness but despair: now gentle gales / Fanning thir odoriferous wings dispense IV-158. Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole IV-159. Those balmie spoiles. As when to them who saile / Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past / Mozambic, off at Sea North-East windes blow / Sabean Odours from the spicie shoare / Of Arabie the blest, with such delay / Well pleas'd they slack thir course, and many a League / Chear'd with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles.”
― Joseph Lanzara, John Milton's Paradise Lost In Plain English