Milton follows the tradition of epic poetry when he asks a muse to speak through him. It is clear that for Milton it is the poet's submission to the voice of his muse, to divine inspiration, which ultimately distinguishes the soaring creation of Paradise Lost from an insulting speculation of what happens in the Garden of Eden. Milton does not, however, present the hymn of a heavenly muse as his only defense against presu

One of the last characteristics that this poem demonstrates that are typical of an epic poem is the long list of the protagonists that the plot involves accompanied by long speeches by the main characters. Milton dedicates a large portion of the first book of the series to a catalogue of the fallen angels. The numbers of angels that are listed are used to give the reader the notion of being overwhelmed by the mass number of villains. He also provides extended formal speeches by the main characters. It is on the basis of the eloquence and power of those speeches that much of the personality of the characters is shown. This listing of villains and long, profound speeches verifies that this poem fits every description of an epic poem.

Another part of a traditional epic poem is that the hero must perform great deeds of valor to defeat the villain. Milton wants his readers to be forced to face the problem of Satan seeming invinc

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Approximate Word count = 629
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)