Milton

Walter Alexander RaleighProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 358K words
Chapters: 36

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Milton by Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh. Author: Raleigh, Walter Alexander, Sir, 1861-1922. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Jun 4, 2007

Editor's review

This is a critical biography of Milton by Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh, a classic author study within the tradition of English literary criticism. Raleigh was both a scholar and an essayist, writing with readability in mind and excelling at connecting the poet's life, era, and works. The book's value lies in offering an early portrait of Milton marked by distinct personal judgments: it attends to his Puritan political career and also discusses the grandeur and style of works such as Paradise Lost. It is not a detailed modern scholarly biography; its citations and views bear the imprint of the early twentieth century, making it most suitable as a piece of Milton's reception history. Readers may compare it with Milton's own works to see how a critic assessed his poetic art and character. For students of English literature, historians of criticism, and readers seeking an insightful critical-biographical introduction, the book still has reference value.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of English literature and Milton scholars
Readers interested in the history of literary criticism and critical biography
Readers who have read some of Milton's poetry and want early assessments
Advanced readers who enjoy elegant English prose and are willing to read critical texts

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no exposure to Milton's works
Researchers needing the latest scholarly evidence and detailed chronologies
General readers looking only for light entertainment

Reading tips

Read selections from Paradise Lost or Milton's shorter poems first, then the corresponding chapters here for easy comparison with the criticism.
Treat the book as a text in the history of criticism, noting Raleigh's core judgments and argumentative methods as you read.
Where seventeenth-century political and religious background arises, consult concise British history references.
After reading, compare modern Milton scholarship on the same issues to appreciate how critical perspectives have changed.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read this book without having read Milton?

You can, but the benefit will be limited. The book assumes basic familiarity with Milton's life and major works, and the commentary often refers directly to works and figures. Without that foundation, read an introduction to or selections from Paradise Lost first for smoother comprehension.

Is this a complete biography or mainly criticism?

It is presented as a critical biography, combining biographical threads with evaluation of the works, but it is not a year-by-year modern scholarly biography. Raleigh emphasizes overall judgments and stylistic appraisal, with relatively brief documentary evidence; readers should see it as one critic's interpretation of Milton rather than a compilation of materials.

Why read a critical biography from a century ago?

It shows how Milton appeared to early twentieth-century British scholarship and helps readers understand the evolution of critical standards. Raleigh's prose is readable and his judgments are sharp, making the book good training in comparison and discernment. For researchers, it is also a document in reception and criticism history.

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About the author

Walter Alexander Raleigh Author · English · 1861–1922

Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh (1861–1922) was a British scholar, poet and writer. He taught English literature at the University of Liverpool and the University of Glasgow, became the first Professor of English Literature at Oxford in 1904, and was knighted in 1911. Six of his works are included here, spanning literary criticism, biography, military history and lectures. Milton and Robert Louis Stevenson show his combined interest in biography and criticism, while Style and Romance: Two Lectures reflect his sustained attention to literary form and aesthetic questions. The first volume of The War in the Air turns to military history, and England and the War collects related lectures. His writing is clear and carefully crafted, both scholarly and readable, and holds a place in early twentieth-century British criticism and biographical writing.