Milton's Tercentenary

Henry Augustin BeersProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 31K words
Chapters: 4

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's Tercentenary by Henry A. BeersAuthor: Beers, Henry A. (Henry Augustin), 1847-1926,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 23, 2010

Editor's review

This is a commemorative article on the tercentenary of Milton's birth, written by Henry A. Beers, a late nineteenth-century American literary scholar, in the elegant style of Victorian academic essays. It is not long; its value lies in revealing the concerns and evaluative framework of early Milton studies: it surveys the poetic standing of Paradise Lost and discusses the tension between Puritan thought and the classical tradition in Milton. For today's readers it is closer to a scholarly historical document, useful for observing how the image of the "national poet" was later shaped, rather than for contemporary close reading. Reading it requires some background in English literature, especially familiarity with Paradise Lost and seventeenth-century English history, to recognize its allusions and the arguments it engages. Suitable as corroborating material for Milton studies or as a sample of academic-historical writing for English majors.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English literature students who need to understand the early shape of Milton studies
Readers interested in seventeenth-century English poetry and Puritan thought
Readers studying the academic essay genre and nineteenth-century critical discourse
Enthusiasts who have read Paradise Lost and want a historical evaluative perspective

Not a good fit for

Readers with no background in English literature who want an introduction to Milton from scratch
Readers expecting a systematic biography or chapter-by-chapter commentary on the works
Researchers who prefer contemporary critical theory and need fresh analytical frameworks

Reading tips

Read key chapters of Paradise Lost first, then compare them with this essay's evaluation to appreciate the difference of eras.
Mark the classical and biblical allusions cited in the text while reading to follow the line of argument.
Read alongside a chronology of Milton's life to place the criticism back in its seventeenth-century historical context.
Given its limited length, read it in one sitting and note the author's core judgments for later review.

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

Is this book a biography of Milton?

No. It is a critical essay Beers wrote to mark the tercentenary of Milton's birth, focused on evaluating his poetic standing and intellectual background rather than narrating the details of his life. For a biography, look for a dedicated work.

Can I understand it without having read Paradise Lost?

It will be difficult. The text discusses the characters and themes of Paradise Lost at length and engages with the classical epic tradition. At minimum, learn the plot outline and main controversies of Paradise Lost before reading.

How difficult is the English?

It is a nineteenth-century academic essay with long sentences, dense allusions, and formal vocabulary. Advanced English majors or readers with some accumulation in English and American literature will find it easier to enter; beginners may use an annotated edition.

Why read a commentary more than a century old?

Its value lies not in novel conclusions but in showing how Milton was later canonized. Comparing it with contemporary scholarship reveals shifts in critical taste and concerns, which is very helpful for understanding academic history.

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About the author

Henry Augustin Beers Author · American · 1847–1926

Henry Augustin Beers (1847–1926) was an American literary historian and poet who taught for many years as a professor of English at Yale University. His research centered on the development of English and American literature, with particular attention to the origins and course of the English Romantic movement. Ten of his works are held in this collection, including A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century, A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century, From Chaucer to Tennyson, Brief History of English and American Literature, and Four Americans, a study of Roosevelt, Hawthorne, Emerson, and Whitman. Beers was skilled at tracing the evolution of literary history in clear, readable prose; his survey works long served as introductory texts to English and American literature, combining scholarship with accessibility. Public information on the details of his life is limited, and his influence rests chiefly on these literary histories and essays.