John Milton Complete Shorter Poems

Universally hailed as one of the greatest poets of the English language, John Milton bequeathed an unrivalled body of work to the modern world. While best known for his epic poem, Paradise Lost, Milton's literary brilliance encompassed all manner of verse forms, including the ode, mask, short epic and classical drama. This critical edition of Milton's Complete Shorter Poems is the first to present his poems in their original form with all the intricacies of Milton's language intact. Original spelling and punctuation have been carefully maintained, and the poems' rhythms and cadences, often lost in modernized versions, are made accessible. Readers finally have the opportunity to experience the richness and vitality of Milton's works just as they were received by his contemporaries.

Included are Milton's complete collection of 1645 Poems, with the English poems reproduced in the order in which Milton arranged them in 1645, followed by his Latin poems with new English translations easily accessible on facing pages. Also featured are Milton's two great works that appeared together in 1671, Paradise Regained; and the poetic drama modelled on classical Greek tragedy, Samson Agonistes. The addition of invaluable, non-intrusive footnotes, marginal glosses, and insightful introductions by noted Milton scholar Stella Revard will serve to illuminate the wealth of Milton's literary allusions and greatly enhance the reader's appreciation of his genius. Together, this new volume is a crucial addition to Milton scholarship and a fitting tribute to mark the occasion of the four-hundredth anniversary of the great poet’s birth in 1608.