John Milton Quotes - Page 27

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Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise

John Milton

Spurs, Spirit, Fame

"Lycidas" l. 70 (1638). A 1619 play thought to be written by John Fletcher, Sir John van Olden Barnavelt act 1, sc. 1, refers to "the desire of glory (That last infirmity of noble minds)." That play was lost and not rediscovered until 1883, so Milton's parallel words were coincidental.

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Where eldest Night And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold Eternal anarchy amidst the noise Of endless wars, and by confusion stand; For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce, Strive here for mast'ry.

John Milton

Nature, War, Night

John Milton, James BUCHANAN (Grammarian.) (1773). “The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan”, p.159

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Look homeward, Angel, now, and melt with ruth.

John Milton

Angel, Looks, Ruth

"Lycidas" l. 163 (1638)

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Those graceful acts, those thousand decencies, that daily flow from all her words and actions, mixed with love and sweet compliance, which declare unfeigned union of mind, or in us both one soul.

John Milton

Love, Sweet, Soul

John Milton, Thomas Keightley (1859). “Poems”, p.55

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He who would not be frustrate of his hope to write well hereafter in laudable things ought himself to be a true poem.

John Milton

Hope, Writing, Frustration

'An Apology for Smectymnuus' (1642) introduction, p. 16

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Yet I argue not Against Heav'n's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of heart or hope; but still bear up and steer Right onward.

John Milton

Hope, Heart, Hands

John Milton (1752). “Paradise Regain'd. A Poem, in Four Books. To which is Added Samson Agonistes: and Poems Upon Several Occasions. The Author John Milton”, p.534

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No man who knows aught, can be so stupid to deny that all men naturally were born free.

John Milton

Freedom, Stupid, Reality

The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (1649)

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To many a youth and many a maid, dancing in the chequer'd shade.

John Milton

Dancing, Ballet, Maids

John Milton (1824). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With Notes of Various Authors, Principally from the Edition of Thomas Newton, Charles Dunster, and Thomas Warton, to which is Prefixed, Newton's Life of Milton”, p.407

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What call thou solitude? Is not the earth with various living creatures, and the air replenished, and all these at thy command to come and play before thee?

John Milton

Air, Play, Solitude

John Milton (1871). “The poetical works of John Milton, ed. with a critical memoir by W.M. Rossetti”, p.128

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Virtue could see to do what virtue would By her own radiant light, though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. And Wisdom's self Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude, Where with her best nurse Contemplation She plumes her feathers and lets grow her wings, That in the various bustle of resort Were all-to ruffled, and sometimes impair'd. He that has light within his own clear breast May sit i' th' centre and enjoy bright day; But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the midday sun.

John Milton

Sweet, Dark, Moon

'Comus' (1637) l. 373

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O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, Irrecoverably dark, total eclipse Without all hope of day!

John Milton

Hope, Dark, Science

Samson Agonistes l. 80 (1671) See T. S. Eliot 104

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Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offence returning, to regain Love once possess'd.

John Milton

Love, Power, Strange

'Samson Agonistes' (1671) l. 1003

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It is for homely features to keep home,- They had their name thence; coarse complexions And cheeks of sorry grain will serve to ply The sampler and to tease the huswife's wool. What need a vermeil-tinctur'd lip for that, Love-darting eyes, or tresses like the morn?

John Milton

Love, Sorry, Home

'Comus' (1637) l. 745

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Earth felt the wound; and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe That all was lost.

John Milton

Earth, Woe, Losing

'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 9, l. 780

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Sport, that wrinkled Care derides, And Laughter holding both his sides. Come and trip it as ye go, On the light fantastic toe.

John Milton

Sports, Laughter, Light

"L'Allegro" l. 33 (1645)

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A thousand fantasies Begin to throng into my memory, Of calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire, And airy tongues that syllable men's names On sands and shores and desert wildernesses

John Milton

Memories, Men, Names

1634 Comus, A Mask, l.204-8.

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Reason also is choice.

John Milton

Choices, Logic, Reason

John Milton, David Scott Kastan “Paradise Lost (Kastan Edition)”, Hackett Publishing

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Son of Heav'n and Earth, Attend: that thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.

John Milton

Happiness, Art, Son

John Milton, James BUCHANAN (Grammarian.) (1773). “The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan”, p.351

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Now morn, her rosy steps in th' eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl, When Adam wak'd, so custom'd; for his sleep Was aery light, from pure digestion bred.

John Milton

Sleep, Light, Earth

John Milton (1853). “The Poetical Works of John Milton”, p.118

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None But such as are good men can give good things, And that which is not good, is not delicious To a well-govern'd and wise appetite.

John Milton

Wise, Men, Giving

John Milton, Henry John Todd (1852). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With Notes of Various Authors; and with Some Account of the Life and Writings of Milton, Derived Principally from Original Documents in Her Majesty's State-paper Office”, p.139

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Where shame is, there is also fear.

John Milton

Shame

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His words, like so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command. Ibid.

John Milton

Nimble, Airy, Command

'An Apology for Smectymnuus' (1642) sect. 12, p. 55

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He 's gone, and who knows how he may report Thy words by adding fuel to the flame?

John Milton

Flames, Gone, Fuel

John Milton, Henry John Todd (1852). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With Notes of Various Authors; and with Some Account of the Life and Writings of Milton, Derived Principally from Original Documents in Her Majesty's State-paper Office”, p.217

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Yet I shall temper so Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most Them fully satisfy'd, and thee appease.

John Milton

Justice, May, Mercy

John Milton, Samuel Johnson, John Evans (1799). “Milton's Paradise lost: with the life of the author ; to which is prefixed the celebrated critique by Sam Johnson LLD.”, p.283

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But all was false and hollow; though his tongue Dropp'd manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, 4 to perplex and dash Maturest counsels.

John Milton

Tongue, Reason, Hollow

John Milton (1853). “The Poetical Works of John Milton”, p.41

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Born: December 9, 1608
Died: November 8, 1674
Occupation: Poet
Cite this Page: Citation

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