Paradise Lost Book 2 Quotes

• What in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support, That to the height of this great argument I may assert eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men. 1 Paradise Lost. Book i. Line 22.

  John Milton

  Book, Dark, Men

  Paradise Lost bk. 1, l. 22 (1667) See Housman 5; Milton 49

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• Long is the way and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.

  John Milton

  Power, Light, Long

  Paradise Lost bk. 2, l. 432 (1667)

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• For neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible, except to God alone.

  John Milton

  Hypocrite, Angel, Men

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 3, l. 682

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• Eloquence the soul, song charms the senses.

  John Milton

  Song, Soul, Mazes

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 555

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• Our torments also may in length of time Become our elements, these piercing fires As soft as now severe, our temper changed Into their temper.

  John Milton

  Time, Fire, Elements

  1665 Mammon. Paradise Lost (published1667), bk.2, l.274-7.

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• Farewell Hope, and with Hope farewell Fear

  John Milton

  Farewell, Paradise Lost Book 9, Adieu

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 4, l. 108

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• Our torments also may in length of time Become our Elements.

  John Milton

  Time, Elements, May

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. l. 274

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• Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they only stand By ignorance? Is that their happy state, The proof of their obedience and their faith? O fair foundation laid whereon to build Their ruin!

  John Milton

  Ignorance, Knowledge, Envy

  John Milton, Elijah Fenton (1795). “Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books”, p.103

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• And fast by, hanging in a golden chain, This pendent world, in bigness as a star Of smallest magnitude, close by the moon.

  John Milton

  Stars, Moon, World

  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.154

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• The never-ending flight Of future days.

  John Milton

  Future, Flight, Never Ending

  John Milton, Elijah Fenton (1795). “Paradise Lost: A Poem, in Twelve Books”, p.47

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• The strongest and the fiercest spirit That fought in heaven, now fiercer by despair.

  John Milton

  Heaven, Despair, Spirit

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 44

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• Abash'd the Devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is.

  John Milton

  Crow, Devil, Awful

  John Milton (1826). “The Poetical Works of John Milton”, p.348

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• Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.

  John Milton

  Wisdom, Philosophy, Vain

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 562

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• On a sudden open fly With impetuous recoil and jarring sound Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harsh thunder.

  John Milton

  Doors, Sound, Thunder

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 879

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• With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, Confusion worse confounded.

  John Milton

  Confusion, Confusing, Ruins

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 995

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• Which, if not victory, is yet revenge.

  John Milton

  Revenge, Victory, Ifs

  John Milton (1855). “The first four books of Milton's Paradise lost; with notes, by C.W. Connon”, p.52

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• Hail, wedded love, mysterious law; true source of human happiness.

  John Milton

  Anniversary, Marriage, Wedding

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 4, l. 750

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• Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet, With charm of earliest birds.

  John Milton

  Sweet, Morning, Bird

  Paradise Lost bk. 4, l. 639 (1667)

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• Me miserable! Which way shall I fly
  Infinite wrath and infinite despair?
  Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell;
  And in the lowest deep a lower deep,
  Still threat'ning to devour me, opens wide,
  To which the hell I suffer seems a heaven.

  John Milton

  Wrath, Heaven, Suffering

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 4, l. 73

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• So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost;Evil,be thou my good.

  John Milton

  Hope, Fear, Farewell

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 4, l. 108

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• Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell.

  John Milton

  Way, Paradise, Hell

  Paradise Lost bk. 4, l. 73 (1667)

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• Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.

  John Milton

  Death, War, Paradise

  Paradise Lost bk. 1, l. 263 (1667)

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• And that must end us, that must be our cure: To be no more. Sad cure! For who would lose, Though full of pain, this intellectual being, Those thoughts that wander through eternity, To perish, rather, swallowed up and lost In the wide womb of uncreated night Devoid of sense and motion?

  John Milton

  Pain, Night, Intellectual

  'Paradise Lost' (1667) bk. 2, l. 146

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• Into this wild abyss, The womb of Nature and perhaps her grave.

  John Milton

  Nature, Graves, Womb

  John Milton (1801). “The Poetical Works of John Milton: With the Principal Notes of Various Commentators. To which are Added Illustrations, with Some Account of the Life of Milton”, p.160

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• Never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep.

  John Milton

  Hate, Lucifer, Grows

  1665 Satan. Paradise Lost (published1667), bk.4, l.98-9.

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