paradise lost and other poems Author:john milton These 3 major works by the 17th century english poet show why Milton takes his place besides shakespeare, dante, homer, and vergil. They ring w/ the unmistakable clarity of genius, w/ the majesty of language, splendor and wealth of detail, and w/ the deep conviction of a powerful mind. Milton's masterpieces reflect the light of a many faceted... more » tradition; the intellectual freedom of greek classicism, the moral passion of Hebrew prophets, the protestant sense of an abiding belief.« less
Most interesting to me is the character of Satan. Christ and God here are two-dimensional sketches, whereas Milton gives Satan complex motivation, much more engaging than run-of-the-mill comic-book iniquity. Enjoy!