I had struggled over the course with some of the longer more complicated readings that when I struggled with understanding what was going on I would look at summaries to help bolster my understanding in hopes of being able to learn more from the texts. So I decided to write a sonnet on one of the harder texts to summarize. I chose paradise lost which as referenced in class is a wall of text and is written in a way that can be harder to read. So I felt a brief plot summary through sonnet would both make the writing easier to read while keeping it in a similar writing form that doesn’t take away from the original written work.
Paradise lost written by Milton is a work of theological fiction that covers mans first sin and their removal from the garden. It begins with the casting of satan and the angels that aided him to hell they then create a palace as a mimicry/perversion of heaven and Satan is frustrated with what the others want as a great deal of them want to make their own version of heaven in hell. Leading satan to tell them that even with the palace they are only kidding themselves as they are still imprisoned. They then decide the best course of action is to taint the new creation man. Satan travels to the gates of hell where he meets two of his creations Death and Sin set there to guard the gates. Satan is let by as he disguises himself and enters eden. Eventually he gets to eve and begins to tempt her by taking to her in her sleep. Eve is eventually tempted and eats the fruit and tells Adam who saddened by the idea of being alone and being without Eve eats the fruit as he loves her and couldn’t imagine being without her. They have a trial in heaven and they are cast out of eden never to set foot again.
This story is split into 12 books which gives a lot of detail into this retelling of the story of eden but its a lot to go through so I felt that a good way to establish that you have an understanding of a work that was assigned is to summarize it in a unique form.
I believe my response matters as it shows my thought process and learning style when it comes to understanding a text better doing a small activity like this solidifies my knowledge and how it may help others in doing their own small activities to wrap their head around plots. For this project I took inspiration from some of our previous reading and chose to make sonnets as the structure of the sonnet is very particular so a lot of thought has to go into the structure then making sure that it summarizes by mentioning key elements of the story.
I used Shakespeare’s sonnets as a stepping point for the sonnet to give me a better idea of how to format and then used a guide by the folger shakespeare to make sure I was writing the style correctly.
In conclusion this project shows my thought process when attempting to understand a text that I struggle with and I would recommend others to try something similar as it helps me with understanding different texts.
Sonnet for a Paradise Lost
Cast down and out after a harsh defeat
Constructed a place of pure malice
With eve or adam he plotted to meet
Pandemonium Satan’s dark palace
A long conference and heated debate
He marched out
And approached the gate
Finding Sin and Death standing about
Passed them he soon entered eden
In guise of a snake offered a fruit
With eve did the snake end up succeeding
In mans defense objections were moot
Adam joined he dares not abandon his love
Fleeing god’s anger and rage from above
Bibliography:
Efrench. “Write a Sonnet.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 23 Apr. 2021, https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-birthday-party-at-home/write-a-sonnet#:~:text=A%20sonnet%20is%20a%20poem,too%20much%20about%20all%20that.
Paradise Lost: Book 1, https://milton.host.dartmouth.edu/reading_room/pl/book_1/text.shtml.
“Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” The Folger SHAKESPEARE, 12 Nov. 2021, https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/?_ga=2.94616156.1959860911.1671410691-62604707.1671410691.
