Topic/Thesis Statement: Gary Snyder writes “What use, Milton, a silly story // Of our lost general parents, eaters of fruits?” in his poem “Milton by Firelight,” and in response to the question he poses about John Milton, I want to argue Milton’s use; that being, how much Milton matters, even in the realm of contemporary poetry (9-10). Of course, since Snyder is questioning the use of Milton’s Paradise Lost in his poem, I will focus on how Paradise Lost matters, and how the text even inspires contemporary poetry. In fact, Snyder dedicating an entire poem to Milton’s Paradise Lost says a lot about how Milton’s work transcends time and generations. As further evidence of Milton’s timelessness, the Romantics, who came centuries after Milton, adored him, between his presence in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and William Wordsworth’s famous quote “Milton! thou shouldst be living at this hour; England hath need of thee,” that much is undeniable. And to extend into the more contemporary realm, there was a heightened interest in Paradise Lost, especially after WWII, so much in fact that “at least four full length operas or oratorios have been based upon Paradise Lost.” In general, I believe the topic of Milton’s usefulness in contemporary literature would be fun to explore. Essentially, why does Milton matter today? Why does he matter/why is his prose useful as opposed to how Snyder feels about Milton and Paradise Lost? (it should be noted that Snyder is part of a tradition of such comments — see Virginia Woolf (if women “Can get past Milton’s bogey”) and AE Housman (“malt does more than Milton can / to justify the ways of God to man”). Mentioning these remarks/quoting them while making your argument in the paper on why Milton does in fact matter/is important/etc. Will be an important point/part of the paper). All the sources you will need, including more detailed instructions, will be attached as files. Thank You!
