The concept of metagenre in literature has become an increasingly helpful interpretive tool by wh... more The concept of metagenre in literature has become an increasingly helpful interpretive tool by which to analyze and understand various pieces of literature in relationship to their particular genres. A metageneric examination of Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, both in relation to the Homeric epics and in relation to each other, allows readers to understand that Milton’s celebration of “Patience and Heroic Martyrdom” (Paradise Lost 9:31) is best exemplified in each of Milton’s epics by Milton’s Son. The Son, both in his self-sacrificial decision to leave Heaven’s glory, become incarnate, and die for the sake of sinful humanity; and in his resistance to Satan’s temptations, transcends the classical heroism both of Homer’s Achilles and Milton’s Satan in order to effect salvation for humanity. A metageneric recognition that Paradise Regained is a continuation of Paradise Lost aids greatly our understanding of the Son’s heroism.
In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy\u27s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this... more In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy\u27s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this character\u27s example of compassion in the face of his master\u27s terminal illness. Urban suggests that all humans would do well to follow Gerasim\u27s example, especially in light of everyone\u27s mortality
In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines thi... more In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this character's example of compassion in the face of his master's terminal illness. Urban suggests that all humans would do well to follow Gerasim's example, especially in light of everyone's mortality.
This essay argues that in Ibsen’s A Doll House, both Nora and her husband, Torvald Helmer, exhibi... more This essay argues that in Ibsen’s A Doll House, both Nora and her husband, Torvald Helmer, exhibit a “religion of Torvald” characterized by their respective devotion to Torvald himself. However, while Torvald’s devotion to himself is characterized by self-love and self-centeredness, Nora’s “religion of Torvald” is based on her expectation that Torvald will exhibit the Christlike office of bearing Nora’s sins by proclaiming himself guilty of her crime of forgery, thus rendering her blameless. After Torvald shatters Nora’s expectations by reacting with abuse and cowardice to the news of Nora’s forgery and Krogstad’s consequent blackmail, Nora loses her previous faith in Torvald and instead exhibits a preoccupation with her own self that, ironically enough, imitates the self-love of the “religion of Torvald” that Torvald has practiced all along.
This edition of Paradise Lost annotates, as comprehensively as possible, Milton's great epic&... more This edition of Paradise Lost annotates, as comprehensively as possible, Milton's great epic's numerous allusions to the Bible. As Matthew Stallard observes in his preface, because previous annotat...
... stephen b. dobranski, archie burnett (intro.), pj klemp (ed.). A Variorum Commentary on the P... more ... stephen b. dobranski, archie burnett (intro.), pj klemp (ed.). A Variorum Commentary on the Poems of John Milton. Vol. 3: Samson Agonistes. Stephen B. Dobranski, , Archie Burnett, (intro.), PJ Klemp. ... Vol. 3: Samson Agonistes. Pp. xviii+502. ...
This essay discusses queer Milton scholarship's various responses to C. S. Lewis's A Pref... more This essay discusses queer Milton scholarship's various responses to C. S. Lewis's A Preface to Paradise Lost, beginning with Gregory Bredbeck's groundbreaking 1991 PMLA article through the 2018 volume Queer Milton and beyond. Although most of these responses portray Lewis as one whose explicit denial of queer angelic behavior in Paradise Lost has served to prevent queer readings of Milton, Lewis can also been seen as one who, by this explicit denial, indirectly brought about queer Milton studies. Attention will be paid to Drew Daniel's unexpected 2014 portrayal of Lewis's offering an especially daring queer vision of Paradise Lost, a portrayal that is erased when Daniel's 2014 essay is revised for the 2018 Queer Milton.
This essay discusses C. S. Lewis's influential and controversial chapter, within A Preface to... more This essay discusses C. S. Lewis's influential and controversial chapter, within A Preface to "Paradise Lost" (1942), on Milton's Satan. Lewis's chapter presents itself as a response to what Lewis sees as the dominant Romantic understanding of Milton's Satan, but Lewis oversimplifies the critical landscape both by misrepresenting Shelley's discussion of Satan and by failing to acknowledge various post-Shelley challenges to Milton's Satan that had appeared before Lewis's book. Lewis's chapter elicited various sustained critical responses in the ensuing decade. This essay analyzes those responses—most of which seek to refute Lewis's presentation of Satan by reasserting a Romantic understanding of Satan, although one Lewis sympathizer actually sees similarities between Lewis and Shelley. Various critics object to Lewis's mockery of Satan, which is perceived as unfair or even unchristian. The essay addresses Lewis's neglect of Coleri...
This special issue of Religions on “Religions in Shakespeare’s Writings” invited contributors to ... more This special issue of Religions on “Religions in Shakespeare’s Writings” invited contributors to explore the gamut of religious issues and characterizations throughout Shakespeare’s writings [...]
The concept of metagenre in literature has become an increasingly helpful interpretive tool by wh... more The concept of metagenre in literature has become an increasingly helpful interpretive tool by which to analyze and understand various pieces of literature in relationship to their particular genres. A metageneric examination of Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, both in relation to the Homeric epics and in relation to each other, allows readers to understand that Milton’s celebration of “Patience and Heroic Martyrdom” (Paradise Lost 9:31) is best exemplified in each of Milton’s epics by Milton’s Son. The Son, both in his self-sacrificial decision to leave Heaven’s glory, become incarnate, and die for the sake of sinful humanity; and in his resistance to Satan’s temptations, transcends the classical heroism both of Homer’s Achilles and Milton’s Satan in order to effect salvation for humanity. A metageneric recognition that Paradise Regained is a continuation of Paradise Lost aids greatly our understanding of the Son’s heroism.
In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy\u27s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this... more In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy\u27s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this character\u27s example of compassion in the face of his master\u27s terminal illness. Urban suggests that all humans would do well to follow Gerasim\u27s example, especially in light of everyone\u27s mortality
In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines thi... more In this article on Gerasim, from Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Urban examines this character's example of compassion in the face of his master's terminal illness. Urban suggests that all humans would do well to follow Gerasim's example, especially in light of everyone's mortality.
This essay argues that in Ibsen’s A Doll House, both Nora and her husband, Torvald Helmer, exhibi... more This essay argues that in Ibsen’s A Doll House, both Nora and her husband, Torvald Helmer, exhibit a “religion of Torvald” characterized by their respective devotion to Torvald himself. However, while Torvald’s devotion to himself is characterized by self-love and self-centeredness, Nora’s “religion of Torvald” is based on her expectation that Torvald will exhibit the Christlike office of bearing Nora’s sins by proclaiming himself guilty of her crime of forgery, thus rendering her blameless. After Torvald shatters Nora’s expectations by reacting with abuse and cowardice to the news of Nora’s forgery and Krogstad’s consequent blackmail, Nora loses her previous faith in Torvald and instead exhibits a preoccupation with her own self that, ironically enough, imitates the self-love of the “religion of Torvald” that Torvald has practiced all along.
This edition of Paradise Lost annotates, as comprehensively as possible, Milton's great epic&... more This edition of Paradise Lost annotates, as comprehensively as possible, Milton's great epic's numerous allusions to the Bible. As Matthew Stallard observes in his preface, because previous annotat...
... stephen b. dobranski, archie burnett (intro.), pj klemp (ed.). A Variorum Commentary on the P... more ... stephen b. dobranski, archie burnett (intro.), pj klemp (ed.). A Variorum Commentary on the Poems of John Milton. Vol. 3: Samson Agonistes. Stephen B. Dobranski, , Archie Burnett, (intro.), PJ Klemp. ... Vol. 3: Samson Agonistes. Pp. xviii+502. ...
This essay discusses queer Milton scholarship's various responses to C. S. Lewis's A Pref... more This essay discusses queer Milton scholarship's various responses to C. S. Lewis's A Preface to Paradise Lost, beginning with Gregory Bredbeck's groundbreaking 1991 PMLA article through the 2018 volume Queer Milton and beyond. Although most of these responses portray Lewis as one whose explicit denial of queer angelic behavior in Paradise Lost has served to prevent queer readings of Milton, Lewis can also been seen as one who, by this explicit denial, indirectly brought about queer Milton studies. Attention will be paid to Drew Daniel's unexpected 2014 portrayal of Lewis's offering an especially daring queer vision of Paradise Lost, a portrayal that is erased when Daniel's 2014 essay is revised for the 2018 Queer Milton.
This essay discusses C. S. Lewis's influential and controversial chapter, within A Preface to... more This essay discusses C. S. Lewis's influential and controversial chapter, within A Preface to "Paradise Lost" (1942), on Milton's Satan. Lewis's chapter presents itself as a response to what Lewis sees as the dominant Romantic understanding of Milton's Satan, but Lewis oversimplifies the critical landscape both by misrepresenting Shelley's discussion of Satan and by failing to acknowledge various post-Shelley challenges to Milton's Satan that had appeared before Lewis's book. Lewis's chapter elicited various sustained critical responses in the ensuing decade. This essay analyzes those responses—most of which seek to refute Lewis's presentation of Satan by reasserting a Romantic understanding of Satan, although one Lewis sympathizer actually sees similarities between Lewis and Shelley. Various critics object to Lewis's mockery of Satan, which is perceived as unfair or even unchristian. The essay addresses Lewis's neglect of Coleri...
This special issue of Religions on “Religions in Shakespeare’s Writings” invited contributors to ... more This special issue of Religions on “Religions in Shakespeare’s Writings” invited contributors to explore the gamut of religious issues and characterizations throughout Shakespeare’s writings [...]
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