John Milton

Under his forming hands a creature grew,

Man-like, but different sex; so lovely fair,

That what seemed fair in all the world, seemed now

Mean, or in her summed up, in her contained

And in her looks; which from that time infused

Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

And into all things from her air inspired

The spirit of love and amorous delight.

Must I thus leave thee, Paradise?—thus leave

Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades?

Not sedulous by Nature to indite

Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument

Heroic deem'd, chief maistrie to dissect

With long and tedious havoc fabl'd Knights

In Battels feign'd; the better fortitude

Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom

Unsung

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay

To mould me Man? Did I solicit thee

From darkness to promote me?

Out of one man a race

Of men innumerable.

Heaven open'd wide

Her ever during gates, harmonious sound,

On golden hinges moving.

Spirits that live throughout,

Vital in every part, not as frail man,

In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins,

Cannot but by annihilating die.

Now half appear'd

The tawny lion, pawing to get free

His hinder parts.

Satan; so call him now, his former name

Is heard no more in heaven.

Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend

The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust

To know ye right, or if ye know your selves

Natives and Sons of Heav'n possest before

By none, and if not equal all, yet free,

Equally free; for Orders and Degrees

Jarr not with liberty, but well consist.

Who can in reason then or right assume

Monarchie over such as live by right...

Nor jealousy

Was understood, the injured lover's hell.

On heav'nly ground they stood, and from the shore

They view'd the vast immeasurable Abyss

Outrageous as a Sea, dark, wasteful, wilde,

Up from the bottom turn'd by furious windes

And surging waves, as Mountains to assault

Heav'ns highth, and with the Center mix the Pole.

"Silence, ye troubl'd waves, and thou Deep, peace!"

Said then th' Omnific Word, "Your discord end!"

Nor staid, but on the Wings of Cherubim

Uplifted, in Paternal Glorie rode

Farr into Chaos, and the World unborn;

For Chaos heard his voice: him all his Traine

Follow'd in bright procession to behold

Creation, and the wonders of his might.

Then staid the fervid Wheeles, and in his hand

He took the golden Compasses, prepar'd

In Gods Eternal store, to circumscribe

This Universe, and all created things:

One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd

Round through the vast profunditie obscure,

And said, "Thus farr extend, thus farr thy bounds,

This be thy just Circumference, O World!"