CC - VII: John Milton: Paradise Lost: Invocation to the Muse, Milton's Christianizing the classical tradition

 

The Invocation to the Muse or the Exordium in "Paradise Lost" is in conformity to the convention of the classical epics, and yet it remains abundantly fresh and original because Milton Christianizes it to adapt it to his theological purpose. Like Dante and  Tasso, Milton follows Homers and Virgil in invoking a guiding sprit for accomplishing his grand task, but he shows a marked different from them whereas the Greek and the Roman poets addressed the pagan Muse, one of the nine muses of the classical mythology(i.e. calliope) Milton invokes not only the  "Heavenly Muse" (from L-l,l-15) but also to the "sprit" (L-16 ,L-26). Heavenly Muse is divine inspiration called 'Urania' by the poet and contrasted with the ineffectial Muse of the classical epics-"Thou art Heavenly, she an empty dream" (Paradise Lost, Book-VII). And the 'spirit' refers to the sprit of god, or the Holy spirit, who, according to Milton's piece "De Doctrina" - "was created or produced by the substance of God...".

                                It goes without saying that Milton's Muse is no more secular but religious, not pagan but Christian. It is in compliance with the religious conviction of a devoutly Christian poet. Milton is acknowledged a child of the Renaissance as well as of the Reformation. As a Renaissance man, he uses the form and style of an epic to start with an exordium, but as a man of the Reformation, he does not incorporate into it the pagan them of the heroic battles of either individual or national importance but the great Biblical them of "man's first disobedience" "his fall" (according to the Genesis) leading to his salvation, through the crucifixion of Christ, and thereby "Justify(ing) the ways of God to men". To be precise, he puts a new wine in the old bottle(of epic) and herein his novelty. By the way, Milton's lies unflinching faith in God, inspite of his various kinds of sufferings in life including total blindness, as recorded have not only is in accord with the Bible("Just and true are thy ways" Revelation, XV-3) but also foreshadows his last treatment of divine faith be found in Samson Agonists "Just are the ways of God/And justifiable to man".

                        Nevertheless, the presentation of the is portrayed after Milton's strong puritan conviction that her dwelling place is neither the heart of the classical muses or that of the Hebraic ones (to be discussed in due course) but the heart of a man "pure" and "upright". In Corinthians(III,16), we find saint Paul saying "know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of god dwelleth in you". It is the Holy Ghost (one of the 'Divine in trinities, the other two being God, the father and God, the son) who, in the form of a dove hatched or brooded on the pre-creational chaos, and thereby transformed into cosmos-"Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss/ And mad'st it pregnant". Therefore Milton seeks his inspiration in alliance with that of the "Heavenly Muse" in his race creative venture-"Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme". Nothing short of his aid will conduce his enlightenment or essential for this illumination ("what in me is dark/ Illumine, what is low raise and support".

            It is to be noted that Milton in accordance with the classical masters, not only states but does it by using a Latinate grammatical structure i.e. periodic sentence. Beginning with "Man's First Disobedience " in line 7 but the full meaning of his purpose of writing the epic is suspended till line 15. However, his christian implication of the Christ ("one greater man") is never lost sight of.

                        This Christianising of what is formally classical is further evident in the way Milton locates his Muse. She dwells unlike in Homers, Virgil, not upon Mount olympus or Mount Hellicon but in the secret top of the hills of Horeb and sinai sacred the a Hebrews for their being associated with Moses hearing oracles of God from them. And there is the brilliant fusion of the classical and the Biblical myth when he  places the Heavenly Muse in Sion Hill beside the rivers "Siola". By way of drawing the implied parallels, and contrast, we find the mounts of Oreb and Sinai corresponding to Mount Hellicon or parnassus and 'Siola's brook to Aganippe, the beside Mount Hellicon, which wassecred to the nine muses of Greek mythology.

                            Thus Milton wonderfully encapsulates the three great cultures-classical, Hebrew and Christian-which are the main sources of the Renaissance religious poets. It is this which is something unique of his Invocation to the Muse in "Paradise Lost".

                    

---------------