12. The Blind Prophet

Milton (ENGL 220)This lecture focuses on the invocation to light at the beginning of Book Three of Paradise Lost. Milton's factual and figurative understanding of his blindness is traced through his letters, Sonnet XXII, and the later epic Samson Agonistes. Particular emphasis is placed on the transformation of blindness in the corpus from a spiritual punishment to a poetic gift. The implications of biographical interpretations of literature are also touched upon.00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction: Milton's Blindness04:47 - Chapter 2. How Milton and His Contemporaries Interpreted His Blindness17:35 - Chapter 3. Light and the Creation Account: Comparing Milton and The Book of Genesis39:09 - Chapter 4. Blindness Explored in Samson AgonistesComplete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/coursesThis course was recorded in Fall 2007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices