Season 3 Podcast 183 Milton's Paradise Lost, Bk VII, Pt XIV, "The Story of Creation" Pt I

Milton’s Paradise Lost Bk VII, Pt XIV, "The Story of Creation" Pt IIn Bk VII, Raphael explains to Adam and Eve about the creation of the earth. Milton writes in his preface to Bk VII.Raphael, at the request of Adam, relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and His angels out of heaven, declared His pleasure to create another world, and other creatures to dwell therein; sends His Son with glory, and attendance of angels, to perform the work of creation in six days: the angels celebrate with hymns and performance thereof, and his re-ascension into heaven.Raphael explains to Adam that before coming to earth, they lived in heaven with God. Descend from Heav’n Urania, by that nameIf rightly thou art called, whose Voice divineFollowing, above th’ Olympian Hill I soar,Above the flight of Pegasean wing.The meaning, not the Name I call: for thouNor of the Muses nine, nor on the topOf old Olympus dwell’st, but Heavenly borne,Before the Hills appeared, or Fountain flowed,Thou with Eternal wisdom didst converse,Wisdom thy Sister, and with her didst playIn presence of th’ Almighty Father, pleasedWith thy Celestial Song.  Milton points out that the story of creation precedes the Greek myths, that God existed before Mount Olympus. In other words, Milton is asserting that God is creator of heaven and earth and there is no other God. A veil has been drawn over Adam’s mind and he does not remember his former home; therefore, Raphael reminds Adam that he once lived with his Father in Heaven. He further teaches him of the war in heaven against Lucifer and warns him to beware of the wiles of Satan. He also warms Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Say Goddess, what ensued when Raphael,The affable Arch-angel, had forewarnedAdam by dire example to bewareApostasy, by what befell in HeavenTo those Apostates, least the like befallIn Paradise to Adam or his Race,Charged not to touch the interdicted Tree,If they transgress, and slight that sole command,So easily obeyed amid the choiceOf all tastes else to please their appetite,Though wandering. He with his consorted EveThe story heard attentive, and was filledWith admiration, and deep Muse to hearOf things so high and strange, things to their thoughtSo unimaginable as hate in Heav’n,And War so near the Peace of God in blissWith such confusion: but the evil soonDriven back redounded as a flood on thoseFrom whom it sprung, impossible to mixWith Blessedness.  Milton emphasized that Lucifer had no chance at defeating God. “Driven back redounded as a flood on those From whom it sprung, impossible to mix With Blessedness.” Book VII addresses the limits of knowledge. Raphael instructs Adam on what knowledge he should pursue and what knowledge he should not pursue. Adam is curious about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is an ageless question: When is too much knowledge detrimental? What should be our boundaries? In Bk VII Milton attempts to answer that question. The dialogue in Book Seven is between Adam and the archangel Raphael, between Adam and God, between and Elohim and Jehovah. It is mostly between Adam and Raphael, the angel who has been assigned to watch over Adam and Eve.