Who is Milton?
John Milton (1608-1674) is the famed British Renaissance poet who is best known for his lengthy poetic work, Paradise Lost and its sequel Paradise Regained. Milton was also a Protestant in a very Catholic world, making him an interesting critic of Catholicism in the 1600s. He was fortunately born in England, where Protestantism was widely accepted. Milton’s educational career was extensive. His father at first intended Milton to enter the ministry, but Milton was not satisfied with this decision. He instead vehemently pursued advanced education, graduating with a Masters from Christ College in 1632. He then spent at least another five years in private study, covering a huge range of topics from literature, to politics, to science. Because of his studies, many call him one of the most educated of the English poets. Milton married three times. In 1642 he married Mary Powell, who at 16 was 17 years Milton’s junior. The marriage was not an immediate success. Mary moved back to her family’s
