John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” tells the biblical story of the fall of man in expansive detail. The poem draws heavily from the book of Genesis in the Bible, expanding upon and imagining unseen details while remaining relatively faithful to the biblical text. Here is an overview of how “Paradise Lost” engages with biblical themes and stories:
The Creation
The poem opens with Satan and the other fallen angels in Hell after their rebellion against God. It then flashes back to tell the story of the creation of the world and of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Milton’s depiction of the creation draws from Genesis 1-2, imagining the cosmic scale of God’s work over six days. Milton envisions angels singing songs of praise as God forms the Earth and gives life to all creatures. The Bible focuses more on the sequence of events, whereas Milton imagines the experience in vivid poetic detail.
Satan’s Rebellion
Though the Bible does not provide an account of Satan’s rebellion and fall from heaven, “Paradise Lost” creatively imagines these unseen events. The poem explains how Satan, formerly the angel Lucifer, rebelled against God out of pride and jealousy after the Son of God was exalted above all the angels. Revelation 12:7-9 alludes to a primeval war in heaven when Satan and his followers were defeated and cast down to earth by Michael the archangel. Milton builds on this brief biblical account to craft an epic supernatural war, including fierce battles between faithful angels like Abdiel and apostate angels who joined Satan’s rebellion.
The Garden of Eden
“Paradise Lost” spends several books building up the splendor and perfection of Eden before introducing Satan, disguised as a serpent, who plots to tempt Adam and Eve. Milton portrays Eden as a lush, idyllic paradise, drawing particular inspiration from Genesis 2:8-14 which locates Eden and describes a river flowing from it to water the garden. Milton imagines further wondrous details like celestial flowers glittering in the sun, exotic animals roaming in harmony, and fruits so delicious they surpass anything we could know now after the fall.
The Fall
The core narrative from Genesis 3 of the temptation, fall, and expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden forms the dramatic high point of plot and action in “Paradise Lost.” Milton builds on the dialogue between Satan, appearing as a serpent, Eve, and Adam. The poem greatly develops the characters’ motivations, emotions, and internal debates as the critical moment approaches. While Milton expands the biblical account with imagined dialogue and details, he remains faithful to the essence of the drama – Satan deceiving Eve so she eats forbidden fruit, Eve convincing Adam to join her, and the profound curse of mortality and hardship that resulted.
Biblical Themes
Beyond direct biblical narratives, “Paradise Lost” explores theological themes that have biblical resonance. A primary theme is the mystery of divine grace and human free will. Just as biblical writers like Paul wrestle with profound paradoxes relating to election and human responsibility (cf. Romans 9), Milton grapples with how divine sovereignty and human action align. The poem ponders the origin of evil, the consequence of the fall on creation, and the cosmic battle between good and evil. Milton confronts the problem of evil by developing Satan’s character and motivations.
Milton’s extensive use of dialogue also echoes the dialectical method of many biblical books. Disputes between Satan’s fallen angels, debates between Adam and Eve, and quiet discourses between Adam and the angel Raphael have precedents in dialectical texts like Job or Ecclesiastes that search for truth through sustained dialogue.
Use of Biblical Theology and Imagery
Milton structures the narrative of “Paradise Lost” around the central Christian story of redemption, from creation to the fall to hope in the ultimate restoration and victory promised in Christ. Milton’s God in the poem is unambiguously the biblical Creator-God, and Milton accepts the Genesis chronology of six days of creation. The Son plays a major role in Milton’s epic, serving as agent in creation, leader of heavenly armies, and mediator. Milton draws heavily on Psalms, Isaiah, and other poetically rich books to craft his Biblical-style language and imagery.
The poem intentionally uses elevated, literary language to grant biblical stories an epic dignity. Long ornate similes mimicking Homer compare Eden to the gardens of Alcinous or Satan to the sea monster Leviathan (from Psalms and Isaiah). Lofted language applied to biblical narratives and theology helps justify Milton’s claim that his Christian epic surpasses the great pagan epics.
Paradise Regained
Milton wrote “Paradise Regained” as a brief sequel to “Paradise Lost,” telling the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness from the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11. After Adam and Eve fail God in Milton’s first epic, Christ succeeds in overcoming Satan’s temptation, reversing the effects of the fall. “Paradise Regained” depends fully on a close paraphrasing of the biblical text, staying faithful to the sequence of the three temptations presented. Milton himself described this work as “brief, if not austere” compared to the ornate, expansive style of his first epic.
Conclusion
John Milton sought to “justify the ways of God to men” in “Paradise Lost” by retelling and embellishing the foundational biblical story of creation, fall, and redemption. Though an imaginative literary work, Milton’s epic remains grounded in biblical narratives, theology, chronology, language and imagery. The poem illuminates the richness of the sparse Genesis account, probes philosophical implications of the fall, and pursues biblical themes of divine grace and human freedom. While an artistic achievement, “Paradise Lost” remains a profoundly biblical epic.