John Milton lost his eyesight, but his poetic insight inspired generations of writers and readers. ‘Paradise Lost’, is his magnum opus.
Being blind, Milton could not write, and he was forced to dictate his poem to friends or helpers who wrote it down. ‘Paradise Lost’ was written between 1658 and 1664 when the poet was living in poverty. The first version, published in 1667, consisted of ten books. ‘Paradise Regained’, also came out in 1671. Scholars regard ‘Paradise Lost,’ as the greatest epic in the English language.
Milton was born in London on December 9th, 1608. He attended St. Paul’s School, and also Christ’s College, Cambridge. He wrote his poems in Latin, Italian, and English. ‘On Shakespeare’, written in 1630, was his first published poem.
Milton published several minor prose works, such as the grammar textbook, ‘Art of Logic’, and a ‘History of Britain’. Milton suffered from kidney disease, and died on 8th November, 1674 and was buried in the church of St. Giles Cripplegate.
