John Milton

John Milton, the seventeenth-century English poet, became an enduring figure in world literature through masterpieces such as Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and his strong defense of freedom of expression.

According to the Boraq Hamim Art News Agency, John Milton — the English poet, writer, and thinker — who was born on December 9, 1608, in London and passed away on November 8, 1674, is regarded as one of the pillars of world literature due to his profound and influential works.

Throughout his life, Milton was not only a great poet but also played a significant role in advocating intellectual freedom and the liberty of the pen. In his prose works, such as Areopagitica, he explicitly emphasized freedom of speech, criticized censorship, and defended independent thought — positions that were controversial even during his lifetime and have continued to be cited by advocates of civil and intellectual rights to this day.

Milton, however, is best known as an epic poet through his magnum opus, Paradise Lost — a twelve-book epic, first published in 1667 and later expanded into its complete form. With over 11,000 lines, this work reflects themes of faith, salvation, destiny, and humanity’s primordial struggle with sin — topics that merge theological and philosophical reflections within a mythic narrative.

In Paradise Lost, Milton preserves the structure of classical epics — inspired by works of Homer and Virgil — while weaving in Christian concepts such as the Fall of Man, temptation, and sacrifice, expressed through an extraordinary poetic language.

In addition to this masterpiece, Samson Agonistes and Paradise Regained stand among his other influential works. These poetic dramas and epics portray Milton’s views on faith, humanity, redemption, and destiny.

During his education at St. Paul’s School and later at the University of Cambridge, Milton was profoundly influenced by classical teachings, Greek and Latin literature, and ecclesiastical studies. However, as his inclination toward intellectual liberty grew — alongside his rejection of censorship and religious coercion — he moved toward a clear and powerful critique of oppressive structures and a defense of free thought.

Milton’s life, however, was not without hardship. In 1651 or 1652, he lost his eyesight. Yet this blindness did not extinguish his poetic creativity; on the contrary, it perhaps granted him a deeper inner vision and a more introspective mode of expression.

Milton’s legacy extends far beyond literature. His ideas on religious freedom, freedom of expression, and the human right to choose one’s own path have inspired numerous intellectual and liberation movements across the centuries.

Reflection within an Iranian–Islamic Artistic Context

Given that Iranian art is deeply rooted in mysticism, classical literature, and spiritual symbolism, revisiting Milton’s works — especially their themes of faith, awareness, destiny, and human freedom — can form a bridge between English literature and Iranian–Islamic artistic thought. For example, Paradise Lost, with its portrayal of the Fall, temptation, and redemption, invites comparison with Islamic mystical interpretations of sin, repentance, and divine mercy.

Furthermore, Milton’s use of poetic language and epic structure as tools for intellectual and civic awakening reflects a tradition also found within Persian mystical and literary heritage. This harmony between art and thought, faith and freedom, can inspire contemporary Iranian artists — particularly those working in translation, poetry, comparative literature, and intellectual studies.

Thus, Milton’s works remain not only as a heritage of Western literature but also as a global resource for cultural dialogue — an opportunity for shared contemplation on humanity, ethics, destiny, and freedom.