EPIC SIMILES IN PARADISE LOST BOOK IV

EPIC SIMILES IN PARADISE LOST BOOK IV

SATAN:

To The Mariners

Satan when he approaches the Garden of Eden is greeted by gentle breeze charged with the fragrance of numerous blossoms. He lingers so that he might indulge his senses and enjoy to the utmost the delicious perfumes. Milton likens him to the mariners who slacken sail in order to breathe the sweet perfumes of Arabia, wafted across the sea when they are past the Mozambic.

To a prowling wolf, a thief

When Satan leaps over the wall of paradise, he is compared to a prowling wolf, a thief who breaks into the house of a rich burgher.

To a Lion and Tiger

Satan assumes the forms of a lion and tiger, when he comes close to Adam and eve to observe their life.

Like Teneriff or Atlas

Feeling the touch of the celestial spear, with the same explosive force, “as when a spark lights on a heap of nitrous powder” stored for preparation against a rumoured war. Satan’s native form is recovered. Confronted with hostile numbers, Satan rises to his full stature and stands, “like Teneriff or Atlas, unremoved”.

ANGELIC SQADRONS:

Spears to the bearded corn

Milton describes the reaction of angelic squadrons to Satan’s taunts and challenge. They tremble in wrath and they stand there with their pointed spears like blades of corn in a field at the time of harvest.

BEAUTY OF PARADISE:

“fair field of Enna”

The beauty of the Garden of Eden has surpassed all other lovely spots celebrated in history and mythology. Milton compares the Garden of Eden to the “fair field of enna”, “that sweet grove of Daphne”, “the inspired Castalian spring”, and “the Nyseian isle”.

EVE:

To Pandora

She was brought to Adam in the lovely arbour by a genial angel. Milton compares her in this respect to Pandora who was brought by Hermes to the unwise son of Japhet. The opening of Pandora’s Box brought all ills to man’s life. Even so the temptation of eve has brought sin and death to mankind.

Like eve, Pandora also was the first created woman, though, in contrast to eve, she had been created expressly to bring woe to humanity for Prometheus’s defiance of Zeus by stealing fire from heaven.

URIEL

To a Meteor

Uriel comes gliding on a sunbeam to warn archangel Gabriel of the presence of Satan in paradise. He travels swift as a meteor – a meteor which darts through the autumn night, warning mariners about the danger from which they can expect danger.