Milton and the Climates of Reading: Essays by Balachandra Rajan (Heritage)

__Milton and the Climates of Reading__ offers timely statements about the ways in which Milton's writings not only addressed their own time, but also speak profoundly and powerfully to ours.

Scholarly criticism of John Milton's writings has in recent decades been distinguished by a methodological prudence that separates it from other forms of literary scholarship. One critic, however, stands apart from his colleagues and has consistently offered a corrective to this prudence: Balachandra Rajan. In Milton and the Climates of Reading, Elizabeth Sauer undertakes the daunting work of bringing together a selection of Rajan's essays on Milton, some hitherto unpublished, in order to chart trends and changes in Milton scholarship over the last sixty years and to consider future directions in this vital field of inquiry.

This collection, which is framed by Sauer's insightful introduction and an eloquent afterword by Joseph Wittreich, demonstrates Rajan's critical range and his ability to adapt to 'new' ideas, always reformulating them in his own characteristic and individual manner. Milton and the Climates of Reading offers timely statements about the ways in which Milton's writings not only addressed their own time, but also speak profoundly and powerfully to ours.

Scholarly criticism of John Milton's writings has in recent decades been distinguished by a methodological prudence that separates it from other forms of literary scholarship. One critic, however, stands apart from his colleagues and has consistently offered a corrective to this Balachandra Rajan. In Milton and the Climates of Reading , Elizabeth Sauer undertakes the daunting work of bringing together a selection of Rajan's essays on Milton, some hitherto unpublished, in order to chart trends and changes in Milton scholarship over the last sixty years and to consider future directions in this vital field of inquiry. This collection, which is framed by Sauer's insightful introduction and an eloquent afterword by Joseph Wittreich, demonstrates Rajan's critical range and his ability to adapt to 'new' ideas, always reformulating them in his own characteristic and individual manner. Milton and the Climates of Reading offers timely statements about the ways in which Milton's writings not only addressed their own time, but also speak profoundly and powerfully to ours. Contents 5 Preface 7 Note on Editions 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction: The Art of Criticism 13 1. Osiris and Urania 29 2. The Poetics of Heresy 45 3. Surprised by a Strange Language: Defamiliarizing Paradise Lost 58 4. Milton Encompassed 76 5. Banyan Trees and Fig Leaves: Some Thoughts on Milton’s India 84 6. The Imperial Temptation 105 7. The Two Creations: Paradise Lost and the Treatise on Christian Doctrine 124 8. Milton and Camões: Reinventing the Old Man 135 9. Warfaring and Wayfaring: Milton and the Globalization of Tolerance 147 Afterword: His More Attentive Mind 163 Publications 173 Works Cited 179 Index 193 Osiris and Urania The poetics of Heresy Surprised by a strange language: defamiliarizing Paradise Lost Milton encompassed Banyan trees and fig leaves: some thoughts on Milton's India The imperial temptation The two creations: Paradise Lost and the Treatise on Christian Doctrine Milton and Camões: reinventing the old man Warfaring and wayfaring: Milton and the globalization of tolerance Afterword: His more attentive mind / Joseph A. Wittreich. This essay first appeared in Milton Studies 13 (1979): 221-35.