Who was John Milton?
Epic Poet and Political Commentator.
Date and Place of Birth:
9th December 1608, London, England.
Family Background:
The son of a scrivener and composer.
Education:
St. Paul's School, London. Christ's College,
Cambridge.
Chronology/Biography of John Milton:
1632: Leaves Cambridge
University and moves back to his father's house at Horton in Buckinghamshire.
1634: Performance
of "Comus" at Ludlow.
1638-39: Embarks
on a tour of the continent, through France, Italy and Switzerland.
1640: Teaches at
a school in London.
1641: Begins writing
anti-Episcopal leaflets.
1642: (October)
Beginning of the English Civil War.
1649: (30th January)
Execution of King Charles the First. (March) Appointed Secretary
for Foreign Tongues to the Council of State. (March) Becomes totally
blind.
1658: (3rd September)
Death of Oliver Cromwell.
1660: (May) Restoration
of the monarchy with the return of Prince Charles as King Charles
the Second. Milton arrested and then released.
1665: Lives in the
countryside at Chalfont St. Giles to try and escape the plague.
Written Works:
- 1628:
"On the Death of a Fair Infant dying of a Cough".
- 1630:
"The Passion" (unfinished).
- 1631:
"L'Allegro" and "Il Penserro"
- 1638:
“Lycidas.” "Justa Eduardo King".
- 1640:
"Epitahium Damonis".
- 1641:
"Of Reformation in England".
- 1642:
“An Apology against Smectymnuus.” “The Reason of Church Government
urged against Prelacy.”
- 1643:
“The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce.”
- 1644:
“Areopagitica of Education.” "The Judgement of Martin Bucer
concerning Divorce."
- 1645:
“Colasterion.” “Tetrachordon.” “Poems (Including Christ's Nativity,”
“Penseroso,” “Sonnets”)
- 1646:
"Poems".
- 1649: “Eikonoklastes.”
“The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.” (a defence of the Regicides).
- 1651:
"Defensio pro Populo Anglicano".
- 1654:
"Defensio Secunda".
- 1655:
"Pro Se Defensio".
- 1659: “A Treatise
of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes.” "Likeliest Means
to Remove Hirelings out of the Church".
- 1660:
“The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth.”
- 1667:
“Paradise Lost”
- 1670:
“History of Britain.”
- 1671:
“Paradise Regained.” “Samson Agonistes.”
- 1673:
“Poems on Several Occasions.”
- 1674:
“Paradise Lost. (Revised).” "Letters and Academic
Exercises."
- 1695):
“First Annotation of Poetical Works.”
- (1698):
“Collected Prose Works.”
Marriage:
May or June 1642 to Mary Powell. (died 1652)
November 1656 to Katherine Woodcock. (died 1658). February 1663
to Elizabeth Minshull.
Places of Interest:
LONDON:
British Library, St. Pancras
Date and Place of Death:
8th November 1674, Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire,
England.
Age at Death:
66.
Site of Grave:
St. Gile's Church Without Cripplegate, London
Wall, London, England.
