John Milton Complete Shorter P: With Original Spelling and Punctuation

"A splendid student edition. Remarkably fresh and uncluttered, it offers strong historical context as well as specific linguistic guidance for the modern reader. Priority goes to the poetry and the decision to return to original spelling proves no hindrance but rather seems to deepen the reader's engagement with the texts. Universally hailed as one of the greatest poets of the English language, John Milton bequeathed an unrivalled body of work to the modern world. While best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, Milton's literary brilliance encompassed all manner of verse forms, including the ode, mask, short epic and classical drama. Milton, Complete Shorter Poems is the first critical edition to present his poems in their original form -- with all the intricacies of Milton's language intact. Original spelling and punctuation have been carefully maintained, and the poems' rhythms and cadences, often lost in modernized versions, are made accessible. Readers finally have the opportunity to experience the richness and vitality of Milton's works just as they were received by his contemporaries. Included are Milton's complete collection of 1645 Poems, with the English poems reproduced in the order in which Milton arranged them in 1645, followed by his Latin poems with new English translations easily accessible on facing pages. Also featured are Milton's two great works that appeared together in 1671, Paradise Regained; and the poetic drama modeled on classical Greek tragedy, Samson Agonistes. The addition of invaluable, non-intrusive footnotes, marginal glosses, and insightful introductions by noted Milton scholar Stella Revard will serve to illuminate the wealth of Milton's literary allusions and greatly enhance the reader's appreciation of his genius. Together, this new volume is a crucial addition to Milton scholarship and a fitting tribute to mark the occasion of the four-hundredth anniversary of the great poet’s birth in 1608. An important and innovative edition of Milton's shorter verse & the first volume to present the poems with the original spelling and pronunciations intact, offering readers the opportunity to experience the vitality of the poems as they were experienced by Milton's contemporaries: Includes Milton's original Latin poems, with a new English translation on facing pages for cross-comparison Serves as a companion to Lewalski's Paradise Lost and Loewenstein's prose selections of Milton Features both collected and uncollected poetry in English, Latin, and Greek, the latter two with translations Retains original spelling and punctuation of Milton's 1645 Poems and his 1671 Paradise Regained and Sampson Agonistes Offers readers comprehensive footnotes, marginal glosses, chronology, bibliography, and longer discussions in introductions to sections

This edition contains all Milton's English poems with the exception of Paradise Lost, together with translations and texts of all his Latin, Italian and Greek poems. Since its first publication in 1968 John Carey's edition has established itself, together with Alastair Fowler's Paradise Lost (also published by Longman) as the standard edition of Milton's poetry for students and general readers alike. It has fuller explanatory notes than any other edition, and - a distinctive feature - a headnote to each poem to summarise the judgements and disagreements of modern critics. The headnotes of this updated Complete Shorter Poems concisely abstract some 700 articles and 70 books that, since 1968, have augmented the scholarly and critical debate about the greatest of England's non-dramatic poets. The result is not just an edition but a clear succinct guide through the rich but bewildering profusion of modern Milton scholarship.