In his work, Why Milton Matters: A Preface to His Writings, Joseph Wittreich focuses in on John Milton’s last poems: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regain’d, and Samson Agonistes, in order to demonstrate Milton’s influence on society through Milton’s unorthodox, yet brilliant, style of writing that transcends both time and borders. This can be seen in how Wittreich cites to the fact that Milton’s poems have been adopted by a wide variety of nationalities and cultures ever since their release in the seventeenth century. For example, Paradise Lost was influential in directing Malcom X toward Islam, in providing ideas for democracy to “the so-called great generation”, and in teaching Cold War America about the evil empires of the world. Using these varying examples, Wittreich argues how Milton’s poems are structured to have a multitude of possible interpretations as opposed to those of hermeneutical traditions which use monologic discourse to bring about fixed interpretations. Wittreich supports this claim by demonstrating that Milton himself imbued his poems with the concept of interpretation, in how he repeatedly accentuates the differences in interpretation between his characters. For example, Wittreich cites to how even the angels in Paradise Lost, let alone man, interpreted God’s decree of the Son as “Second to God” whereas God’s intended interpretation was of the Son as “Equal to God”. Similarly, even Milton’s narrator acts as an interpreter who uses his limited “moralistic and prophetic” perspective to convey an intended, yet biased, meaning. Therefore, Wittreich shows that by demonstrating the varying perspectives of his characters, Milton motivates his readers to analyze his poetry through their own interpretation, yet, while keeping in mind the limit of their own perspective. In doing so, Wittreich explains how the multitude of varying interpretations may lead to “a drama of ideas” that can ultimately make the world a better place.

            Wittreich goes on to explain how Milton not only intended to bring about a spirit of interpretation but to also purposefully input contradictions that lead to different interpretations. In agreement with Mary Ann Radzinowicz, Wittreich contends that for Milton, the “Scripture is a datum for interpretation and not a set of given precedents” and how by inputting subtle contradictions into his work, Milton paved way for a plethora of interpretations to be discovered. For example, Wittreich references Adam and Eve’s conversation in Book 4 where Adam brings out a feminist perspective whereas Eve a masculine one. In particular, Adam’s language describes Eve as being his equal in his statement that God “Conferrd upon us [both Adam and Eve], and Dominion giv’n over all other creatures”. On the other hand, Eve’s language is masculinist (“a Pualine interpretation”), in which Eve refers to Adam as her “Author and Disposer” and how she is intrinsically inferior to him. Similarly, Wittreich brings up the contradiction in Books 7 and 8 where Raphael follows the Genesis 1 account of Creation whereas Adam follows that of Genesis 2, thus tying in the Ptolemaic and Copernican rivaling explanations of cosmology. Wittreich explains that Milton purposefully inserted these contradictions in Paradise Lost as a reflection of the debates of sexism and cosmology that were raging through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By integrating such contradictions into the scriptural stories, Milton was able to “interrogate…[the] commonplaces of his culture” in order to express them as interpretations, not dogma, and therefore bring them up to debate.

            In his argument for why Milton matters, Wittreich explains how Milton’s last poems take on a transcendent nature in how they simultaneously express the various contradictions and interpretations that shaped seventeenth century culture and act as a medium for resolving those conflicts in the future. By bringing forth opposing views in his poems, Milton transforms his writings into “battlegrounds for a culture’s contending viewpoints” in order to provoke future generations to debate and come to the proper conclusions. Wittreich explains that without such debates, there can be no progression in society and therefore having “no paradise” result from Milton’s poems. As a result, Wittreich calls Milton as the poet of the twenty-first century in how Milton’s progressive mindset acts as a framework for future criticism and the enrichment of society.

            Altogether, while Wittreich mentions how Milton’s work ran into a period of criticism that attempted to silence his vision and downplay his artistic contradictions, Wittreich accentuates the importance of Milton’s work and the necessity to expose Milton’s poems to future generations. In doing so, Wittreich believes how future generations may similarly come to new interpretations that when put up to debate may bring humanity one step closer to paradise.

            Although Wittreich provides a superb argument and analysis of Milton’s poems, there may be certain points on which he could have elaborated. For example, Wittreich may have expanded on Milton’s use of contradiction by juxtaposing Adam and Eve’s interactions in Book 9 and 10 of Paradise Lost; a more conspicuous example. In Book 9, before the Fall, Milton presents a feminist perspective in which Adam treats Eve as his equal and Eve presents a sense of autonomy that is separate from Adam. This can be specifically seen through Eve’s desire to work independently and her debate with Adam to allow for her to do so. While Milton had the option to use patriarchal language to describe this encounter, Milton instead had Adam reason with Eve about the dangers of her decision as if she were his equal. Furthermore, at the end of the discussion, Adam responds: “Go, for thy stay, not free” indicating how Adam believed it wrong to force Eve to submit to his commands. Similarly, after realizing that Eve had been doomed for her sin, Adam lovingly chooses to suffer with Eve instead of allowing for her to die alone. Through Adams actions, Milton once again infuses a sense of equality between Adam and Eve in how Adam sacrificed himself to remain equal with Eve; something he would likely not have done for an inferior. On the other hand, in Book 10 after the Fall, Milton quickly shifts to a masculinist perspective in which Adam no longer perceives Eve as his equal and where Eve herself becomes submissive to Adam. Milton makes this clear in how he describes Eve “at his [Adams] feet submissive in distress” and being “his [Adams] aide” as opposed to being on Adams level. By linking feminist and masculine hermeneutics to the transmission from paradise to loss, Milton uses these contradictions to accentuate the sexism prominent in his culture in hopes to invoke further debate that can ultimately dissolve such sexism. Fortunately, with progression through time, some of Milton’s messages have been a driving force for the equality of the sexes, yet as Wittreich may argue, need to be further exposed to bring about progressive reform.

1. Were there any other contradictions that were evident in Paradise Lost that aim to resolve a greater issue?
2. Would Milton’s method be affective in helping todays generation discover new interpretations which lead to further social reform?
3. Is it more effective for a writer to directly state a point of view or to incorporate hidden logic that must be discovered?