Listen&Learn: Paradise Lost

Learn about the epic poem that retells a famous biblical story.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• epic poem: a long narrative poem with a large-scale storyline
• theological: relating to the study of religion
• dictate: to tell someone what to write down
• salvation: the process of being saved, especially by a religious figure
• free will: the ability to make your own choices
• morality: the set of values that determine what is “good” and what is “evil”
• interpretation: a belief about a story’s message

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Paradise Lost is an epic poem by English writer John Milton. It is viewed as one of the most important works of Christian theological literature. Paradise Lost was originally published in ten books in 1667. Milton, who was , wrote the work by dictating to a scribe. The epic retells the biblical story of Satan’s banishment from , as well as mankind’s and salvation. Paradise Lost is famous for its mastery of the form and of classical epics, but also for raising interesting questions about free will. Although it was intended as a Christian work, the morality of Paradise Lost has led to many different interpretations of its meaning.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Paradise Lost is
   a. a play
   b. a novel
   c. an epic poem
   
2. The biblical story that Paradise Lost tells is
   a. the banishment of Satan and fall of mankind
   b. the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ
   c. the story of Noah and the flood
   
3. The form and style of Paradise Lost take inspiration from
   a. medieval romances
   b. classical epics
   c. parables from the Bible

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you think that humans have free will? Why or why not?
2. What can literature teach us about morality? Are there any important lessons you have learned from stories?

Transcript

Paradise Lost is an epic poem by English writer John Milton. It is viewed as one of the most important works of Christian theological literature. Paradise Lost was originally published in ten books in 1667. Milton, who was blind, wrote the work by dictating to a scribe. The epic retells the biblical story of Satan’s banishment from heaven, as well as mankind’s fall and salvation. Paradise Lost is famous for its mastery of the form and style of classical epics, but also for raising interesting questions about free will. Although it was intended as a Christian work, the complex morality of Paradise Lost has led to many different interpretations of its meaning.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2a 3b