[Milton-L] Nigel Smith's Milton in Time Magazine

[Carol Barton]

I can only give you Walt Kelly in answer, then, Beth: "We have met the 
enemy, and he is us."

Taylor seems injudicious in a number of respects. If he disagreed with 
Nigel Smith, well and good: so do I. But someone who knows firsthand 
what is happening to the canon in the anti-intellectual, 
politically-correct, pandering-to-special-interest environment in 
which we all now live should know better than to respond the way he 
did. He didn't have to dismiss Milton to defend Shakespeare--he merely 
had to point out, as I did a few minutes ago, that the analogy was a 
false one, and that the conclusion that resulted from it was equally 
flawed.

Milton is better than Shakespeare at what he does, and the reverse is 
also true. Why (so unnecessarily) provide fodder for those who would 
gleefully remove them both from the curriculum in a heartbeat, given 
half a chance?

Best to all,

Carol Barton