[Milton-L] Satan's Size in Paradise Lost

[Peter C. Herman]

Well thank god a few people finally told this putz to shut up!

pch

At 04:38 PM 9/27/2008, you wrote:
>Dear J,
>Although the article does not deal exclusively with size, per se, Peter
>Herman's "Warring Chains of Signifiers: Metaphoric Ambivalence and the
>Politics of Paradise Lost" in Texas Studies in Literature and Language,
>Vol. 40, 1998 discusses Briareous in the context of Milton's epic similes.
>In fact there might be something to Milton specifically not mentioning
>Satan's enormity (moral state) in addition to his immenseness (physical
>state).
>Michael
>
>
> > Paradise Lost, Book I, 192-210
> >
> > Thus Satan talking to his neerest Mate [ 192 ]
> > With Head up-lift above the wave, and Eyes
> > That sparkling blaz'd, his other Parts besides
> > Prone on the Flood, extended long and large [ 195 ]
> > Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge
> > As whom the Fables name of monstrous size,
> > Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove,
> > Briareos or Typhon, whom the Den
> > By ancient Tarsus held, or that Sea-beast [ 200 ]
> > Leviathan, which God of all his works
> > Created hugest that swim th' Ocean stream:
> > Him haply slumbring on the Norway foam
> > The Pilot of some small night-founder'd Skiff,
> > Deeming some Island, oft, as Sea-men tell, [ 205 ]
> > With fixed Anchor in his skaly rind
> > Moors by his side under the Lee, while Night
> > Invests the Sea, and wished Morn delayes:
> > So stretcht out huge in length the Arch-fiend lay
> > Chain'd on the burning Lake [Š] [210]
> >
> >
> >
> > When I read this passage, I follow the Œobvious¹ strands of Satan¹s size:
> > ..
> > ³long and large² ³many a rood² ³bulk² ³huge² ³monstrous size² ³hugest²
> > ³huge
> > in length²
> >
> > I feel that Milton, in referencing the Leviathan, tipped his hat somewhat
> > at
> > the irrelevancy of Satan¹s size in relation that of God by specifically
> > noting, ³...which God of all his works created hugest...² [201,202].
> >
> > I would like to discuss Milton¹s use of Satan¹s size from Book I, and how
> > it
> > diminishes throughout the subsequent books. And also to what purpose(s)
> > the
> > function of Satan¹s size served in within the poem.
> >
> > If anyone is interested in discussing this, please do. I find this one of
> > the more compelling components of ŒParadise Lost¹ and I feel it¹s
> > virtually
> > ignored in many published analysis¹ that I¹ve read.
> >
> > J
> >
> >
> >
> >
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