[Milton-L] Milton and Gardens: queries on JM's aesthetics

[Alexandra Dimakos]

Hi Susan,

Your statement "I am not certain of the roots but "Paradise" might come from
'walled garden.' " sparked my curiosity as I have been recently researching
and writing about this idea.

I've found that in Michael Lieb's article "'Holy Place': A Reading of
Paradise Lost" that "the Renaissance understanding of the 'paradise' itself
-- *pairidaeza *formed on* pairi *('around') and* diz *('to mould,' ''to
form') -- not only as a 'park' or 'pleasure ground' but also, significantly,
as an 'enclosure' or a 'place walled in''" (135)*.*

I also wanted to address Michael's idea or question: "As to why the whole
Garden needs to be fenced off from the rest of the world."

Although there are many theories, it seems to me that Eden is fenced off
because it is meant from keeping Adam and Eve from leaving. I understand
that many will say that the wall is meant to keep Satan out of the garden.
But, does it work? Satan doesn't  have much trouble "jumping the fence" and
entering into Eden. If the walls are there to protect Adam and Eve, they do
not serve them well.

In contrast, the walls are meant to keep a curious Adam from exploring the
outside world. Raphael tells Adam in Book IIX:


Dream not of other Worlds, what Creatures there

Live, in what state, condition or degree,

Contented that thus far hath been reveal’d
Not of Earth only but of highest Heav’n. (8:166-78)


The walls may also serve this purpose: to keep Adam from exploring the
"other Worlds" that lay beyond Eden. Also there is only one Gate that leads
in and out of Eden, but Adam and Eve are only allowed to cross that
threshold when they are expelled from their home. They are never told they
can freely enter and exit Eden at their leisure. There is a great sense of
control that stems from these walls and this one gate.



On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 12:39 PM, Susan Allison <jbase484 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am not certain of the roots but "Paradise" might come from "walled
> garden." Of course that is not the only reason but "Paradise" may have
> retained that meaning.Susan
>
>
>
> As to why the whole Garden needs to be fenced off from the rest of the
> world, that’s an interesting question.
>
> Michael
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Milton-L mailing list
> Milton-L at lists.richmond.edu
> Manage your list membership and access list archives at
> http://lists.richmond.edu/mailman/listinfo/milton-l
>
> Milton-L web site: http://johnmilton.org/
>



-- 
Lecturer
English Department
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff St,
Northridge, CA 91330-8248
(818) 677-3434
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.richmond.edu/pipermail/milton-l/attachments/20090619/e37a5f37/attachment-0001.html