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

[Michael Bryson]

I don't see how it is possible that the theme of
laboring atthe gods in Genesis, and in NME "tells us nothing about the nature of labor in
Milton's a vacuum--he is at least awarelabor in Genesis 1 (worldwide) and in Genesis 2
(limit(again worldwide, but this timwas not aware, in the way that we are, of the widerNME context, but I do not see what is to be gained
by pretending that *least, even for those who argue for labor in PL"easy, pleasant, and creative," such awareness can
inform arguments *is not*.

And for me, since I way, the wider context provides a framewowhich to think about, not just Milton's Paradise,
but constructionpostdate Milton's (particularly from a postcolonial perspective...). The idea of humans
being created for the ugods is easily found in bodies of non-Biblicamyth with which we know Milton was familiar, as are
the ideas of man bgods through agricultural labor and sacridenying (or attempting to deny) man knowledge, and
denying man immsomething about Milton's work, either (influence on or by) or indirectly (larger context
in which the
That is, anyway, how I see it.
Michael Bryson

---- Original message ----

  Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:19:54 -0400
  From:  Subject: Re: [Milton-  queries on JM's aesthetics
  To: milton-l  >If the Genesis account does   earlier myths where humans
  >are put to labor f  that tells us nothing about
  >the natur  tend the garden for their own<  keep the paths open (9.244-46) so they may gather
  foo  >beauty, and be amused by the animals, and to
  enhance the  >fruits and flowers. The labor is not onerous, but
    >variety to their days. Perhaps the most deta  iled description of labor
  >actually in progress is here:
  ><b  >Veiled in a cloud of fragrance,  9. 425
  >Half-spied, so thick the roses  >About her glowed, oft stooping to support
  >E  gay
  >Carnation, pur  >Hung drooping unsustained. Them  >Gently with myrtle band, mindless the  >Herself, though fairest unsupported flower,
  >>Fro  >Nearer he drew, and ma  >Of stateliest covert, cedar, pine, or palm;   >Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen
  >Amo  >Imbordered on each bank, the  >Spot more delicious than those gardens feigned
  &  >Alcin  >Or that, not mystic, where the  >Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse.
  &g  >Obviously, as Jeff Theis says, the text presents
  this work as   >pleasant, and creative-- Eve can already enjoy
  the results   >the "flowers / Imbordered on each bank, the hand
  o  >
  >Michael G.
  >
  >
  >
  >On 6/2  <jtheis at salemstate.edu> wrote:
  &  >
  >>
  >> As for horticultural labor being an  task and your sarcastic
  >> dismissal of my argument th  focus one's mind in a way
  >> that leads to kn  think that you are
  >> fundamentally o  stating that labor was not a
  >> pun  human sin, and it was good.<br  list who are interested in a larger discussion   of the
  >> merits of gardening labor might wish to read
  the firs  >> of Robert Pogue Harrison's *Gardens: An E  on the Human Condition*
  >> (Chicago UP, 2008).
  >>  >> Michael, you may believe that Milton fails in
  this attempt  >> labor as a positive act, or you may not like
  his   >> different things. My sense is that yo  better argument against
  >> labor if you just focus on   of his being sent to guard
  >> Hell in Book 8   to apply a Marxist
  >> critique o  >>
  >> Regards,
  >>
  >> Jeff  >>
  >
  >
  >
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