[Milton-L] Re: Test, Milton's Humor, and the OSF

[JD Fleming]

ok -- I can't resist. Funniest, in my (reading of the) book, is this whole section of 4, where S is sneaking up on A and E in various animal forms, like the coyote in the old hanna barbara cartoons -- not realizing that they have nothing to fear from any edenic creature, so he cd just as easily saunter straight up and plop down in their laps. the secrecy of S's advent, and the suspense predicated on it, is entirely, and absurdly, his. jdf

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sara van den Berg" <vandens at slu.edu>
To: "John Milton Discussion List" <milton-l at lists.richmond.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 8:57:24 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [Milton-L] Re: Test, Milton's Humor, and the OSF

Re: Milton's Humor

Perhaps the most intentional moment of humor occurs in P.L. 4, when
Milton describes how the creatures of the earth play before Adam and
Eve, especially how "th'unwieldy Elephant / To make them mirth us'd
all his might, and wreathd / His Lithe Proboscis" (4.345-47).  The
humor is countered by the lines Immediately following, in which Milton
describes "the Serpent sly insinuating," who "of his fatal guile /
Gave proof unheeded."

Sara
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-- 
James Dougal Fleming
Associate Professor
Department of English
Simon Fraser University

"das Fragwuerdige zu sehen"