Paradise Is Well and Truly Lost—Lily Caswell

 In Book 11, we see the angel Michael coming to tell Adam and Eve that they must leave Eden because of the sin they have committed. Michael says that “To remove thee I am come / And send thee from the garden forth to till / The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil.” (Book 11, lines 259-262) Milton writes that Adam could not say a word because he was so shocked. Eve on the other hand says, “O! unexpected stroke worse than of death! / Must I leave thee, Paradise? Thus leave / Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades, / Fit haunt of gods, where I had hope to spend / Quiet though sad the respite of that day / That must be mortal to us both?” (Book 11, lines 268-273) To which Michael responds with “Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign / What justly thou hast lost nor set thy heart / Thus over-fond on that which is not thine.” (Book 11, lines 287-289)

This is the part where I believe Adam and Eve truly realized the consequences of what they had done; they had sinned and must suffer the subsequent punishment, hard though it may be. The Paradise that they thought they would keep was now lost to them forever.

I commented on Emory’s and Samantha’s posts.

Comments

  1. Ian BlairSeptember 28, 2021 at 7:26 AM

    The moment we truly understand the gravity of a certain situation often leads to us having a strong reaction on either end of the "fight or flight" spectrum, so Adam's despair is understandable, if not completely relatable. But I think that's what Milton was trying to convey, the fact that this was an unprecedented act in man's time in existence makes it hard to connect to just how much emotional turmoil Adam must be feeling. Good post!

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  2. Ashlyn ScismSeptember 28, 2021 at 10:42 AM

    I agree with both your post and Ian’s comment. I can not count the number of times I have been in a similar situation. When I do something I know is wrong but I do not fully grasp the consequences until they hit me. Then I am left in shock not because I did not know there would be consequences but instead because I did not understand the weight of them.

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