"Epigram on Milton" by John Dryden
Three Poets, in three distant Ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn.
The First in loftiness of thought surpassed;
The Next in Majesty; in both the Last.
The force of Nature could no farther go:
To make a third she joined the former two.
(The three poets are Homer, Virgil, and Milton)
What are the points Dryden is trying to make about Milton?
What do you gather from this?
To make a third she joined the former two.
I don't know who "she" is (Milton?), but I assume that means she was influenced by Homer and Virgil.
she = "force of Nature"
So Dryden's saying that Homer surpassed Virgil in loftiness and Virgil surpassed Homer in majesty (isn't this the same as loftiness?) ? I'm not sure what "in both the Last" and "The force of Nature could no farther go" mean. I guess the last line means Homer and Virgil were metaphorically combined to form Milton.
So Dryden's saying that Homer surpassed Virgil in loftiness and Virgil surpassed Homer in majesty (isn't this the same as loftiness?) No I don't think they're the same -- and don't leave anything out; it's "loftiness of thought." Use a good dictionary to make sure you know all the possible meanings of words in here. http://www.onelook.com or http://www.answers.com
I'm not sure what "in both the Last" <~~both qualities are in the Last (Milton)?? and "The force of Nature could no farther go" mean.<~~Nature couldn't improve on either of those guys, but she could put the qualities of those men into Milton. ?? I guess the last line means Homer and Virgil were metaphorically combined to form Milton. <~~I agree.
In his poem "Epigram on Milton," John Dryden makes several points about the English poet John Milton. Let's analyze the poem to understand these points:
First, Dryden mentions that three poets from different ages and countries have adorned the literary world: Greece, Italy, and England. This sets the context for the poem and the comparison that follows.
Next, Dryden characterizes each of these three poets. He describes the first poet, which represents Homer, as surpassing all others in loftiness of thought. This means that Homer excelled in expressing profound and elevated ideas in his poetry.
Dryden then refers to the second poet, representing Virgil from Italy, as excelling in majesty. This implies that Virgil's poetry is characterized by a sense of grandeur and dignity.
Finally, Dryden brings our attention to the last poet, who represents Milton from England. He states that Milton combines the qualities of the first two poets, surpassing them. Dryden suggests that Milton's poetry not only possesses loftiness of thought but also majesty, making him a unique and exceptional poet.
The final couplet of the poem expresses Dryden's admiration for Milton, attributing his poetic genius to a combination of the forces of nature. Dryden implies that Milton's abilities go beyond what could be expected from a single poet, as if nature combined the talents of the first two great poets in order to create Milton.
In summary, Dryden's points about Milton in "Epigram on Milton" emphasize his exceptional qualities as a poet, combining the loftiness of thought of Homer and the majesty of Virgil while surpassing both.