An Elemental Summary of Paradise Lost

A few months ago I dashed off a brief note (HERE) on William Poole's Milton and the Making of Paradise Lost.

As I said then, it is a good book.  I'll have more to say about it in future. In the meantime, here is Dr. Poole's elemental summary of the plot:

Paradise Lost (twelve books; 7-8 and 11-12 were the original Books 7 and 10).

 1.      Hell: Satan and his troops in defeat.

 2.      Hell: the devil’s assembly and Satan’s journey.

 3.      Heaven: Divine theology; the approach of Satan to Eden.

 4.      Eden: Adam and Eve; Eve recounts her creation; Gabriel challenges Satan.

 5.      Eden: Eve’s dream; the arrival of Raphael; Raphael’s narration of the revolt.

 6.      Eden: Raphael continues: the War in Heaven.

 7.      Eden: Raphael continues; the Creation.

 8.      Eden: Raphael and Adam discuss astronomy; Adam recounts his creation.

 9.      Eden: Temptation and Fall.

 10.  Heaven: God sends his Son to Eden; Hell: Satan’s return; Eden: recriminations, followed by repentance.

 11.  Heaven: God’s judgments; Eden: the arrival of Michael; the vision of history (up to Flood).

 12.  Eden: The vision of history (Flood to Second Coming); Expulsion.

Source: William Poole, Milton and the Making of Paradise Lost, Harvard UP, 2017, p.115.