The Complete Poems

by John Milton

  create another world and other creatures to dwell therein;

  5 sends his Son with glory and attendance of angels to perform

  the work of Creation in six days: the angels celebrate with

  hymns the performance thereof, and his reascension into

  Heaven.

  Descend from Heav’n Urania, by that name

  If rightly thou art called, whose voice divine

  Following, above th’ Olympian hill I soar,

  Above the flight of Pegasean wing.

  5 The meaning, not the name I call: for thou

  Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top

  Of old Olympus dwell’st, but Heav’nly born,

  Before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed,

  Thou with eternal Wisdom didst converse,

  10 Wisdom thy sister, and with her didst play

  In presence of th’ Almighty Father, pleased

  With thy celestial song. Up led by thee

  Into the Heav’n of Heav’ns I have presumed,

  An earthly guest, and drawn empyreal air,

  15 Thy temp’ring; with like safety guided down

  Return me to my native element:

  Lest from this flying steed unreined, (as once

  Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)

  Dismounted, on th’ Aleian field I fall

  20 Erroneous there to wander and forlorn.

  Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound

  Within the visible diurnal sphere;

  Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole,

  More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchanged

  25 To hoarse or mute, though fall’n on evil days,

  On evil days though fall’n, and evil tongues;

  In darkness, and with dangers compassed round,

  And solitude; yet not alone, while thou

  Visit’st my slumbers nightly, or when Morn

  30 Purples the east: still govern thou my song,

  Urania, and fit audience find, though few.

  But drive far off the barbarous dissonance

  Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race

  Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard

  35 In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears

  To rapture, till the savage clamour drowned

  Both harp and voice; nor could the Muse defend

  Her son. So fail not thou, who thee implores:

  For thou art Heav’nly, she an empty dream.

  40 Say Goddess, what ensued when Raphael,

  The affable Archangel, had forewarned

  Adam by dire example to beware

  Apostasy, by what befell in Heaven

  To those apostates, lest the like befall

  45 In Paradise to Adam or his race,

  Charged not to touch the interdicted Tree,

  If they transgress, and slight that sole command,

  So easily obeyed amid the choice

  Of all tastes else to please their appetite,

  50 Though wand’ring. He with his consorted Eve

  The story heard attentive, and was filled

  With admiration, and deep muse to hear

  Of things so high and strange, things to their thought

  So unimaginable as hate in Heav’n,

  55 And war so near the peace of God in bliss

  With such confusion: but the evil soon

  Driv’n back redounded as a flood on those

  From whom it sprung, impossible to mix

  With blessedness. Whence Adam soon repealed

  60 The doubts that in his heart arose: and now

  Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know

  What nearer might concern him, how this world

  Of heav’n and earth conspicuous first began,

  When, and whereof created, for what cause,

  65 What within Eden or without was done

  Before his memory, as one whose drouth

  Yet scarce allayed still eyes the current stream,

  Whose liquid murmur heard new thirst excites,

  Proceeded thus to ask his Heav’nly guest.

  70 Great things and full of wonder in our ears,

  Far differing from this world, thou hast revealed

  Divine interpreter, by favour sent

  Down from the Empyrean to forewarn

  Us timely of what might else have been our loss,

  75 Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach:

  For which to the infinitely Good we owe

  Immortal thanks, and his admonishment

  Receive with solemn purpose to observe

  Immutably his sov’reign will, the end

  80 Of what we are. But since thou hast vouchsafed

  Gently for our instruction to impart

  Things above earthly thought, which yet concerned

  Our knowing, as to highest Wisdom seemed,

  Deign to descend now lower, and relate

  85 What may no less perhaps avail us known,

  How first began this heav’n which we behold

  Distant so high, with moving fires adorned

  Innumerable, and this which yields or fills

  All space, the ambient air wide interfused

  90 Embracing round this florid earth; what cause

  Moved the Creator in his holy rest

  Through all eternity so late to build

  In Chaos, and the work begun, how soon

  Absolved, if unforbid thou may’st unfold

  95 What we, not to explore the secrets ask

  Of his eternal empire, but the more

  To magnify his works, the more we know.

  And the great light of day yet wants to run

  Much of his race though steep, suspense in heav’n

  100 Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he hears,

  And longer will delay to hear thee tell

  His generation, and the rising birth

  Of Nature from the unapparent deep:

  Or if the star of ev’ning and the moon

  105 Haste to thy audience, night with her will bring

  Silence, and sleep list’ning to thee will watch,

  Or we can bid his absence, till thy song

  End, and dismiss thee ere the morning shine.

  Thus Adam his illustrious guest besought:

  110 And thus the godlike angel answered mild.

  This also thy request with caution asked

  Obtain: though to recount Almighty works

  What words or tongue of Seraph can suffice,

  Or heart of man suffice to comprehend?

  115 Yet what thou canst attain, which best may serve

  To glorify the Maker, and infer

  Thee also happier, shall not be withheld

  Thy hearing, such commission from above

  I have received, to answer thy desire

  120 Of knowledge within bounds; beyond abstain

  To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope

  Things not revealed, which th’ invisible King,

  Only omniscient, hath suppressed in night,

  To none communicable in earth or Heaven:

  125 Enough is left besides to search and know.

  But knowledge is as food, and needs no less

  Her temperance over appetite, to know

  In measure what the mind may well contain,

  Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns

  130 Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind.

  Know then, that after Lucifer from Heav’n

  (So call him, brighter once amidst the host

  Of angels, than that star the stars among)

  Fell with his flaming legions through the deep

  135 Into his place, and the great Son returned

  Victorious with his saints, th’ Omnipotent

  Eternal Father from his throne beheld

  Their multitude, and to his Son thus spake.

  At least our envious Foe hath failed, who thought

 
140 All like himself rebellious, by whose aid

  This inaccessible high strength, the seat

  Of Deity supreme, us dispossessed,

  He trusted to have seized, and into fraud

  Drew many, whom their place knows here no more;

  145 Yet far the greater part have kept, I see,

  Their station, Heav’n yet populous retains

  Number sufficient to possess her realms

  Though wide, and this high temple to frequent

  With ministeries due and solemn rites:

  150 But lest his heart exalt him in the harm

  Already done, to have dispeopled Heav’n,

  My damage fondly deemed, I can repair

  That detriment, if such it be to lose

  Self-lost, and in a moment will create

  155 Another world, out of one man a race

  Of men innumerable, there to dwell,

  Not here, till by degrees of merit raised

  They open to themselves at length the way

  Up hither, under long obedience tried,

  160 And earth be changed to Heav’n, and Heav’n to earth,

  One Kingdom, joy and union without end.

  Meanwhile inhabit lax, ye Powers of Heav’n,

  And thou my Word, begotten Son, by thee

  This I perform, speak thou, and be it done:

  165 My overshadowing Spirit and might with thee

  I send along, ride forth, and bid the deep

  Within appointed bounds be heav’n and earth;

  Boundless the deep, because I am who fill

  Infinitude, nor vacuous the space.

  170 Though I uncircumscribed myself retire,

  And put not forth my goodness, which is free

  To act or not, Necessity and Chance

  Approach not me, and what I will is Fate.

  So spake th’ Almighty, and to what he spake

  175 His Word, the filial Godhead, gave effect.

  Immediate are the acts of God, more swift

  Than time or motion, but to human ears

  Cannot without process of speech be told,

  So told as earthly notion can receive.

  180 Great triumph and rejoicing was in Heav’n

  When such was heard declared the Almighty’s will;

  Glory they sung to the Most High, good will

  To future men, and in their dwellings peace:

  Glory to him whose just avenging ire

  185 Had driven out th’ ungodly from his sight

  And th’ habitations of the just; to him

  Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordained

  Good out of evil to create, instead

  Of Spirits malign a better race to bring

  190 Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse

  His good to worlds and ages infinite.

  So sang the hierarchies: meanwhile the Son

  On his great expedition now appeared,

  Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned

  195 Of majesty divine, sapience and love

  Immense, and all his Father in him shone.

  About his chariot numberless were poured

  Cherub and Seraph, Potentates and Thrones,

  And Virtues, wingèd Spirits, and chariots winged,

  200 From the armoury of God, where stand of old

  Myriads between two brazen mountains lodged

  Against a solemn day, harnessed at hand,

  Celestial equipage; and now came forth

  Spontaneous, for within them Spirit lived,

  205 Attendant on their Lord: Heav’n opened wide

  Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound

  On golden hinges moving, to let forth

  The King of Glory in his powerful Word

  And Spirit coming to create new worlds.

  210 On Heav’nly ground they stood, and from the shore

  They viewed the vast immeasurable abyss

  Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild,

  Up from the bottom turned by furious winds

  And surging waves, as mountains to assault

  215 Heav’n’s heighth, and with the centre mix the pole.

  Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep, peace

  Said then th’ omnific Word, your discord end:

  Nor stayed, but on the wings of Cherubim

  Uplifted, in paternal glory rode

  220 Far into Chaos, and the world unborn;

  For Chaos heard his voice: him all his train

  Followed in bright procession to behold

  Creation, and the wonders of his might.

  Then stayed the fervid wheels, and in his hand

  225 He took the golden compasses, prepared

  In God’s eternal store, to circumscribe

  This universe, and all created things:

  One foot he centred, and the other turned

  Round through the vast profundity obscure,

  230 And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds,

  This be thy just circumference, O world.

  Thus God the heav’n created, thus the earth,

  Matter unformed and void: darkness profound

  Covered th’ abyss: but on the wat’ry calm

  235 His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread,

  And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth

  Throughout the fluid mass, but downward purged

  The black tartareous cold infernal dregs

  Adverse to life: then founded, then conglobed

  240 Like things to like, the rest to several place

  Disparted, and between spun out the air,

  And earth self-balanced on her centre hung.

  Let there be light, said God, and forthwith light

  Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure

  245 Sprung from the deep, and from her native east

  To journey through the airy gloom began,

  Sphered in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun

  Was not; she in a cloudy tabernacle

  Sojourned the while. God saw the light was good;

  250 And light from darkness by the hemisphere

  Divided: light the day, and darkness night

  He named. Thus was the first day ev’n and morn:

  Nor passed uncelebrated, nor unsung

  By the celestial choirs, when orient light

  255 Exhaling first from darkness they beheld;

  Birthday of heav’n and earth; with joy and shout

  The hollow universal orb they filled,

  And touched their golden harps, and hymning praised

  God and his works; Creator him they sung,

  260 Both when first ev’ning was, and when first morn.

  Again, God said, let there be firmament

  Amid the waters, and let it divide

  The waters from the waters: and God made

  The firmament, expanse of liquid, pure,

  265 Transparent, elemental air, diffused

  In circuit to the uttermost convéx

  Of this great round: partition firm and sure,

  The waters underneath from those above

  Dividing: for as earth, so he the world

  270 Built on circumfluous waters calm, in wide

  Crystálline ocean, and the loud misrule

  Of Chaos far removed, lest fierce extremes

  Contiguous might distemper the whole frame:

  And heav’n he named the firmament: so ev’n

  275 And morning chorus sung the second day.

  The earth was formed, but in the womb as yet

  Of waters, embryon immature involved,

  Appeared not: over all the face of earth

  Main ocean flowed, not idle, but with warm

  280 Prolific humour soft’ning all her globe,

  Fermented the Great Mother to conceive,

  Satiate with genial moisture, when God said

  Be gathered now ye waters under heav’n

  Into one place, and
let dry land appear.

  285 Immediately the mountains huge appear

  Emergent, and their broad bare backs upheave

  Into the clouds, their tops ascend the sky:

  So high as heaved the tumid hills, so low

  Down sunk a hollow bottom broad and deep,

  290 Capacious bed of waters: thither they

  Hasted with glad precipitance, uprolled

  As drops on dust conglobing from the dry;

  Part rise in crystal wall, or ridge direct,

  For haste; such flight the great command impressed

  295 On the swift floods: as armies at the call

  Of trumpet (for of armies thou hast heard)

  Troop to their standard, so the wat’ry throng,

  Wave rolling after wave, where way they found,

  If steep, with torrent rapture, if through plain,

  300 Soft-ebbing; nor withstood them rock or hill,

  But they, or under ground, or circuit wide

  With serpent error wand’ring, found their way,

  And on the washy ooze deep channels wore;

  Easy, ere God had bid the ground be dry.

  305 All but within those banks, where rivers now

  Stream, and perpetual draw their humid train.

  The dry land, earth, and the great receptacle

  Of congregated waters he called seas:

  And saw that it was good, and said, Let th’ earth

  310 Put forth the verdant grass, herb yielding seed,

  And fruit tree yielding fruit after her kind;

  Whose seed is in herself upon the earth.

  He scarce had said, when the bare earth, till then

  Desert and bare, unsightly, unadorned,

  315 Brought forth the tender grass, whose verdure clad

  Her universal face with pleasant green,

  Then herbs of every leaf, that sudden flow’red

  Op’ning their various colours, and made gay

  Her bosom smelling sweet: and these scarce blown,

  320 Forth flourished thick the clust’ring vine, forth crept

  The swelling gourd, up stood the corny reed

  Embattled in her field: and the humble shrub,

  And bush with frizzled hair implicit: last

  Rose as in dance the stately trees, and spread

  325 Their branches hung with copious fruit; or gemmed

  Their blossoms: with high woods the hills were crowned,

  With tufts the valleys and each fountain side,

  With borders long the rivers. That earth now

  Seemed like to Heav’n, a seat where gods might dwell,

  330 Or wander with delight, and love to haunt

  Her sacred shades: though God had yet not rained

  Upon the earth, and man to till the ground

  None was, but from the earth a dewy mist

  Went up and watered all the ground, and each

  335 Plant of the field, which ere it was in the earth