English Literature

Of Friendship By Francis Bacon

Of Friendship By Francis Bacon Critical Analysis | Of Friendship Essay

Literature, Analysis, Critical Analysis, English Literature
Of Friendship By Francis Bacon
Of Friendship By Francis Bacon

Introduction

            Of Friendship is the masterpiece essay nicely written by Francis Bacon who is popularly known as an eminent essayist, thinker, scholar, and philosopher in English literature. He belongs to the Elizabethan age. This essay was first published in 1612 was very brief. The present version published in  1625, is practically a new composition much longer than the original version. The essay was actually written at the request of Bacon’s intimate friend “Toby Matthew”.

About Francis Bacon

            Francis Bacon was one of the most remarkable men of Literature and is popularly known as the Father of English Literature Essays. Being an essayist, he wrote a galaxy of essays on different issues. His some world famous essays are – Of Studies, Of Love, Of Hatred, of Death, Of Truth, Of Philosophy, Of Ambition, Of Beauty, and Of Custom and Education.

Analysis Of “Of Friendship”

            Francis Bacon begins Of Friendship with an anthropological statement from Aristotle,

 “Whatsoever is delighted in Solitude,
   is either a wild beast or a god.”

            Bacon posits that human nature demands company and social contact. Human beings and anyone who avoids such interactions is not doing justice to his natural state. Bacon does not criticize people who feel shy in a crowd and head for therefore seek isolation in the wild. Such people find great value in peace and it aids their mental processes to contemplate profound issues. Bacon points to philosophers like Epimenides the Canadian, Numa the Roman, Empedocles the Sicilian, and Apollonius of Tyana, who postulated theories unique to their age and contemporaries.

            Bacon attempts to differentiate between kinship and the general crowd. For him, there is a big difference between strangers of society and known friends.

“A Person can feel lonely in a crowd too.”

            Bacon uses a Latin adage which means that a big city is filled with great solitude. In a large city, people are separated and encamped in distinct areas that are difficult to bring closer together.

            These long distances cause separation between friends and relatives. Therefore, for cultivating friendship a small city or town is more conducive. In smaller towns, people live closer by and mingle a lot more regularly. Thus, these small cities have strong and united communities.

            According to Bacon, friendship demands the involvement of passions and feelings. They form the foundation of any friendship. Emotions are the threads that bind the hearts together.

A Cure For Ailing Heats

            Bacon points to the ailments of the heart that it suffers if it stops or in suffocate. A healthy heart required vigor and the same is provided by an intimate and friendly conversation with one’s pals. Patients take medicines for the liver spleen, lungs, brain, etc, but for the issues of hearts, the love and affection of a friend is the best cure.

Friendship Can be Bought

            The elite of society like kings and leaders are really adept at making friends. They understand the value of friendly ties with worthy people. The rich and the powerful often try to buy friendships with noble and influential people through gifts, badges of reverence, and their wealth, but such friends lack emotional attachment with their patron or benefactors.

History Teaches the Toughest

            Now Bacon comments on some of his theoretical examples. He says the Roman ruler Sylla gave Pompey the moniker of Great. However, Pompey divided Sylla as the setting sun while calling himself the rising sun of Roman Power.

            Similarly, Decimus Brutus gained Julius Ceasar’s friendship and became his most trusted advisor. His blind trust in Brutus caused Caesar’s final downfall.

            Bacon also gives the example of Agrippa and Augustus, Tiberius and Sejanus, Septimus Servers, and Plautianus.

            In this essay, Bacon addresses

Three fruits of Friendship

The First Fruits of Friendship

                        The Communication of a man’s self to his friend works two contrary effects, first, it redoubles his joy and second, it cuts his grief in halves. Because there is no doubt when a person imparts his joy to his friends, he joys more than others. However, when he imparts his grief, they become less. It is a fact that bodies become healthier upon natural actions such as joy and happiness.

The Second Fruit of Friendship

                        As the first fruit is for affection, the second fruit is for the understanding of things from different perspectives. Moreover, a friend is undoubtedly, a witty counselor. Sharing one’s problems with a friend is far more fruitful than a day’s meditation. A friend’s counsel always works when a person himself is not clear with his thoughts.

The Last and Third Fruit of Friendship

            The first two fruits help for peace in the affections and support of the judgment. The last fruit is like a pomegranate, full of many kernels. It helps in several ways and has manifold fruits in itself. There are many things that a man cannot do himself, and then a friend is an appropriate alternative.

Conclusion

            Thus, Of Friends bring a lot of ease in such difficult situations and helps break barriers of communication. Francis Bacon ends the essay by condemning an unsociable man without friends as an aloof being not fit to belong to society.

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Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock

The Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock | Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Summary

Literature, English Literature, Poem Analysis
Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock
Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock

Introduction

          The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock was T. S. Eliot’s first important publication and it has often been called the first masterpiece of Modernism in English Literature. Through this poem, Eliot presents the despair and passivity of a middle-aged man, Alfred J Prufrock. The poem was most probably written between 1910 and 1911.

T. S. Eliot originally entitled this poem Prufrock Among the Women. He changed the title to The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock before publishing the poem in a poetry magazine in 1915 (Ezra Pound). The pome is typically not of the 20th century but of all ages. It deals with the emotional frustration and despair, the hollowness of human beings living at any period in history. This poem is written in the form of a “Dramatic Monologue”.

About T. S. Eliot (As A Poet)

            Thoman Streams Eliot; most commonly known as T. S. Eliot, is one of the significant poets of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 for his contribution to modern poetry. When T. S. Eliot died, Robert Giroux wrote,

“The World become a lesser place.”

            In 1911 he wrote his first and most acclaimed poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The Waste Land, Ash Wednesday, Four Quarters, The Journey of the Magi, The Hollow Men, Morning at Widow, and The Hippopotamus are some of his good poems. He has also written seven plays.

The theme of the poem

          Social Anxiety, Lack of Spirituality, Loneliness, Love, Criticism Of the Modern age. Isolation and Mental instability is the theme of the Poem The Love Song by J. Alfred Prufrock.

The setting of the Poem

          The Setting of this poem is a big, dirty modern city. Here the poet does not mention any particular name of the city but it seems representative of other great cities of modern western civilization.

About The Title

          Originally the poem was entitled “Prufrock Among the Women” but later before his publication in poetry magazine, the title was changed to The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The title of the poem indicates a romantic love situation, it is used ironically by the poet. The name Prufrock has been derived from the name of a furniture dealer in St. Louis.

structure and Form

            This is a poem of about 132 lines and an epigraph of 6 lines taken from the Dante Divine Comedy. This love song by J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot is primarily written in free verse. This means that most lives do not follow a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern.

Love Song Poem Analysis

            In the poem, Eliot shows the sordid and aimless modern life. He shows the inner conflict duality, disintegration, and irresolution of the modern man. Eliot seems to say that modern life has been devoid of purpose and there is no spiritual direction. Juxtaposes the title it is an anti–romantic poem. It records Prufrock’s recoil from love rather than his engagement in love.

Prufrock is a middle-aged dandy who has seen much of the city life with its meaningless socializing and decadent values. He wants to make love with a Lady but he does not have the mental courage to disclose it. He is indecisive and passive, unable to take any initiative. His personal failure, together with his experience with life and society, makes him totally frustrated. He wants to get relief from such a situation by taking a walk-in city.

            Prufrock is not going to the lap of nature to breathe fresh air. Rather, his Journey would be in a half-deserted street on a foggy evening. The street is a half-deserted street because people leave the street in the evening and go to their homes. Again the streets are surrounded by cheap hotels and dirty restaurants. People spend their nights there but do not get proper rest and sleep.

The streets run in a winding course leading people to no destination. These winding streets are compared with a tedious argument. These lines are reflective of the protagonist’s state of mind. He is in a restless situation and he feels lonely and isolated. Yet he has no escape rotate to get rid of his isolation and boredom. Prufrock suffers from a lack of will and hesitation. He takes a decision that is immediately postponed and revised. Various thoughts crisscross his mind like the winding streets.

            Prufrock is timid and nervous lacking boldness. He is so paralyzed by his will that he himself does not dare to utter the Overwhelming Question of proposing to a Lady. He hesitates to offer his heart’s desire to the lady because he thinks that whatever he says to the lady will be answered by,

“That is not I meant at all/ That is not it at all.”

            Prufrock is a middle-aged dandy with some Physical limitations. He afraid that

“With a bold spot in the middle of my hair.”

            He is conscious that he is being aged as he says,

“I grow old. ….. I grow old……

            All through the poem Prufrock remains in his room. He is so infirm in will that she is ready for a hundred indecision, and for a hundred visions and revisions. It seems that while remaining in his room, he is content to imagine himself going through the streets. He wears clothes of the latest fashion to hide his age and to cover his boldness, yet he cannot gather the courage to offer his love.

            Prufrock’s timidity results from his experience with the society in which he lives. He is already known the hollowness and meaninglessness of his own life. He has also known the frivolity and artificiality of the women, as he says,

“For I have known them all already,
 known them all…”

            Although he feels an attraction to the lady, he is aware of their worthlessness. In this sense too, the poem is no praising song of love.

Conclusion

          Thus, the title of The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock neatly undermines the romantic association of Love Song with the ridiculous name Prufrock. The poem records the love wish of a man with neither the physical, vigor nor mental courage to propose love. Instead of depicting o the joy, bliss, and hope of Love, the poem reveals the helplessness and pathos of the protagonist. 

            Eliot very effectively portrays the pollution and shabbiness that are associated with modern city life. People are in decayed and sordid surroundings and leading hopeless life. The poet aptly reveals the boredom, loneliness, and frustration of modern society. Here the condition of Prufrock is symbolic of the condition of modern urbanized civilization. Thus, the title of the poem seems quite justified.

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Five Point Someone By Chetan Bhagat

Five Point Someone: What Not to do at IIT | Five Point Someone By Chetan Bhagat

Literature, English Literature, Indian Literature, Novel
Five Point Someone By Chetan Bhagat
Five Point Someone By Chetan Bhagat

Introduction

“Five Point someone is a story about wonders
 years of college – of friendship, love, and grades.”

            Five Point Someone is a novel written by Chetan Bhagat. It is the debut novel of Chetan Bhagat, set in the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in the period of 1991 to 1995. Through the novel author describes various facets of IIT life – the Academics, The Professors, Campus Life, and The Rat Race to get better grades.

This novel narrates the story of three IIT graduates and about their friendship and differences, study and enjoyment career and ambition, parental pressure and peer pressure and love. As the subtitle of the novel what not to do at IIT – suggests “This is not a book to teach you how to get into IIT or even how to live in college. In fact, it describes how screwed up things can get if you don’t think straight.” Chetan Bhagat points all that getting into IIT is not all that difficult as is made out to be. As he put it,

“If you can lock yourself in a room with books for two years and throws away the key, you can probably make it here”.

            It was published in 2004 and this book story was made into two films 3 Idiots in Bollywood and Nanban in Tamil.  

Characters of Five Point Someone

Hari Kumar

             Hari Kumar is the narrator of the story. He loves Neha Samir Cherian who is Mr. Cherian’s daughter. He is average in his study and seems confused but he keeps all three friends together.

Ryan Oberoi

            Ryan Oberoi is the son of rich parents. He hates his parents as he feels neglected by them. He wants to be an innovator. He likes science and discoveries and new ideas. He is an extremely friendly, caring, and loving person, he also loves making friends.

Alok Gupta

            Alok Gupta belongs to a typical lower Indian middle-class family, burdened with lots of expectations and responsibilities. His father is paralyzed and his mother teaches school as a biology teacher. He wants to get a good GPA so he can get a job and support his family.

MR. Cherian

            Mr. Cherian is the head of the IIT department. He is very strict and possessive about his daughter. He imposes his dreams on his son’s shoulder. Samir is his son and he commits suicide due to the pressure created by him.

Neha & Samir Cherian

            Neha Samir Cherian is Mr. Cherian’s daughter. She loves her brother a lot but is not alive. Samir meets an accident on a railway track. She falls in love with Hari Kumar.

Mr. Vira

            Mr. Vira works at the laboratory. He hires Ryan to work with him in the laboratory with just a salary of 2000 rupees.

Venkat

            Venkat is the topper of the class. He is very good student.

About Chetan Bhagat

            Chetan Bhagat is an Indian author, Columnist, and screenwriter. His novels are adapted into successful movies. Most of his views are focused on Youth and issues based on national development which occupies the most important part of society. He is one of the most successful authors and his novels awarded as best-selling novels. Chetan Bhagat has introduced some unique trends in Indian English Literature. He has focused on the interest of the youth and has written about their aspirations. He is also considered as a youth icon. Among his world-famous works included –

  • One Night the Call Centre
  • The Three Mistakes of My life
  • 2 States
  • Revolution 2020
  • Half Girlfriend
  • One Indian Girl
  • What Young Lady Wants

About The Title

            The novel gets its title from the GPA system used in IIT, to rank students, Students who get five points are considered average, and don’t usually get the choice of job offers.

Summary Of “Five Point Someone” Novel

The novel starts with three friends, Ryan, Hari, and Alok. Ryan belongs to an affluent family. He is very smart, innovative, and daring. He raises his voice against justice and he is also a blunt guy. Hari belongs to a mediocre family. He suffers from a lack of confidence. He wants to become an engineer and earn a lot of money. Whereas Alok is completely different from the other two. He belongs to a poor family. His mother is a biology teacher and his father is paralyzed. His family has a lot of expectations from him, and Alok does not want to disappoint them.

            The book brings out the sheer brilliance of IIT students in a very subtle way. One professor mentions, “The Definition of A Machine”. It is anything that reduces human effort. Anything so, see the world around you and it is full of machines. A student Ryan asks: “Sir, what about a gym machine, like a bench press or something? That doesn’t reduce human effort. In fact, it increases it.” The professor does not know how to respond.

            People who have studied in IITs know how students can pose fairly challenging questions based on their common sense and without any prior knowledge and unsettle teachers in the class. This example shows that many professors at the IITs are totally unequipped to handle the brilliant students who study these.

 Ryan concludes that the IIT system is unfair because –

  • It suppresses talent and individual spirit.
  • It extracts the best years of one’s life from the country’s brightest minds.
  • It judges students with a draconian GPA system that destroys the relationship.
  • The Professor doesn’t care for the students.
  • IITs have hardly contributed to the country.

The College life

            In college Har, Ryan, and Alok meet and best friends of each other. Alok studies all time and does not compromise on it. He wants to get a degree with good grades so that he gets a superb job and helps his family get prosperous. He can do anything to make his dreams true. He does not care about practical knowledge.

            Ryan is completely contrary to him. He believes in acquiring knowledge and understanding about the concept behind everything he studies. Hari supports Ryan for having such a kind approach toward the purpose of acquiring knowledge. One night, they plan to go for a movie but Alok is bothered about the next day’s paper. But at last, he joins them. After a few days when the results come out and all of them get very poor marks. Alok gets super angry at Ryan, who decided to go to the movie on the previous day of the exam. Finally, they decide to study regularly for 2-3 hours every day.

Love Story

            One morning, Hari was strolling on the college campus and met Neha. She was so aesthetic and gorgeous. Hari falls in love with her. She offers to drop him and Hari accepts it. She introduces herself as Neha who is Mr. Cherian’s daughter. Mr. Cherian is the head of the department.

            One day, Ryan gets a piece of good news. He has been credited a hefty amount in his account. He pays the semester fee and the rest of the remained amount, he spends on buying a new scooter. Thereafter they do a lot of fun together. Alok would not participate in their every time. One day Alok’s father gets serious and was required to be hospitalized Ryan and Hari join Alok in his trouble and assures him to help him.

Alok Left the Group

            Again some months of constant enjoyment the exam starts and again they get poor marks. Alok was again disappointed with himself this time and he decides to shift himself to Venkat. Venkat was the topper of his class. Alok getting improve due to his differences from Ryan and Hari.

            But again, One day Alok’s father needed his help. Ryan forgets all the bitterness and helps him to get his father hospitalizes. Ryan’s nice gesture impress Alok and he again joins the group.

Neha Accepts Hari

            One day Hari meets Neha and decides to talk to her. They move to an ice cream parlor where they start a casual talk. Neha tells Hari about her brother Samir, who was no more alive. She starts feeling comfortable with him.

            Neha’s birthday is coming; hence Ryan decides to surprise her on his friend, Hari’s behalf. Hari, Alok, and Ryan visit there at night when she would be sleeping. Ryan gives a beautiful flower to Neha on the behalf of Hari. Neha thanks them to give her such a great surprise.

Semester drops

            4th Semester is nearby. Hari Ryan and Alok are also not preparing for it. Finally the exam starts and on the first, it was Viva. Hari is not prepared for the Viva. Ryan notices him there worrying about Viva. He suggests Hari have a small pack of Vodka. Hari does the same but during the Viva, Mr. Cherian senses the Odour of alcohol coming from his mouth and gives him zero marks in the viva. When Ryan gets to know about it, he plans to steal the question papers. Hari meets Neha and they get prepared a duplicate key to Mr. Cherian’s office.

            But during the theft, a guard catches them and calls Mr. Cherian. While the investigation Ryan tells him about Neha’s involvement in it. Thereby Mr. Cherian does not investigate further but drops them from the 4th sem.

The Realization Of the Mistakes

            Hearing this Alok tries to suicide and jumps from the top floor of the terrace. Luckily, he was alive but maimed with some severe injuries. Ryan and Hari stood by him unless he recovered completely. A few days later Hari and Neha meet in a canteen. They were talking about Samir. Mr. Cherian sees them talking about the letter, he thinks that it was a love letter. Thereby he snatches the letter from Hari’s hand and starts reading the suicide note himself.

            As he finished it, he could not resist crying. He then also realizes his mistake of imposing his fake expectations on someone who was not interested in fulfilling them. After college was over, Alok and Hari get a satisfying jobs. But Ryan does not get any job. Finally, Mr. Venu hires him as a lab assistant on a salary of just 2000 rupees per month.

Conclusion

            Thus, Five Point Someone unearths the dark side of our education system. Indian education system emphasizes more on cramping more than understanding the concept behind the topic. Although there are plenty of good things about the Indian Education system too nonetheless it also has some major faults.

            The story of this novel deals with the fears and insecurities of the students. The author Chetan Bhagat himself is the victim of this type of system. So he has tried to bring into the limelight the major issues related to the youth and his prime notion with regard to Education.

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Post-Independence Indian English Poetry

Post Independence Indian English Poetry | Indian English Poets

Literature, English Literature, Indian Literature, Poetry
Post-Independence Indian English Poetry
Post-Independence Indian English Poetry

 Introduction

           Indian English Poetry after independence is known as post-independence Indian English poetry. Post-independence Indian English poetry witnessed the most crucial developments. India has been addressed by many prolific writers, who influenced entire generations. It is the field of lots of authors who have greatly contributed in terms of post-independence poetry.

Some of them worth mentioning are –

  1. Nissim Ezekiel
  2. Dominic Francis Moraes
  3. Purushottam Lal
  4. A. K. Ramanujam
  5. Gieve Patel
  6. Jayant Mahapatra 
  7. K. N. Daruwala
  8. Kamla Das

Nissim Ezekiel

            Nissim Ezekiel is one of the most notable among the new post-independence Indian English poets. He was also known as a great poet, actor, playwright, editor, and art critic. He received Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his poetry collection Latler Day Psalms. He also received Padmashri Award in 1988. His poetry is very famous such as – The Night Scorpion, Time to Change, Sixty Poem, and The Unsatisfied Man.

Dominic Francis Moraes

            Dominic Francis Moraes popularly known as Dom Moraes. He was a famous Indian writer and poet who published nearly 30 books in English. He was also known as a great editor and edited magazines in London, Hong Kong, and New York. He became the first Indian Editor of The Times of India after independence. Some notable works are – A Beginning, My son’s Father, Never at Home, etc. He also won Sahita Akademi Award for English.

Purushottam Lal

            Purushottam Lal is commonly known as P. Lal. He was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, and professor. He founded the writer’s workshop in Calcutta. He is best known for translating of the famous Indian Epic Mahabharata into English. He wrote 8 books of poetry, over a dozen volumes of literary criticism as well a dozen of translations from another language into English.

A. K. Ramanujam

               A. K. Ramanujam’s full name is Attipate Krishnaswami Ramanujam. He was an Indian poet and scholar of Indian Literature, who wrote in both language English and Kannada. His poem explore family relationships between mother and son, Father and Son, Husband, and Wife. He was awarded +Sahitya Akademi Award for the collected poems. He was also awarded Padma Shree for his works. Some notable works are – The Striders, Second sight, and The interior Landscape.

Gieve Patel

            Gieve Patel is a great Indian poet, playwriter, painter as well as physician. He belongs to a group of Green Movement writers, which are involved in the effort to protect the environment. His poems speak of deep concern for nature.

Jayant Mahapatra

            Jayant Mahapatra needed no introduction, he was the first Indian English poet to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981. He was also awarded Padma Shri in 2009, but for some reason, he returned Padma Shri. He has written 18 books of poems. His notable works are Indian Summer and Hunger, A Father Hours, and Waiting.

K. N. Daruwala

            K. N. Daruwala is an Indian poet and short story writer in English. He is also a former Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for his poetry collection, The Keeper Of The Dead. Some notable works are – The Dance Of Peacock, Crossing of Rivers, A Summer of Tiger, and so on.

Kamla Das

          Kamla Das popularly known by her one-time pet name Madhavikutty was an Indian poet in English and Malayalam literature. Some famous collections are – Summer In Calcutta, Yaa Allah, Only the Soul Knows How to Sing, and so on. He received Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Ason World Prize, and Asian Poetry Prize as well.

Conclusion            

Indian English Literature is highly indebted to the post-Independence Indian English Poets, which have been Nissim Ezekiel, Dominic Francis Moraes, Purushottam Lal, A. K. Ramanujam, Gieve Patel, Jayant Mahapatra, K. N. Daruwala, Kamla Das, etc.

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Paradise Lost Book 1 Summary

Paradise Lost Summary Book 1 | Paradise Lost By John Milton Summary

Literature, English Literature, Poem Analysis
Paradise Lost Book 1 Summary
Paradise Lost Book 1 Summary

Introduction

          “Paradise Lost” is an epic poem written by the great English poet “John Milton” and first published in 1667. The book Paradise Lost is considered by many scholars to be Milton’s best work and solidifies his place as one of the greatest English poets of all time. The poem consists of 12 books and more than 10,000 ‘Blank Verses’. It is a tale of the Fall Of Mankind – the moment when Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit from the ‘Tree Of Knowledge’ and God Punished them from the Garden of Eden forever. The paradise lost is similar to the book from which Milton takes much of his story the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

About the Poet

            John Milton was an English poet and man of letters, commonly considered “One of the preeminent writers in the English Language”. One of the most knowledgeable men of his time, he was fluent in English, Latin, Greek, and Italian, writing his works in all of these languages. Among his world-famous works include – Paradise Lost, Aeropagitica, and Lycidas. He is described as the Great English Author by biographer Willam Hayley. Poets such as William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Thomas Hardy were much influenced by John Milton.

The setting of the Poem

            The action of the poem is set in four main stages – Hell, Heaven, Paradise before the fall, and earth in its fallen state.

The theme of Paradise Lost

  • Hierarchy and Order
  • Disobedience and Revolt
  • Sin and Innocence
  • Free Will and Predestination
  • Love and Marriage

Summary Of Paradise Lost Book 1

            Just like the Iliad and The Odyssey, Paradise Lost begins with an invocation and the poet explains the theme of his act of disobedience towards God and then its Consequences,

“Of Man’s first disobedience and the fruit
 of that forbidden tree whose moral taste
 Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
 With loss of Eden, till one greater Man…

            Then Milton invokes the Muse to assist him divinely in giving to his purpose of writing. Milton’s muse is Holy Spirit which, in his view, makes his poem superior to the others. According to Milton, his purpose in writing is to

“Assert eternal providence and justify the wages of God to men.”

            Milton moves from prayer to the disobedience of Adam and Eve that occurred because of Satan. Satan, who was Lucifer, an angel. A war started between God and Satan in which Satan was defeated and thrown out of Heaven into Hell along with Beelzebub and his companions who are now demons. All of the demons including Satan lie stunned, in a lake of fire. Breaking the awful silence, Satan bemoans their terrible position but does not repent of his rebellion against God, suggesting that they might gather their forces for another attack. Beelzebub is doubtful; he now believes that God cannot be overpowered. Satan does not fully contradict this assessment but suggests that they could at least pervert God’s good works to evil purposes. Satan says to all the devils, who were formerly angels who choose to follow Satan in rebellion,

“Better to reign in hell than serve in Heaven”

            Satan calls the rest of the fallen angels named – Moloch, Belial, Dagon, Baal, Orus, Isis, Osiris, etc. He again commands “Awake arise or be forever fall in”. As an army of devils gathers around Satan, he praises them by calling them O Myraids of Immortal Spirits and O Powers Matchless. The army of demons under the command of the materialistic Mammon starts digging the ground and bringing out Gold and other costly minerals (except oil) with their superpower, they construct a great chamber called Pandemonium. Thousands of demons shrink to fit inside it. Now all of them make a plan to fight with God and how take revenge on them. Book I is end with the debate of demons.

Conclusion

            Throughout the first book of Paradise Lost, Satan seems as if he is the hero of the poem. Because the focus of the poem is all on him.

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