The Portable Milton

John Milton was born in London on December 9, 1608, and studied at the University of Cambridge. He originally planned to become a clergyman, but abandoned those ambitions to become a poet. Political in his writings, he served a government post during the time of the Commonwealth. In 1651, he went completely blind but he continued to write, finishing Paradise Lost in 1667, and Paradise Regained in 1671. He died in 1674.

The Portable Milton - Edited by Douglas Bush Introduction
Bibliography
Chronology
I. Early Poems, 1628-1640
Editor's Note
At a Vacation Exercise in the College (extract)
Elegy V: On the Coming of Spring
Song: On May Morning
Elegy VI: To Charles Diodati, Visiting in the Country
On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
On Shakespeare
L'Allegro
In Penseroso
Arcades
Sonnet VII: How soon hath Time
Comus
Lycidas
Lament for Damon
II. Prose Works and Sonnets, 1642-1658
Editor's Note
The Reason of Church Government Urged against Prelaty (extract)
An Apology for Smectymnuus (extract)
Of Education
Areopagitica
Second Defence of the English People (extract)
Sonnets
VIII. When the Assault Was Intended to the City
X. To the Lady Margaret Ley
XI. On the Detraction Which Followed upon My Writing Certain Treatises
XII. On the Same ("I did but prompt the age")
On the New Forcers of Conscience under the Long Parliament
XIII. To Mr. H. Lawes, on His Airs
XV. On the Lord General Fairfax at the Siege of Colchester
XIX. When I consider how my light is spent
XVI. To the Lord General Cromwell
XVII. To Sir Henry Vane the Younger
XVIII. On the Late Massacre in Piemont
XX. Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous son
XXI. Cyriack, whose grandsire on the royal bench
XXII. To Mr. Cyriack Skinner upon His Blindness
XXIII. Methought I saw my late espoused saint
III. The Major Poems
Editor's Note
Paradise Lost
Paradise Regained
Samson Agonistes
Glossary of Words and Proper Names