Imagery in Lycidas Essay -- Poetry John Milton

Imagery in LycidasLycidas, a poem written by John Milton as a memorial to Edward King, a classmate at Cambridge, reflects Miltons reverence for temperament, his admiration of classic Mythology, and his deeply ingrained Christian belief system. In Lycidas, Milton combines powerful images from nature and Grecian Mythology along with Biblical references in order to ease the ache associated with the untimely death of King. King dr bears at sea in the gush of his life and Milton is left to make sense of this tragedy. Milton not only mourns the mischief of a friend he is also disemboweld to face his own mortality. Milton questions the significance of composing poetry when he will inevitably die. Milton copes with the sheath of death by insisting on the glory of a Christian life and the promise of rebirth into the joyous spiritual world of nirvana after death. Milton begins Lycidas by introducing Mythical imagery. Milton writes, Yet once more, O ye award, and once more/ Ye Myrt les brown, with Ivy never sear (1-2). In the poem Laurels refers to the crown of poetry given by Apollo, while myrtle refers to the classical goddess Venus, and Ivy to the god Bacchus. Then Milton introduces powerful symbolism derived from nature. He writes, I com to pluck your Berries harsh and crude, / And with forcd finger rude, (3-4). Milton is first alluding to the forced and premature writing of his poetry in the memorial to his classmate Edward King. Secondly, he is perhaps alluding to the premature and violent death of his classmate. In the passage King is the Berrie that has been plucked sooner it is ripe or mature. The Berrie (King) is plucked with forcd finger rude, which suggest some full point of violence in his death. It seems that this passa... ... in the glory of heaven. Kings spirit will wear on. King is the, Genius of the shore (184). In Lycidas Milton speaks through many voices. From Greek Gods to Biblical figures, Milton shields his voice and personifies th ese figures who address the subject of death in a less worldly language. This method of writing not only demonstrates Miltons all-encompassing education, it also serves to lighten a heavy subject. Shielded by Mythology and do by the optimism of Christianity, one can approach the subject of mortality with commit and give meaning to life. Without hope this subject would most likely force the reader to spiral down into deep despair. BibliographyFlannagan, Roy. Ed. The Riverside Milton. Boston Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. New Jersey Prentice Hall , 2000.