Book 10 | The Turn of Hope (Book X) | Paradise Lost in Slow Motion

From Book 10 onward, the tension shifts from an anticipation of ruin to the anticipation of hope. This lecture considers the Son’s judgment of the serpent, Eve, and Adam and how Book 10 with Books 11 and 12 are essentially a conversion story.
We’ve come now to the tenth lecture of the course “Paradise Lost in Slow Motion” hosted by the Antrim Literature Project, a public humanities platform which makes the study of literature accessible to readers beyond the paywalls of the university. Over the past two weeks as we have covered Books 8 and 9, we heard from two guest lecturers hosted by the Antrim Literature Project. You can find those lectures included in this playlist and also on the Antrim Literature Project’s CZcams Page here ‪@AntrimLiteratureProject‬

[@JCPJCPJCP]

I read somewhere that Harold Bloom, with his photographic memory, was able to recite "Paradise Lost" backwards.
It's difficult to compete with that.

[@jamesduggan7200]

Yeah, I've always had a problem with that line too: ...then thou shalt surely die. Not so much because they didn't die but because how do they know what death is? Well, I suppose animals and plants die, so perhaps they infer the possibility of their own mortality? idk. The glosses bringing in Jesus Christ seem to me inapposite extremism, but sometimes it's necessary to say something, right? One thing not touched on, which for me is an important part of Genesis, is the idea not of salvation through confession but free will to 'petition the Lord with prayer', as Abraham does before Sodom, later on we see Jacob wrestling with G-d (or one of his angels - idk), but most importantly IMHO when Joshua refuses to carry out G-d's command to wipe out all the enemy leaving no one. To me, that's the strongest invocation of human free will, just as - regardless of her frightened finger-pointing at the serpent - Eve eats of the fruits despite G-d's command. Is it original sin? or is it the mysterious method of encouraging free will? Anyway, very much enjoying these close readings, tyvm.

[@niallkennedy2667]

Are you doing books 8 & 9?

[@closereadingpoetry]

Those books were covered by guest lecturers. You can find them in this platlist and at @antrimliteratureproject !