Friday, May 10, 2013

Those of you who have read  Paradise Lost should click on the comments link below and post your book talk information.  EVERYONE ELSE should choose one book talk to respond to. 1) Choose one of the personal application points and share your thoughts on it. 2) Discuss your views on Satan and evil.  Your response needs to be a minimum of one paragraph. Post your response by midnight, May 16th (early Friday morning).

34 comments:

  1. Lacey Walsh-Paradise Lost Book Talk

    1.Summary- 'Paradise Lost' signifies heaven and hell and the battles between the sky and fire of Satan. It reads of when Stan departs from heaven with the other angels and the battle with God and the archangels.Also the lovely story of the good and evil between Adam and Eve. The first humans to ever be created by God. There are many deaths and life that comes with this story and it is seen through many eye's but only one story can stay true to it's self and that is to be obtained in the epic story of 'Paradise Lost'.

    2.Author- The author of Paradise Lost-Book 1 is John Milton. He was born in December 9th,1608 and died November 8th, 1674. He was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost.

    3.Lens View(Critical Lens #1)- At first I had no idea what was going on and who was talking in the poem but then i re-read the text. Satan departs from heaven on the sin of god and a few others join him. I don't really see what he did was wrong. Satan tried to be his own individual but couldn't. I know it was wrong for him to try to over throw God but it was bound to happen. Not with just Satan but anyone would have in the end. Good does conquer evil but for there to be good there has to evil as well. Such as there is light, there has to be darkness right behind it. The battle between them was settled in a nice manner. I can kind of see Satan being somewhat childish towards the situation.

    4.3 things from Reading-
    1. I got another overview that there isn't always good and sometimes bad things need to happen in order for them to be good.
    2. That its okay to make mistakes. I make mistakes. Its okay to make them because it makes you a better person and to make wiser decisions next time around.
    3. Never think those whom seem worthy to you will never disobey. They may seem okay but they might be the ones to turn on you and hurt you the most.

    5.I would recommend this book to teenagers around eight grade but mostly through sophomore-senior year. Most teenagers should appreciate not only stories in general but a book of literature. Now religion could surround this also but they can go their own path. It will just give them a generalization of the book and can reflect this book to their own lives. They could see the others have different views even if they can't agree to accept it.

    6. My creative piece was a picture of Satan that I drew and how I think he would look like. He would be half human with horns with legs kinda like a deer. They would bend from the knee cap backwards.

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    1. Regarding your second personal application, is it always okay to make mistakes? Do you believe that all mistakes are okay to make? What I it was something that could've easily been avoided? What if it was also something extremely detremintal? I believe that a lot of mistakes are fine to make, but I don't believe we should simply justify any mistakes because people make them. I doubt you intended to say that all mistakes are okay, but that is how the message was interpreted by me.

      I associate Satan with evil because, as implied by so many religions, Satan is the ultimate definition of evil. All that is evil derives from him. I don't believe Satan has much of a choice because He condemned him to Hell, but I don't think Satan thinks it's so bad to torture those. I believe Satan is remorseful to what he did, but I think he enjoys doing a service for Him.

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    2. I completely agree with your applications about the struggle between good and evil, and how there can be no good without evil.

      I would have liked to hear why you believed Satan handled the situation childishly though.

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  2. 1. Paradise Lost starts off with Satan leaving heaven with a few others now known as archangels. Then the war between God and Satan. Next, it gives the story of Adam and Eve along with their sin against God. It also gives brief descriptions into the way Milton envisions heaven and hell.

    2. The author John Milton was born in London, England on December 9, 1608. He was a famous poet who wrote in English, Latin, and Italian. Much of his poetry reflected deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom, and self-determination. Was married and had four children. John died November 8th, 1674 in London.

    3.(Lens #4) From the beginning Satan acted a little childish and on a power trip. He wanted to overthrow God who had a lot stronger backing than he did but still thought he would win. I just don't quite understand where he got the idea he would just overthrow God who has enough power to do really anything he wants to.

    4. What I took from the reading...
    1. Sometimes you need to let people try something knowing they will fail rather than tell them I told you so.
    2. Life will never be a perfect paradise you will always have something to overcome.
    3. Even someone you trust with your life can turn on you in a heartbeat so you have to watch yourself.

    5. I would recommend this book to really anyone looking for a good epic poem. It makes you think about your life and what you want to become in life and whether it's what you want or what someone else wants for you. I really think anyone can make a connection with the book because it makes you step back and realize not everyone thinks the same or sees you the same way you see yourself.

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    1. You did a really good job. I think all of your spplications are completely accuarate. The world is never going to be a perfect place and you are going to have to work hard to achieve what you want to in life. The application that I connect most with is the third one. I tend to trust people a little too much. I have had friends that I tell eveything to and trust them with my life, but then they go and stab me in the back and lie to me. So I believe that people can turn on you in the blink of an eye.

      I associate Satan with hell and evil. I believe that he is the leader of hell and that he is the one that toutures you if you go there. I believe that you go there when you sin. I have had the belief ever since I was little because I grew up in a Catholic family. I believe that Satan is real and not just a symbol or character that people think of when they think of hell.

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    2. I agree with Madison that your applications are all accuarate. I really understand your first connection. That everyone needs to do something even if they're going to fail - it'll teach them. The last thing they need is someone telling them they're not good enough to complete the goal they have. If they attempt and fail, they can at least say they tried and use that to keep trying.

      In my head, Satan rules hell. I was taught that when you sin and not go to reconciliation, you'll go to hell. I don't really believe that. I think that those who have no care for themselves or their sins will go to hell. I don't believe all sins are necessarily evil. They're just immoral. I believe the sandy hook killer Adam Lanza is evil becuase what he did was pure hatred and imhumane. However, I don't think those who are haunted by their crimes will go to hell. They won't go to heaven, but I don't believe they'll go to hell.

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    3. I agree with all of your connections. Because were human beings with a conscience, people can never truly be trusted. A best friend may say they will never share your secrets, but sometimes words are merely thin air. I also think that the best way for people to learn is through experience. Gaining experience will help more than the best description of the lesson ever could. As far as Satan goes, I don't think he's a fallen angel, I think he was made to be God's contrast. If there was no evil and no place for evil to go, the world would be unbalanced.

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    4. I agree. Your connection was very understandable. No one needs someone to tell them how it live life. You need to learn yourself. And you will never get everything you want in your life. Something will always go wrong. I believe Satan is a guy that just knows no right. He only knows wrong and he took the advantage of taking other people that are like that also.

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    5. I do believe that satan is a fallen angel, but I also believe that he was made to contrast god. I think that evil people will have evil things happen to them in return, in a sense, I'm speaking of a karma, but in the afterlife not while living. There are too many chances for us as people to do evil when it is the easiest road to take.

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    6. I think you did a good job explaining the book and you're interpretation on the reading. The application I agree with most is the one where you state sometimes you need to let someone do something and fail rather than saying I told you so, because this statement applies to me and also the people that I'm close to. I think most people soon come to the realization that you need to make mistakes to learn more about yourself and life.

      I think Satan and evil are not subjects to take lightly, and I also think that sometimes they are perceived as a joke. I believe that Satan attacks you even when you are not aware; for example living in sin is really just giving Satan what he wants. I believe the farther you get from God the closer you get to Satan.

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    7. I liked the summary because it was quick and to the point, it didn't give away any details that would spoil the book for someone who hasn't read it. I agree with your third application most. I feel that when you give someone your trust and love you never know what could happen- because you've given that person the power to hurt you. So I agree that it's important to guard yourself from that and always be cautious.

      Satan and evil are both close together. Satan has created evil and tries to pull people away from God. Satan's actions are where evil is born. It is true strength and love for God that gives a person the power to say no to evil temptations and thus defy Satan.

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  6. John Milton was born on December 9, 1608 in London. His father was a prominent merchant that became wealthy, and with this wealth Milton was given the best education that he could get. As a young man he was tutored, and when he was old enough, he attended Cambridge University. He graduated with a master’s degree and was fluent in Italian, Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Anglo-Saxon, and he also spoke Dutch. In his twenties, Milton wrote five poems, On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity, Comus, Lycidas, Il Penseroso, and L’Allegro. It is said that his faith in God has guided him to write and spread his voice. It is no more present in Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, where he shows the power of God and God’s purpose for humans.

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    1. John Milton’s Paradise Lost, was published in 1671; it begins by discussing the disobedience and fall of Adam and Eve from grace. Then it shifts the focus onto Satan and the other rebel angels. While in Pandemonium, the fallen angels discuss if it is wise to start another war against God. They have decided to get back at God by attempting to corrupt his greatest achievement, humankind. Satan, the leader of the demons, agrees with this plan and meets up with his two sons, Sin and Death. The sons help Satan build a go-between, a bridge, with Earth and Hell. This is how he will corrupt humans and return safely to his keep, Hell. While they construct a bridge, God in Heaven meets with his council of angels because he has learned of Satan’s plans to corrupt humankind. God has chosen to send his Son to take the sin out of the world he has created. The story returns to Satan as he has made it to Earth and breached Paradise’s high walls. He is appalled by the mere looks of it and decides to create havoc on God’s creation. He first appears as a toad and whispers in Eve’s hear and tells her to defy God’s rules. He is found out by the angels and is cast out of Paradise by God. A little while later, eight days, Satan returns to Paradise as a serpent and tempts Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Eve eats from the tree and immediately is fallen from grace. She seeks out Adam and tells him what she has done. Adam then decides that it is better to be with Eve and be fallen, then be pure and alone. Together Adam and Eve have become lust. God learns of their disobedience right away and sends his Son to discipline them. He has chosen that Eve and all women will now suffer the likes of childbirth and must obey their husbands, and for Adam and all men they must labor in the fields. Satan leaves Paradise and returns to Hell with cheers from his demons. When he arrives, he tells his sons Sin and Death to cross the bridge and take refuge on Earth, while guarding the gate into hell. Back in Paradise God has casted Adam and Eve out of his Paradise. Adam and Eve decide to start to pray to God for forgiveness, and they start to repent. For this God sends an angel to show Adam visions of what is to come of humankind and Gods own son’s future of pain and suffering.

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    2. With the story beginning with Adam and Eve you see that gender plays a part in the story. First, we have the Angels in Heaven and the Demons in Hell, which all are men. We have God and we have Satan, who are men. Most important we have the Son of God, second-in-command, the man sitting on the right hand of God. This Son of God has created humans in the form of himself. Now, we see the value of men in scriptures and in earlier years like the time period Milton was born and grew up in. In his story you have a man, Adam, who is more intelligent and spiritual then his counterpart, Eve. Eve, in fact, was made from Adam’s rib. This means that God gave men company so he wouldn’t be lonely. God gave him part of himself, so in a way women are just part of man and nothing more. When Adam first sees Eve he is immediately attracted to her, but he knows he must not be tempted with his sexual urges. He stays calm and his spiritual awareness has stayed with him from his temptation; thus, he has won a small victory showing that men will overcome basic needs. We see a shaping of gender roles in Paradise with Adam and Eve. The serpent goes after the weaker of the two, Eve; he tempts her to eat from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Eve immediately is fallen from grace, and she seeks out Adam to confess what she has done. Now, when Eve tells Adam, Adam drops the wreath he was making her. This can symbolize his loss of words or even that he has lost his love for her. This is an example of the hardship men have to endure with women in their lives. Now, Adam being that his duty is aligned with Eve, he has decided to eat the forbidden fruit so he can be with Eve. After that, God cast them out of Paradise and sends his Son to judge them. The Son gives the women and men separated jobs from now on. Women are from now on to be laborers of children while men are to be laboring in the fields. Thus, giving accepted gender roles and modern duties life.

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    3. A couple of themes one could take away from reading these books are faith, duty and honor, and diligence. You could get a sense in needing to have faith that Satan will be kept in the darkness of Hell and separate from the rest of us. Faith in yourself is also needed to overcome temptation. Having a duty in the world will help with your faith because it breeds the need to be fulfilled in life. Your duty is to be true to who you are and what you want in life. With duty comes honor and in time you will have to learn to swallow your pride to get what you want and have a wonderful life even if it means your honor has a scratch. What faith, duty, and honor bring with it is the ability to work hard for your goals in life, and it is in human nature to work hard for we are laborers, and through labor we will to get what we want. These are attributes that can be applied to anyone’s life, not just mine.
      Paradise Lost provides a version of how humans become corrupt with a few descriptive battles that demonstrate God’s awesomeness. I would give a recommendation for Milton’s Paradise Lost to those who need reinforcement of their faith in God and his purpose for humans.

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    4. Dear The Sons of Satan,
      It has been reported to me that you have constructed a bridge that will allow these fallen angels, or demons, to cross the gap between Hell and Earth. I must inform you that this is a problem. We get the part Death plays, but fail to see the purpose of Sin. We have to say that Death is a necessity to the human race. Death breeds new life into the world and teaches us valuable lessons that we should love but learn to let go. It seems that for Sin to be apart of our great paradise on Earth is preposterous and we must ask that Sin be so inclined to return to Hell where it is much more deserved. We humans do not have a need for Sin and if he does not return I must say that we will overcome him. We will ask for forgiveness and pray to God to take away our sins in the world. Our sin will go away and you will rot on Earth if you do not go back to Hell.
      Sincerely,

      Humankind

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  7. beautiful and I think i understand the story a bit better

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  8. Summary:
    Paradise Lost From what I got out of it was about Satan and his fall from heaven and construction of Pandemonium the palace of darkness by the other fallen angels whom now follow their leader Satan. Satan soon discovers the paradise of earth and is disgusted. This is the moment when Satan decides to officially taking action against. One of Satan's first acts of evil is that he tempts Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. She explains this to Adam. God hears this news and is worried about his new creation and has Rapheal to teach them right from wrong. After that there is a lot of the original story just reworded. Then Eve is shown a vision of the great triumphs and failures of over Sin.
    Biography:
    Milton, John
    Born in 1608 in London he was born into middle-high class wealth allowing him to afford education like studying in Italy and having a private tutor. he was married for a short amount of time to May Powell. He went blind a few years after. John finished his epic Poem Paradise Lost at the age of 59. almost all of his Poems were inspired by his faith in God. Even after the Catholic church rejecting his advice and suggestions on divorce. Some of Milton's Inspiration came from ancient greek poems like Homer's Oddeseuy and Illiad. and finally John Milton published his sequel to Paradise Lost, Paradise regained.
    Critical Lens:
    Character Analysis
    God is kind of a butt head. He made his creation have free will yet punishes them when they disobeyed him. Satan was more at fault than anyone and all he did was have his son make them into snakes and not lizards. It's not eve's fault that she wasn't smart. I think Milton's view of a wrathful god is represented by the popular belief at the time of absolute purity or eternal damnation.
    Life Applications:
    Punishment is bad moral lessons are good
    example if god just explained to Adam and Eve why what they did is bad they would be prepared next time and we would be chillin in paradise.

    Purity Honesty and Faith can take you anywhere.
    example adam and eve learned their lesson and repented for their sins they were allowed to live for hundreds of years.

    Don't judge a book by its cover and that goes both ways in which some stuff can appear nice but truly have poor intentions and don't judge something until you really know it.

    I recommend this to people in Brit Lit with a large vocabulary. I had to reread almost all of it and sparknote it to understand it.

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  9. I dont remember the remorse part when satan witnessed the paradise although it was a hard read so maybe i misread it.

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  10. 1.) Paradise Lost is about Satan and his companions falling from heaven and trying to cause trouble on Earth and Heaven. Satan does this by finding his way to earth and eventually causing Adam and Eve to eat forbidden fruit and also cause God to have to create a new world.
    2.) John Milton was a successful student in school and was very well educated. He traveled Europe and studied even more while doing so. Milton also composed many pieces of music and wrote a lot of poetry throughout his whole life. His life was complicated due to a Civil War going on throughout England. It cost him relationships.
    3.) #1 The beginning of the story is fairly confusing and the writing style is somewhat hard to follow. It is written in old English and in verse so it is different from reading a normal story. This story is about Satan and his friends trying to get back at God after having fallen from heaven. To do so, Satan tries to find a new world that is being created. He stumbles upon Adam and Eve and takes form of a snake and convinces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, defying god. Adam also eats the forbidden fruit so he does not have to be without her. God forgives them and they watch as God creates the world.
    4.) 3 Life Applications- Being too envious can lead to poor decision making if you let it take control of you.
    Being dishonest and harming unknown strangers purely for revenge is distasteful. It is better to talk out problems.
    Redemption for wrongful actions could always be a potential outcome, but don’t depend on it.
    5.) I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literature involving biblical characters. You would enjoy this book if you enjoy stories such as, The Divine Comedy and The Bible.

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  14. Taylor Welter:(This is suppose to comment on Laceys post) I agree with you that it is okay to make mistakes. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to accuarately learn something. I don't even think it is possible to never make mistakes. I believe evil is a difficult subject to speak about. How can we tell if something or someone is truly evil? Are we to even judge? Evil is pure wickedness and there is no such thing to have any good in evil. I don't know if I even believe there is any pure evil out in the world, just like I don't beleve there is pure good out there. I think Satan is a symbol for evil. It gives people the idea of what evilness is and what it may turn you into.

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  15. The piece seems to convey alot about the authors view and thoughts on religious pieces and adds a new perspective to the age old story of good and evil

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  16. I'm responding to Laceys post. I agree with all of what you took from the reading. Sometimes people don't appreciate all of what they have until something bad happens. Also making mistakes is absolutely necessary in life. You learn from experience in life and you use that to not make those mistakes again. You never know who is going to turn on you. Life brings surprises so you have to use your best judgement.
    I don't believe in satan or hell. I believe that when you die you just die. I wasn't ever really attached to a religion and so I never developed strong opinions on that subject.

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  17. This is a response to Courtney Herman's book talk. I agreed with all your applications, but I most agreed with the second one. It's true that life will always have ups and downs and won't always be perfect. Something will come around at some point or another and mess everything up, but you have to learn to overcome it. Even in our short lives so far, we've all found this to be true. And this is true because there is sin and there is evil. My opinion on sin, evil, and Satan is that they are necessary. I don't mean to sound like a pessimist or anything, but if we don't have evil in our lives --and even within our own selves-- how would we experience goodness? Without evil there is no good. Our lives would be typical, neutral, and boring. As evil is opposite good, so is Satan the counterpart of God. Without one, the other wouldn't exist, or we at least wouldn't care that they did. It would be nice if we could live in a world full of sunshine and happiness, but let's get real, people.

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  18. I really agree with your first life application. It can be very hard to know who you can trust at times and even when you believe you know someone, you really don't. I don't know if I believe there's a devil although I do believe there is a God. I believe in evil spirits but as far as their motives, we will never understand that. Overall there may be a devil or satan but it is a fact that there is evil in this world.

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  19. This seems like a very interesting story, I think it's very interesting that it's written in the way of what satan wanted to do and plotted. I like your connection to know how to trust because you just never know who is bad or good. And the devil always comes in an Angels dress.

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  20. I agree with the last life application. If you can't let go it can just cause more damage and hurt other people. I believe there is a devil. I don't think he is a physical being though. I see the devil as a spiritual being that causes evil.

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