ENG7023 Milton and Renaissance Humanism
Prof. Estelle Sheehan (co-ordinator)
This module offers a contextualised study of Milton's poetry and of his place within the tradition of Renaissance humanism.Reviewing recent developments in the field, it assesses the formative role played by Renaissance educational theory and practice in the development of Milton the poet.Re-evaluating the 'Grand Tour' in the light of new evidence, it aims to highlight the significance of Milton's Italian journey, his participation in Italian academies, the paradoxical sense of place, and national and linguistic pride gained from his sojourn abroad.The module culminates in a contextualised reading of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained and an assessment of both poems' intertextual relationship with the Renaissance epic tradition.