John Milton

John Milton was an English poet and a man of letters. He was a civil servant for the commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote many poem. He also wrote famous epic 'Paradise Lost'. In his writings, he reflects deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. He was very proficient in English, Latin, Greek and Italian. He wrote in all these language at a time. In his life time, he became famous for his wisdom. He achieved international renown within his lifetime.

John Milton was born on Bread Street, London, on 9 December 1608. His father was a famous composer John Milton and mother Sarah Jeffrey. The senior John Milton (1562–1647) moved to London around 1583. As he embraced Protestantism, he was disinherited by his devout Catholic father, Richard Milton. In London, the senior John Milton married Sarah Jeffrey, and found lasting financial success as a scrivener. He lived in, a house on Bread Street, where the Mermaid Tavern was located in Cheapside. The elder Milton was noted for his skill as a musical composer, and this talent left Milton with a lifelong appreciation for music and friendships with musicians such as Henry Lawes.

  

Milton and his first wife, Mary Powell (1625–1652) had four children:

• Anne (born 7 July 1646)
• Mary (born 25 October 1648)
• John (16 March 1651 – June 1652)
• Deborah (2 May 1652 – ?)

Mary Powell died on 5 May 1652 from complications following Deborah's birth. Milton's daughters survived to adulthood, but he had always a strained relationship with them.
On 12 November 1656, Milton was married again, to Katherine Woodcock. She died on 3 February 1658, less than four months after giving birth to a daughter, Katherine, who also died.
Milton married for a third time on 24 February 1662, to Elizabeth Mynshull (1638–1728), the niece of Thomas Mynshull, a wealthy apothecary and philanthropist in Manchester. Despite a 31-year age gap, the marriage seemed happy, according to John Aubrey, and was to last more than 12 years until Milton's death. Samuel Johnson, however, claims that Mynshull was "a domestic companion and attendant" and that Milton's nephew, Edward Phillips, relates that Mynshull "oppressed his children in his lifetime, and cheated them at his death".
Two nephews (sons of Milton's sister Anne), Edward and John Phillips, were educated by Milton and became writers themselves. John acted as a secretary, and Edward was Milton's first biographer.

Poetry and drama

• 1631: L'Allegro
• 1631: Il Penseroso
• 1634: A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634 commonly known as Comus
• 1638: Lycidas
• 1645: Poems of Mr John Milton, Both English and Latin
• 1655: On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
• 1667: Paradise Lost
• 1671: Paradise Regained
• 1671: Samson Agonistes
• 1673: Poems, &c, Upon Several Occasions

Prose

• Of Reformation (1641)
• Of Prelatical Episcopacy (1641)
• Animadversions (1641)
• The Reason of Church-Government Urged against Prelaty (1642)
• Apology for Smectymnuus (1642)
• Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643)
• Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce (1644)
• Of Education (1644)
• Areopagitica (1644)
• Tetrachordon (1645)
• Colasterion (1645)
• The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (1649)
• Eikonoklastes (1649)
• Defensio pro Populo Anglicano [First Defence] (1651)
• Defensio Secunda [Second Defence] (1654)
• A Treatise of Civil Power (1659)
• The Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings from the Church (1659)
• The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth (1660)
• Brief Notes Upon a Late Sermon (1660)
• Accedence Commenced Grammar (1669)
• History of Britain (1670)
• Artis logicae plenior institutio [Art of Logic] (1672)
• Of True Religion (1673)
• Epistolae Familiaries (1674)
• Prolusiones (1674)
• A brief History of Moscovia, and other less known Countries lying Eastward of Russia as far as Cathay, gathered from the writings of several Eye-witnesses (1682)
• De Doctrina Christiana (1823)