Milton’s Grand style

Coleridge’s definition of poetic style as “the best words in best order” can be fully
justified with Milton. “The name of Milton”, says Raleigh “is become the mark not
of biography nor of a theme, but of a style – the most distinguished in our
poetry”. Milton’s style has been called the grand style because it has the
unmistakable stamp of majesty in it. Mathew Arnold asserts, “ in the sure and
flawless perfection of his rhythm and diction, he is as admirable as Virgil or
Dante, and in this respect he is unique amongst us.”

The theme of paradise Lost is stupendous. “The horizon in paradise

Lost is not narrower than all space; its chronology not shorter than eternity;
the globe of our earth becomes a mere spot in the physical universe, and the
universe itself a drop suspended in the infinite empyrean” .(Pattinson) its
characters are God and his creatures and it concerns itself with the fortune of the
whole human race. Such a great theme aptly demands great style and adequate
presentation.

Milton’s grand style rises to a lofty space by virtue of the poet’s

imaginative power, passionate emotion and moral earnestness. Satan’s throne in
pandemonium calls up the vision of the whole of “gorgeous East with richest
hand /showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold. The ruin and prostration
of the rebel angels is made vivid in the following lines

“Cherub and Seraph rolling in the flood

With scattered arms and ensigns”

In his descriptions, Milton studies “large decorum and majesty”. Milton often
uses abstract nouns for concrete realities. The wind instrument blown by the
heralds in hell is called “the sounding alchemy” and death is called “the grisly
terror”. He follows Italian poetry of Dante and Petrarch by adding a second
adjective to an already modified noun.

An essential quality of Milton’s poetic style is its allusiveness. The

whole treasure of poetry ancient or modern, and the whole treasure house of
learning were at his command. Milton’s suggestive power is also emancipated in
the Latin double meaning words. Abundance of classical and Biblical allusions
woven into a rich texture leads Raleigh to comment “Milton is best entitled to
the name of classic.”

Milton’s masterpiece is also enriched with exquisite epic similes.

Satan’s huge bulk is compared to the huge leviathan his shield with the orb of
moon. The fallen angels of Milton “ lay entranced / Thick as autumnal leaves
that strow the brooks /In Vallombrosa. These usages of epic similes ennoble
his narrative rather than merely illustrating.
 Tennyson goes on to extent of appreciating Milton’s grand style being “ the
god gifted organ voice of England” while referring the majestic blank verse of
paradise Lost. Wordsworth is also liberal while admiring the master “thou hadst
the voice whose sound was like sea.”

Modern literary critics like Pound, Herbert and T.S Eliot have
condemned Milton’s style for intrinsic difficulties artificiality of Latinised diction,
fabrication of heavy, inflexible and unnatural speech rhythm. On the other hand
Arnold stands by Milton while he says “ Shakespeare is divinely strong, rich
and attractive but Milton surpassed this great genius he truly exists on the
sublimity and grand style in Paradise lost.”