The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (35 page)

Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online

Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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184

      

There to converse with everlasting groans

185

      

Unrespited,
1983
unpitied, unreprieved

186

      

Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse

187

      

War, therefore, open or concealed, alike

188

      

My voice dissuades. For what can force or guile

189

      

With Him, or who deceive His mind, whose eye

190

      

Views all things at one view? He from Heav’n’s height

191

      

All these our motions vain sees and derides

192

      

Not more Almighty to resist our might

193

      

Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles

194

      

Shall we, then, live thus vile—the race of Heav’n

195

      

Thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here

196

      

Chains and these torments? Better these than worse,

197

      

By my advice, since fate inevitable

198

      

Subdues us, and omnipotent decree

199

      

The victor’s will. To suffer, as to do,

200

      

Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust

201

      

That so ordains. This was at first resolved

202

      

If we were wise, against so great a foe

203

      

Contending,
1984
and so
1985
doubtful what might fall.
1986

204

      

I laugh when those who at the spear are bold

205

      

And vent’rous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear

206

      

What yet they know must follow—to endure

207

      

Exile, or ignominy,
1987
or bonds, or pain

208

      

The sentence of their conqueror. This is now

209

      

Our doom,
1988
which if we can sustain and bear

210

      

Our Supreme foe in time may much remit
1989

211

      

His anger, and perhaps, thus far removed,
1990

212

      

Not mind
1991
us, not offending, satisfied

213

      

With what is punished, whence these raging fires

214

      

Will slacken, if His breath stir not their flames

215

      

Our purer essence then will overcome

216

      

Their noxious
1992
vapor or, inured,
1993
not feel

217

      

Or, changed at length, and to the place conformed
1994

218

      

In temper and in nature, will receive

219

      

Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain

220

      

This horror will grow mild, this darkness light

221

      

Besides what hope the never-ending flight

222

      

Of future days may bring, what chance, what change

223

      

Worth waiting—since our present lot appears

224

      

For happy though but ill, for ill not worst

225

      

If we procure not to ourselves more woe

226

      

Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason’s garb

227

      

Counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth

228

      

Not peace. And after him thus Mammon spoke

229

      

   
“Either to disenthrone the King of Heav’n

230

      

We war, if war be best, or to regain

231

      

Our own right lost. Him to unthrone we then

232

      

May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield

233

      

To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife

234

      

The former, vain to hope, argues as vain

235

      

The latter—for what place can be for us

236

      

Within Heav’n’s bound, unless Heav’n’s Lord supreme

237

      

We overpower? Suppose He should relent

238

      

And publish
1995
grace to all, on promise made

239

      

Of new subjection?
1996
With what eyes could we

240

      

Stand in His presence humble, and receive

241

      

Strict laws imposed, to celebrate His throne

242

      

With warbled hymns, and to His Godhead sing

243

      

Forced hallelujahs, while He lordly sits

244

      

Our envied sov’reign, and His altar breathes

245

      

Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers

246

      

Our servile offerings? This must be our task

247

      

In Heav’n, this our delight. How wearisome

248

      

Eternity so spent in worship paid

249

      

To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue

250

      

By force impossible, by leave obtained

251

      

Unacceptable, though in Heav’n, our state

252

      

Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek

253

      

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own

254

      

Live to
1997
ourselves, though in this vast recess

255

      

Free and to none accountable, preferring

256

      

Hard liberty before the easy yoke

257

      

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear

258

      

Then most conspicuous when great things of
1998
small,

259

      

Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse,
1999

260

      

We can create, and in what place soe’er

261

      

Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain

262

      

Through labor and endurance. This deep world

263

      

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

264

      

Thick clouds and dark doth Heav’n’s all-ruling Sire

265

      

Choose to reside, His glory unobscured

266

      

And with the majesty of darkness round

267

      

Covers His throne, from whence deep thunders roar,

268

      

Must’ring
2000
their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell!

269

      

As He our darkness, cannot we His light

270

      

Imitate when we please? This desert soil

271

      

Wants
2001
not her hidden luster, gems and gold,

272

      

Nor want
2002
we skill or art from whence to raise

273

      

Magnificence. And what can Heav’n show more?

274

      

Our torments also may, in length of time,

275

      

Become our elements,
2003
these piercing fires

276

      

As soft as now severe, our temper changed

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