While the issues of the day that consumed the attention of scholar, accomplished linguist, politician and severe Puritan, John Milton (1608 - 1674) are now largely of historical interest, the verse which they inspired remains a staple of English literature. Although he is best known today for his poetic epics, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, Milton was also a master of shorter verse forms, particularly the sonnet, in which many consider him second only to Shakespeare.
This collection includes twenty-one of Milton's best-known short works.
