Remembering and Repeating: On Milton's Theology and PoeticsUniversity of Chicago Press, 1993 - 144 pages In this graceful and compelling book, Regina Schwartz presents a powerful reading of Paradise Lost by tracing the structure of the poem to the pattern of "repeated beginnings" found in the Bible. In both works, the world order is constantly threatened by chaos. By drawing on both the Bible and the more contemporary works of, among others, Freud, Lacan, Ricoeur, Said, and Derrida, Schwartz argues that chaos does not simply threaten order, but rather, chaos inheres in order. "A brilliant study that quietly but powerfully recharacterizes many of the contexts of discussion in Milton criticism. Particularly noteworthy is Schwartz's ability to introduce advanced theoretical perspectives without ever taking the focus of attention away from the dynamics and problematics of Milton's poem."—Stanley Fish |
From inside the book
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Page xi
... language , regarding it as both a snare and our means of redemption ; John Milton , the political figure whose career helped to shape the course of history even as his life was shaped — and threatened — by it ; John Milton , the ...
... language , regarding it as both a snare and our means of redemption ; John Milton , the political figure whose career helped to shape the course of history even as his life was shaped — and threatened — by it ; John Milton , the ...
Page xii
... language , by knowledge , by the posture of the subject : this book centers on these themes , on one thinker's preoccupation with them , and on the striking resemblance that Milton's struggle with them bears , on the one hand , to ...
... language , by knowledge , by the posture of the subject : this book centers on these themes , on one thinker's preoccupation with them , and on the striking resemblance that Milton's struggle with them bears , on the one hand , to ...
Page 1
... language to convey origins at all . Milton does not even depict the cosmic creation as a privileged beginning , a single event that occurred once - upon - a - time and for all time . Rather , his notion of beginning , like Said's , is ...
... language to convey origins at all . Milton does not even depict the cosmic creation as a privileged beginning , a single event that occurred once - upon - a - time and for all time . Rather , his notion of beginning , like Said's , is ...
Page 6
... language with performative power , he must contend with the difficulties of interpretation that attend such per- formance . In the last chapter I address the subject of repetition itself . I contrast ritual repetition of the creation ...
... language with performative power , he must contend with the difficulties of interpretation that attend such per- formance . In the last chapter I address the subject of repetition itself . I contrast ritual repetition of the creation ...
Page 7
... language that ritually performs and language that cannot , ritual and pathological repetition - all of those distinctions break down in the face of the continual struggle between oppositions . " Alternatives " may never clarify ...
... language that ritually performs and language that cannot , ritual and pathological repetition - all of those distinctions break down in the face of the continual struggle between oppositions . " Alternatives " may never clarify ...
Other editions - View all
Remembering and Repeating: Biblical Creation in Paradise Lost Regina M. Schwartz Limited preview - 1988 |
Remembering and Repeating: Biblical Creation in Paradise Lost Regina M. Schwartz No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
abyss Adam and Eve Adam's angels astronomy atoms aubade Augustine battle becomes beginning Bible Biblical Book commemoration compulsive cosmic cosmos created creation narrative Creator curiosity dark death death instinct debt deep depicts Derrida distinction divine doctrine drama earth epic eternal event evil exodus expression fall Freud Genesis George Wither gratitude heaven hell holy human hymn of praise Ibid infernal inquiry instinct invocation John Milton knowledge Lewalski light liturgy Lord loss Lycidas memory Milton Milton's chaos Muse myth narcissism narrator Nativity Ode notion object offers origin Orpheus Paradise Lost Paradise Regained pleasure principle poem poet poetic poetry prayer Press Princeton Univ psalms Raphael redemption remember Renaissance repeat repetition revenge Ricoeur ritual sabbath sacred Samson Agonistes Satan scopophilia sense sing song speaks stars tells temptation thee theodicy things thir thou Tiamat tion tradition trans unclean universe utterance voice voyeur war in heaven words
Popular passages
Page 2 - OF Man's First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, Sing Heav'nly Muse...