Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained: Reader’s Guide

For centuries, the enduring and indelible imagery of Paradise Lost has shaped our cultural consciousness of the treachery of Satan and the Fall of mankind. The soaring beauty of the language and the depth and complexity of the syntax establish Paradise Lost as an important classic that will be read for centuries to come. Equally important, though less frequently read, Paradise Regained brings the character arcs of both Satan and the Son to a triumphant and deeply satisfying finish. These two great epic poems offer rich insight into the nature of free will, sin, justice, holiness, rebellion, and redemption.

Join Joe Carlson, author of the Dante Curriculum, as he walks through each of the epics, offering summaries of the books, notes detailing various classical allusions and Scriptural references, analyses unpacking key moments in the story, and a handful of discussion questions for further contemplation. This guide will greatly enhance the reading of the poems, both for the first-time student and the life-long scholar.

The guide does not include the text of the poems. Its notes follow the line numbers of Roman Roads’ edition of Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained, edited by Joe Carlson.