Invocation to the Muse- Paradise Lost

The epic poet undertaking a conscious literary exercise in a particular genre has to combine two passions- a heroic dedication and a confidence in his greatness which will prevent him from suffocating under the weight of great tradition. Milton successfully combines these two passions in Paradise Lost.   The ‘Adventurous Song’ he is writing is subjected on ‘man’s first disobedience’ and we know that the materials are taken from Genesis.
The opening phases ‘Of man’s first disobedience’ containing a great deal of information about Milton’s his subject matter, and his attitudes toward his subject. The impression is oracular and prophet-like. With the announcement of the theme the sense moves on with fruit ‘Of that forbidden tree’. That is the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. Man’s first disobedience was for Milton the primary subject of his epic and manages to suggest this through a biblical reference. Milton represents ‘Adam’ act as he represents all man’s act. Thus by tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree he was expelled from Paradise forever and so the first disobedience is not only the first in time; it is in a general manner the source of all other disobedience. Milton’s wants to justify the way of God to men. The phrase ‘All our woe’ represents that all human sorrows is attributed to this sin. The phase ‘loss of Eden’ refers to the loss of The Garden of Eden that is Paradise.   Milton talks of the ‘greater man’, Jesus, the son of God who will restore the ‘blissful seat’. Thus he hints the regain of Paradise.
The heavenly muse is described as soon as she invoked. She is defined as the spirit of god himself. In Book VII Milton refers to her by the name of Uremia. He clarifies there that she is not one of the nine muses as described in the classical mythology but is heavenly born. This spirit of God with Moses went to Mount Ore, first reveled Himself to him. It was as a Shepherd that Moses went to Ore, A fact which Milton emphasizes by the phrase ‘that...