Decoding the Miltonic Simile: A Lens into Paradise Lost

The epic similes of John Milton’s Paradise Lost stand apart from those in any other epic poem. They are essential to understanding the poem’s complexities, offering a unique mode of vision that transcends the narrative’s linear boundaries. While their importance is universally acknowledged, the interpretation of these “Miltonic” similes remains a source of ongoing critical debate. This article delves into the intricacies of the Miltonic simile, exploring its distinctive features and examining its function within the grand tapestry of Paradise Lost.

The Observer Ab Extra: A Distinguishing Characteristic

A defining feature of the Miltonic simile is the presence of an element that exists outside the framework of the comparison. This element, often an observer, stands ab extra—from the outside—looking in and seemingly passing judgment on the action. Book One alone offers several examples of this “observer simile”: the pilot of a small skiff observing Leviathan (compared to Satan), the Tuscan artist (Galileo) observing the moon (compared to Satan’s shield), and the Israelites observing the drowned Egyptians (compared to the fallen angels). These observers introduce a layer of interpretation and moral judgment, complicating the seemingly straightforward act of comparison.

Satan’s Shield and the Moon: A Closer Look

The simile comparing Satan’s shield to the moon illustrates this complexity. The surface-level comparison emphasizes the shield’s size, likening it to the moon’s orb. However, the introduction of Galileo, the Tuscan artist viewing the moon through his telescope, adds a new dimension. This “X” factor, as some critics call it, disrupts the simple A=A’ structure of the simile, forcing the reader to seek its analog within the poem’s larger framework.

Galileo’s presence evokes the idea of perspective. Just as Galileo uses a telescope to discern imperfections on the moon’s surface, so too must the reader strive for a proper perspective on Satan. The seemingly perfect, ethereal shield, like the moon, reveals flaws upon closer examination. Milton’s strategic placement of this observation at evening further emphasizes this indistinctness. The blurring of day and night mirrors the blurring of moral categories, challenging easy judgments of good and evil.

The Temporal Unfolding of Meaning

Stanley Fish offers another perspective on the Miltonic simile, focusing on its temporal unfolding. He argues that the simile’s meaning emerges gradually, forcing the reader to continually readjust their understanding. The simile comparing Satan’s spear to a ship’s mast exemplifies this. The reader initially envisions a massive spear, only to be presented with the image of a wand supporting “uneasy steps,” then ultimately realizing the spear’s size is beyond comprehension.

This process, Fish argues, highlights the limitations of human understanding, especially when confronted with eternal truths. The reader’s “fallenness” is exposed, emphasizing the gap between human perception and divine knowledge.

The Counter-Plot: A Subterranean Narrative

Geoffrey Hartman proposes yet another interpretation, focusing on the spatial dimension of the simile. He identifies a “counter-plot” embedded within many similes, a hidden narrative that often works against the surface-level comparison. In the simile of fallen leaves, compared to the fallen angels, the counter-plot depicts the destruction of the Egyptians, a figure associated with Satan, by the wind god Orion, also initially linked to Satan. This self-destructive element, Hartman argues, subtly reinforces the workings of divine providence even amidst Satan’s rebellion.

Beyond Theological Certainty: The Power of Ambiguity

While both Fish and Hartman offer compelling interpretations, the Miltonic simile often resists definitive theological readings. The beauty of the Vallombrosa lines, describing the fallen leaves as still clinging to the trees in a bower-like setting, introduces an element of pathos that complicates the straightforward condemnation of the fallen angels.

This aestheticization of the Fall, the beauty found in a fallen perspective, challenges the rigid binaries of good and evil. The similes, rather than reinforcing theological certainties, often open up spaces of ambiguity and doubt.

The Belated Peasant and the Ambiguous Moon

The simile of the belated peasant witnessing (or dreaming he witnesses) the dance of fairy elves further underscores this ambiguity. The moon, figuring as “Arbitress,” ostensibly represents divine providence. However, given its previous association with Satan’s shield and its flawed nature revealed by Galileo, its role as a guarantor of justice becomes uncertain.

The Miltonic Simile: A Continuing Challenge

Ultimately, the Miltonic similes resist easy categorization. They challenge the reader to grapple with the complexities of perspective, the limits of human understanding, and the ambiguous nature of good and evil. They are not merely decorative elements but integral to the poem’s intricate exploration of theological and philosophical questions, continuing to fascinate and provoke readers centuries later.