Comments on: Quote note (#112)

By: Aeroguy

Aeroguy — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 21:20:42 +0000

I’m not particularly keen on respecting the authority of populists and think it is gravely important to distinguish between populist authoritarianism and elitist authoritarianism. For this reason I find the placement of Brutus in the 9th circle to be very disagreeable.

By: E. Antony Gray (@RiverC)

E. Antony Gray (@RiverC) — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 17:00:38 +0000

Yes, Milton is actually my least favorite ‘well esteemed’ English poet. For one, he scrawled some pathetic verses against the monarchy.

By: E. Antony Gray (@RiverC)

E. Antony Gray (@RiverC) — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 16:59:06 +0000

interesting

but they don’t get it.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 15:44:46 +0000

He is unarguably inferior to Milton, and his long poem is unedifying.

Milton’s tragedy is unarguably more in tune with modern sensibilities than Dante’s comedy.

“Justice is what moved my exalted Maker;
I was the invention of the power of God,
Of his wisdom, and of his primal love.”

By: Erik

Erik — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 15:03:34 +0000

No it doesn’t. Ought I perhaps say that your comment ultimately reduces to “Hell is for enemies, and justice is petty” ?

By: bob sykes

bob sykes — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 11:25:33 +0000

A while ago, I read Mandelbaum’s award-winning translation of “The Divine Comedy.” It is good English poetry, but in the end one is left wondering why Dante is so esteemed. He is unarguably inferior to Milton, and his long poem is unedifying. It ultimately reduces to Dante getting even with his enemies and being petty.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 10:04:05 +0000

As usual, it’s instructive to contrast the splendour, subtlety and profundity of Milton’s Satan with Dante’s depiction of what is basically a robot weeping and slobbering with impotent rage, its mechanical wing-beats keeping its own icy prison securely frozen!

My object all sublime
I shall achieve in time —
To let the punishment fit the crime —
The punishment fit the crime;
And make each prisoner pent
Unwillingly represent
A source of innocent merriment!
Of innocent merriment!

By: Wyrd

Wyrd — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 02:28:20 +0000

Milton! Now there is a poet our friend Scott Alexander should be studying instead of Ginsberg.

Here at least
we shall be free; the Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choice
to reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.

-The Cathedral’s Prayer

By: Quote note (#112) | Reaction Times

Quote note (#112) | Reaction Times — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:17:17 +0000

[…] Source: Outside In […]

By: existoon

existoon — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 19:44:21 +0000

(What is celebrated in the Catholic officium, in fact, is the “baptism” of Christ-Lucifer, whereas ELEND continue following the angel into the heart of darkness (i.e. the outer darkness, “les ténèbres du dehors”, a term from Christian cosmography describing the place for those creatures that either have no name anymore or ha ve never had any). At the end of ELEND’s officium there is only silence, death and darkness. Death is the only
way to attain liberty and to escape patriarchal law.)