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Is Milton Better than Shakespeare?

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I have a shameful confession. I've lived more than half a century and I'm pretty well-read. But ever since a nightmarish high school experience in English Lit, I've never been able to stomach the thought of reading John Milton--despite the fact that an acquaintance of mine has sworn by him for years.

Nigel Smith's Is Milton Better than Shakespeare? may've changed that. His discussion of Milton's context, poetic style, and contemporary relevance--not to mention the generous amount of Milton's poetry and prose that he actually quotes--goes a long way toward neutralizing my longstanding aversion to Milton. And neutralization just might be the first tentative step toward appreciation.

The book's title has only a rhetorical connection with the book--it's more of a barker's call to get you in the tent than an indication of what you'll find once inside. There's little effort on Smith's part actually to compare Shakespeare and Milton. Instead, what he does is provide what I think is best described as an overview or introduction to Milton intended to persuade us that the poet is well worth reading today. Call it Milton 101. Well, maybe Milton 301.

Smith focuses on what he sees as the major themes in Milton, which include liberty ("at the center of [Milton's] vision," claims Smith), human and social transformation, the paradox of good and evil, and free will and moral responsibility--not to mention divorce in both its social/legal and metaphysical/biblical senses--and uses them to guide the reader to a better appreciation of how to read Milton. A large part of Smith's argument is geared to stressing Milton's relevance, and he draws connections between Miltonic themes and (for example) Islamic terrorism, Founding Father ideals, children's literature, and heavy metal music. But Smith's brief for Milton isn't based (and properly, too) merely on the poet's relevance, but also on the sheer beauty of his artistry.

The contemporary ear may no longer be easily attuned to Miltonic verse (not to mention his teutonically-long prose sentences!). Neither, for that matter, are we entirely comfortable with Shakespeare's cadences and vocabulary. Yet many of us happily know that Shakespeare can be grown into. Perhaps with the help of Smith, something similar can happen with Milton.

This reads like a series of high quality lectures. Unfortunately, the reader does not have the opportunity to question the lecturer when clarification is needed.