Prelapsarian v. Postlapsarian. Milton's
Impressionistic Grammar
It is our knowledge, as POSTLAPSARIAN
beings, that distorts and colours the meaning of some
phrases.
river described as meandering with "mazy
error"
"mazy" represents Milton's human confused interpretation of
perfection.
"error" argues for the order to irregularity, the rightness in
wandering.Descriptions of before error was introduced.
perhaps suggests that to err is natural..
Milton's semantic use of "unblessed", "unfallen"
Connotations of these words are instantly compared to their original
forms, "blessed", "fallen"
Milton, through his syntax of "innocent"
in reference to the snake before Satan
enters him, stresses the fallen root of
"innocent" to "nocent"- [harmful].
So the snake is ominously "nor
nocent yet" Book 1
First description, book 1, the "luxurious", "wanton"
growth of the plants in paradise.
Suggests A+E's failure to tame the natural,
like God in taming A+E
Christopher Ricks, "before the fall
'luxurious' is a harmless horticultural
word; but its fallen meaning jostles
against it here.
"from her husband's hand her hand soft she withdrew"
prelapsarian interpretation - delicate hand incapable of guile.
postlapsarian interpretation - mixed suggestions of frailty and deceit.
Prelapsarian in book 8 - "wound" is a creative word.
"wide was the wound" of Adam's rib in the creation of
Eve. This is positive.
However, postlapsarian book 9 - "the earth felt the
wound". Negative.
My "wound" produced by the original sin never heals