Poems by Milton
Milton's 'On Shakespear'
Read a poem of praise closely.
In 'On Shakespear', Milton asks why Shakespeare should need a heap of piled stones, or a pyramid, built over his bones as a monument.
As the 'son of memory' and the 'heir of Fame', Shakespeare has already built himself a lasting monument: the wonder and astonishment of his readers.
His natural, easy-flowing verse puts slow, laboured art to shame. His 'Delphic' lines, wise and mysterious like the oracle of Delphi, make a deep impression on every heart.
His readers, overwhelmed by his poetry, become still as marble, lost in wonder. They are his monument.
Lying in such a tomb, Shakespeare is so honoured that kings would wish to die for one like it.
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