Reading Activities compiled by Kevin Rich |During Reading | After Reading | 10 Pre-Reading Activities 1. Johnson, Samuel. Life of Milton. Rutgers University. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/%7Ejlynch/Texts/milton.html>. Useful because it provides an in depth look at Milton from someone who lived relatively close to his times. Speaks of Milton’s difficulty in dealing with blindness, having his daughters read to him in languages they didn’t know, and also contains critiques and quotes not found anywhere else. It also provides an interesting look at writings of the times, and is one of the few harsh critiques of Milton. 2. Bagehot, Walter. John Milton (1859). Bartleby.com. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.bartleby.com/28/8.html> An autobiography written about 1857, spending a significant amount of time on Milton’s opinion of the Monarchy, which opinion greatly influenced his life both personal and public. Also, it provides singular quotes attributed to Milton, and others that are simply about Milton by those of his time. 3. Flannagan, Roy C. A John Milton Chronology. 03 Apr. 1997. Ohio University. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.richmond.edu/%7Ecreamer/milton/chronology.html>. Introduces a timeline in which not only are the works and events of Milton’s life are chronologically placed, but also some of the political events that inspired Milton’s works are included. 4. MacLeod, Laura. John “The Lady” Milton. incompetech.com. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.incompetech.com/authors/milton/>. Provides a modern autobiography of Milton’s life, and while it lacks in interesting quotes it does provide useful information. For example: “In 1642, John married a woman named Mary Powell. She was 17. John was 34. She was from a Royalist family. John was a staunch supporter of Parliament over royalty. She was almost completely uneducated. John was, obviously, extremely well-educated. It was as good a match as you might think. One month after the ceremony, Mary went to visit her family and stayed there.” One of the benefits is that it may be easier for students to understand than contemporary autobiographies. 5. Creamer, Kevin J.T. The Milton-L Home Page. 16 Aug. 2005. University of Richmond. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.urich.edu/%7Ecreamer/milton/audio.html>. This site provides audio recordings of some of Milton’s shorter works such as, Methought I saw my late espoused Saint and O Nightingale. It would be a great help for showing students how to read Milton’s works. 6. Tennyson, Alfred Lord. Milton. Representative Poetry Online. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/2168.html>. This is a link to a poem about Milton written by Tennyson. The poem is titled Milton. This could be used to show students the acknowledgement of other great poets of Milton and his works. 7. Milton, John. Creative Quotations from John Milton. Creative Quotations. 22 Feb. 2006.<http://www.creativequotations.com/one/170.htm>. This is a link to provoking, and humorous, quotations by Milton. Perhaps it would help to have these quotes posted around the classroom, to remind the students of Milton’s personality. 8. Donne, John. “Portrait of Milton with Dryden’s Dedication.” No Date. Online image. John Milton. Feb 22. 2006. <http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/milton/milpic1.htm>. This link provides a picture, and a flattering dedication written by Dryden. So students can see who their studying and to once again show Milton being honored by other great poets. 9. Nathan Chaney, Casey Noga. Introduction. Dartmouth College. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/areopagitica/notes.shtml>. This site provides a look at Areopagitica and the effect it has had on today’s thought regarding free press. It also includes, though not in any serious depth, a look at the events in England that inspired the work. The greatest value though is its analysis of the effect is has had on the Bill of Rights, and why it didn’t have much of an effect in his day. 10. Blasi, Vincent. Milton’s Areopagitica and the Modern First Amendment. Yale University. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Publications/pub-blasi.htm>. This speech by Vincent Blasi, who is a Corliss Lamont Professor of Civil Liberties at Columbia Law School, contains an in-depth look at the political repressions, and the reasons for the repressions, that inspired Milton to write Areopagitica. 10 During Reading Activities 1. Rich, Kevin. “Milton Freedom Exploration.” 2006. Brigham Young University. <english.byu.edu/Novelinks/default.html>. Milton’s work contains a variety of literary tactics, including: allusions, personifications, metaphors, etc. Have the students identify a number of these tactics in the text, then have them do an exercise where they use them within their own writing. For example, they could write a short story where they use a personification and an allusion. 2. “Naevius, Gnaeus.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 22 Feb. 2006 <http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9054628>. From this sight any of the many Greek of Roman names used be Milton may be found with a brief description of who they are and why they are significant. 3. “Censorship of Books.” New Advent. 06 Oct. 2005. New Advent. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03519d.htm>. This site contains many of the rules and much of the history behind censorship. It includes such rules of censorship as these gems: • of all heretical and superstitious writings; • of all immoral (obscene) books, the old classics alone excepted, which, however, are not to be used in teaching the young; This information could be used to inform the students on exactly how harsh the rules were regarding censorship. 4. Nathan Chaney, Casey Noga. Introduction. Dartmouth College. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/areopagitica/notes.shtml>. This site provides an in-depth look at the meaning of the words used in Areopagitica. This is helpful to both the teacher and the student. 5. J.J., E.F. Robertson. Galileo Galilei. Nov. 2002. School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences University of St Andrews. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Galileo.html>. It is evident from the reading that Milton’s visit to Galileo in Italy, while Galileo was under house arrest, had a significant impact on Milton. This site, http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Galileo.html, provides a short biography of Galileo, including a story about how Galileo had to smuggle some of his books out of Italy to be printed. 6. Kroll, Richard. “The Divine Right of Kings.” University of California. 10 Feb. 2006. <http://www.ajdrake.com/teachers/teaching/guides/brit_civil_war/divine_right_of_kings.htm>. This site can be used as supplemental reading material. It outlines the divinity of king and even goes so far as to state, “Kings can justly be called gods”. This is an idea Milton attacks. It may help the students see what Milton was up against. 7. Bryson, Michael. “Areopagitica.” Michael Bryson. California State University. 10 Feb.2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/aeropagitica.html> This site has many helps for both the students and the teacher. It gives a brief history of licensing, has questions for the students, and summarizes the argument made. A very good source. 8. Bryson, Michael. “A Whirlwind Tour of the Protestant Reformation.” California State University. 10 Feb.2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/refoutline.html> This site gives an aspect to Milton not yet seen in any of the links, this site gives a quick, yet in-depth, look at the process of reformation in England. 9. Bryson, Michael. “The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.” California State University. 10 Feb.2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/tenureofkings.html> This site takes an in-depth look at Milton’s objection to Monarchy, understanding this and the reasons why may help students better understand Areopagitica. 10. Bryson, Michael. “Areopagitica.” Michael Bryson. 2004. California State University. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/aeropagitica.html> This site contains a breakdown of Milton’s arguments on today’s language. It will be helpful for any teacher or student who has difficulty grasping or explaining his ideas, of for any student. 10 Post Reading Activities 1. Rich, Kevin. “Milton Freedom Exploration.” 2006. Brigham Young University. Blasi, Vincent. Milton’s Areopagitica and the Modern First Amendment. Yale University. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Publications/pub-blasi.htm>. Have students talk about, and present a paper about how the thoughts Milton presents in Areopagitica relate to the first amendment. For ideas refer to the article “Milton’s Areopagitica and the Modern First Amendment”, found at <http://www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Publications/pub-blasi.htm> 2. Rich, Kevin. “Milton Freedom Exploration.” 2006. Brigham Young University. Create a debate team in the class. Have a portion of the students represent judges, another portion represents Parliament, and another portion represents Milton and his views. Have the judges be prepared with notes on the happenings of the time; have the Parliament prepared with their defense against Milton; and have those representing Milton be prepared with their complaints. Afterward have the class write a reflection paper on the activity. (Extra-credit if anyone wears a white wig to the trial.) 3. Drake, Al. “Notable Statements about Milton.” University of California. 10 Feb. 2006. <http://www.ajdrake.com/teachers/teaching/guides/brit_civil_war/milton_quotati 584071991ons.htm> It will probably help students, by the end of the unit, to go back and reflect on why people consider Milton to so great. This site contains extensive quotes about Milton from figures like Wordsworth, T.S. Elliot, and others. 4. Bryson, Michael. “An Apology Against a Pamphlet.” California State University. 10 Feb.2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/apology.html> An effective example of the power of Milton’s writing. This web page takes a look at a defense Milton wrote, in an attempt to justify his own writings. 5. Bryson, Michael. “Notes on Milton's Developing Political Ideas.” California State University. 10 Feb.2006. <http://www.brysons.net/miltonweb/milton06.html> This site is an extremely extensive view of the viewpoints and arguments made by Milton. Including, Milton's response to The Divine-Right Theory Account of a King's Accountability, Who May Be Resisted as a Tyrant, The Right to Resist Tyranny, and many other topics. 6. “Order of the Long Parliament for the Regulating of Printing, 14 June, 1643.” Bartelby.com 10 Feb. 2006. <http://www.bartleby.com/3/3/1.html> This site contains the actual order that made Milton write Areopagitica. Browsing the actual order that offended Milton enough to write such an extensive piece as Areopagitica, will help students know the seriousness of the topic of which Milton wrote. 7. Rich, Kevin. “Milton Freedom Exploration.” 2006. Brigham Young University. Start class with a quote out of Areopagitica on the overhead. Have the students write what they think, or how they feel about the quote in their journals. An example of a good quote might be “… for books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are.” (May also be a source for vocabulary words) Another, related quote, “… as good almost kill a man as kill a good book… who kills a man kills a reasonable creature … but he who kills a good book kill reason itself.” 8. “John Milton: Excerpts from Areopagitica, Paradise Lost.” 31 Jan. 2006. Carson-Newman College. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/study/201_Milton_01.html> This site contains helpful study questions, in case the teacher desire to quiz the students 9. Ockerbloom, John Mark. Banned Books Online. 2005. The Online Books Page. 22 Feb. 2006. <http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html> This site contains lists of many books that have been banned from public schools. The list includes The Canterbury Tails, Macbeth, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and many others. It also includes the reasons why they were banned. Review some of the books from the list, have the students read any of them? Probably. Allow them to debate whether the books should be banned or not. 10. Rich, Kevin. “Milton Freedom Exploration.” 2006. Brigham Young University. Have students ask various people of various ages what freedom of speech and the topic of censorship mean to them. Afterward, have students pick their favorites and put them up on a board in the class. See how these ideas compare to Milton’s.