Milton's Minor Poems-John Milton
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What is the purpose of the Librivox introduction and preface?
Milton's minor poems. This is a Libervox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer. Please visit Librivox dot org Recording by Thomas Copeland Front Matter Part one Preface by the Reverend H C Beeching MA. This edition of Milton's poetry is a reprint, as careful as editor and printers have been able to make it. From the earliest printed copies of the several poems. First, the sixteen forty five volume of the minor poems has been printed entire. Then follow in order the poems added in the reissue of sixteen seventy three. Paradise Lost from the edition of sixteen sixty seven. and the Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes from the edition of sixteen seventy one.
The most interesting portion of the book must be reckoned the first section of it, which reproduces for the first time the scarce small octavo of sixteen forty five. The only reprint of the minor poems in the old spelling so far as I know, is the one edited by Mitford, who But that followed the edition of sixteen seventy three which Which is comparatively uninteresting, since it could not have had Milton's oversight as it passed through the press. We know that it was set up from a copy of the sixteen forty-five edition because it reproduces some pointless eccentricities, such as the varying form of the chorus in Psalm one hundred thirty-six. But while it corrects the errata tabulated in that edition, it commits many more blunders of its own.
It is valuable, however, as the Editioprincaps of ten of the sonnets, and it contains one important alteration in the Ode on the Nativity. This and all other alterations will be found noted where they occur. I have not thought it necessary to note mere differences of spelling between the two editions. But a word may find place here upon their general character. Generally, it may be said that where the two editions differ, the later spelling is that now in use, and Thus words like goddess, darkness, usually written in the first edition with one final s, have two, while on the other hand words like vernal, youthful and monosyllables like hug, far. Lose their double letter. Many monosyllables, for example.
Sum S O M Course C O U R S Glimpse G L I N P S where W H E R Verse V E R S A W L E L S. Dunn D O N
How does the preface discuss the different editions and spelling variations?
I E Y Lie L Y So written in sixteen forty five, take on in sixteen seventy three, and An E mute. While words like HARP H A R P E WINS W I N D E S only O N E L Y Lose it. By a reciprocal change Air and Cyprus C I P R E S become Air AIR and Cyprus E Y P R E S. And the vowels in Dane. Vale L Nier N E E R Believe B E L E V E SHIELD SH E L D BUSM BO SOM Even E E V E N Battle B A T A I L, traveller T R A V A I L R, and many other words are similarly modernized. On the other hand, there are a few cases where the sixteen forty five edition exhibits the spelling which has succeeded in fixing itself, as travail sixteen seventy three, travel. In the sense of labour. And rogue? R O B apostrophe D. Profane PROPHANE Human H U M A N E, Flood F L O U D and Bloody B L O U D Y Forest F O R E S T, Triple TRIPLE, Alas ALA S and HUD LING HU D LING
Indeed, the spelling in this later edition is not untouched by seventeenth century inconsistency. It retains here and there, forms like shameless with one esque. Caterus with one S, where sixteen forty five reads Caterus with two S. and occasionally reverts to the older fashioned spelling of monosyllables without the mute E. In the epitaph on the Martianess of Winchester it reads Quote. And some SOM flowers and some bays, but undoubtedly the impression on the whole is of a much more modern text. In the matter of small or capital letters I have followed the old copy, except in one or two places where a personification seemed not plainly enough marked to a modern reader without a cap. Thus in Il Penseroso line forty nine, I print leisure L E A S U R E with a capital L
Although both editions read Leisure with a small eye. And in the vacation exercise, line seventy one, times with a capital T for times with a small t. Also, where the employment or omission of a capital is plainly due to misprinting, as too frequently in the sixteen seventy three edition, I silently make the correction.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the purpose of the Librivox introduction and preface?
0:00–2:48
2
How does the preface discuss the different editions and spelling variations?
2:48–19:28
3
What insights are given about Milton's manuscript spelling and punctuation?
19:28–53:42
4
How are individual poems like the Passion and On Time introduced?
53:42–1:59:44
5
What philosophical reflections on conscience and divine guardians open this segment?
1:59:44–2:27:26
6
How does the narrative introduce the water‑nymph Sabrina and her magical aid?
2:27:26–3:02:42
7
What conflict arises with the false enchanter and how is it resolved?
3:02:42–3:43:25
8
Which collections of Milton’s minor poems and psalms are presented at the end?
3:43:25–3:56:22