Lines+160~320

Stephen G. Kim AP Literature

From Lines 160~320, the obvious allusion made is the Bible. In addition, there are also allusions made in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Virgil's Aenead, Galileo's discovery of the telescope, and some of the geographical backgrounds of Italy.

Pelorus photo from [|watsonk] on Flickr.

In line 197, Titanian is a reference made of the Titans who fought with Jove or Zeus, in the Greek mythology, which is mentioned in Ovid's Metamorphoses and Theogony. Briareos and Typhon, in lines 199, are also allusions made to the Greek mythology, Theogony. In line 201, the Leviathian is an allusion to the gigantic monster that God created in the Bible. In line 232, an Italian peninsula named Pelorus is mentioned. Later, in line 239, the river Styx that is located in hell in the Greek mythology is referred to connotate hellish.

//In line 263, "serve in Heav'n" refers to the Homer's Odysseus's characters, Achilles. In Odysseus, Achilles is said to have told Odysseus that he "would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead.", which is a total contrast of what Satan says in __Paradise Lost.__//

Beelzebub photo from [|Pedro Couto e Santos] on Flickr.

In line 271, the famous Beelzebub, also known as the "Lord of the Flies" or "Chief of the Devils" is alluded from the Bible and also Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. In line 285, "Ethereal temper" is referred from the heavenly fire which was told to having created Aeneas's shield in Aeneid. In line 287, the "Optic Glass" refers to the telescope that John Milton had seen from a visit to Gaileo, who is referred as the "Tuscan Artist." In the next following lines, Fesole and Valdarno refer to a valley and a hill located in the town of Florence. Also, in line 303, Vallombrosa is alluded from a famous shadowy valley located near Florence.

In line 305, Orion, a constellation, is alluded from the Aeneid and last, but not least, in line 307, Busiris is alluded from the Greek term for pharoah, who, is in that line, known as the Egyptian leader who chased Moses and the Israelites to the Red Sea and was drowned by the seas.