He says, Moreover, just as an epic poet, if he is scrupulous and disinclined to break the rules, undertakes to extol not the whole life of the hero whom he proposes to celebrate in his verse, but usually one event of his life (the exploit of Achilles at Troy, let us say, or the return of Ulysses, or the arrival of Aeneas in Italy) and passes over the rest (685) This view of the classical epic may be justified, but its authority hardly applies to the task or "event" that "Paradise Lost" undertakes to explain. ...

• Word Count: 1188
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate