SYMBOLIC NUMEROLOGY IN JOHN MILTON’S WORKS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/Keywords:
John Milton, Paradise Lost, symbolic numerology, biblical numerology, trinitarian symbolism, angelic hierarchy, cosmic order, theological symbolism, narrative structure, Renaissance poetry.Abstract
This paper examines the use of symbolic numbers in John Milton’s works, with a primary focus on Paradise Lost, and supplementary references to Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes. The study argues that Milton employs numerical symbolism not as mystical numerology, but as a deliberate poetic technique rooted in Biblical theology and classical cosmology. Using close textual analysis and contextual comparison, the article demonstrates how Milton’s use of numbers such as 3, 7, 9, and 12 reinforces the theological and narrative structure of his epic. The findings show that numerical symbolism in Milton’s work contributes to the representation of cosmic order, divine hierarchy, and the moral contrast between divine creation and satanic rebellion.
References
1.Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Edited by Alastair Fowler, 2nd ed., Longman, 2007.
2.Milton, John. Paradise Regained. In The Riverside Milton, edited by Roy Flannagan, Houghton Mifflin, 1998, pp. 483–558.
3.Milton, John. Samson Agonistes. In The Riverside Milton, edited by Roy Flannagan, Houghton Mifflin, 1998, pp. 677–730.
4.Milton, John. De Doctrina Christiana. Edited by John Carey, Oxford University Press, 1973.
5.Lewis, C. S. A Preface to Paradise Lost. Oxford University Press, 1942.
6.Lewalski, Barbara K. Milton: Poet, Theologian, Historian. Harvard University Press, 2000.
7.Teskey, Gordon. Delirious Milton: The Fate of the Poet in Modernity. Harvard University Press, 2006.
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