Perhaps a little-known fact outside of early modern literature scholarship circles, Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost can be read in just one day. On December 2, a relatively mild and sunny day for this time of year in Southern California, Assistant Professors of English Literature Colleen Rosenfeld (Pomona) and Jacqueline Wernimont (Scripps) organized a one-day reading of the poem on the lawn north of Honnold-Mudd Library. From about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., students, faculty, alumni and visitors dropped by to read 50 lines each of the poem, which concerns the fall of man and the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan.
Rosenfeld and Wernimont also organized two additional events to coincide with the Milton marathon. On December 1, Jeff Dolven, associate professor of English at Princeton University gave a talk on the sound of Milton. And, until Feb. 25, the Honnold-Mudd Library is displaying an exhibit of Honnold-Mudd’s and Denison Library’s holdings on Paradise Lost and books and pamphlets written by Milton’s contemporaries who were espousing ideas of religion, nature, science, politics and philosophy during the 1600s.