On this Day...

December 9

In 1608, England’s blind visionary poet John Milton was born. He was known as “the Lady” because of his pale skin and beautiful auburn hair, and his major interests in life were God, the classics, and himself. He was married three times, and thought “woman was made only for obedience; man made only for rebellion.” Not surprisingly, at the outbreak of civil war he was quick to join the rebellious parliamentarians against the king. Struck blind in 1652, he managed to dictate some of his finest verse – including “Paradise Lost” – often cramming 300 words into a single sentence. Though his work was widely praised he was much disliked, and according to one contemporary he was “a silly coxcomb... with nothing more human about him than his guttering eyes.” ─ from Today’s The Day! by Jeremy Beadle (Signet)