Areopagitica and Other Prose Works Literary Elements

Essay

All of Milton's essays concern English issues, especially the political drama of the English Civil War from 1640-1660.

"Areopagitica" and Milton's other essays are written from his perspective, in the first person. He also sometimes employs the first person plural to create a sense of community with his audience.

In "Areopagitica," Milton's tone is assertive, self-assured, and intense. The mood is inspiring, as Milton seeks to inspire his audience to hope for a better world. In "Of True Religion" and "The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates," the tone is more pessimistic, though still rousing.

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In "Areopagitica," the major conflict is between Milton's vision for England and English ideals, and the reality of censorship laws. In Milton's other essays, the conflict is usually between Milton's political program, and present-day political reality.

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In "Areopagitica," Milton observes that the licensors have become extremely slow to read any books submitted for approval. He describes this as a symptom of their "weariness," understating the more fundamental problem: the fundamentally hostile relationship between their profession and a love for knowledge.

Milton makes many allusions to ancient Greek mythology and Christian religious history. For example, in "Areopagitica," he writes that books are “as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon's teeth; and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men," referencing the Greek myth that dragons teeth, once planted in the ground, can grow into soldiers. He also alludes to the story of Cupid and Psyche, writing that sorting good from evil is as difficult as Psyche's task of sorting an enormous pile of seeds.

Generally, Milton's essays are focused on rational arguments, leaving little room for imagery. However, "Areopagitica" contains some vivid imagery of the city of London and the corruption of the Catholic Church.

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Throughout "Areopagitica," Milton draws a parallel between Parliament's policy of censorship, and old Catholic laws. The association is meant to make Parliament question its actions, as it sought to distance itself from Catholicism. He similarly casts the prohibition of divorce as a leftover Catholic policy in "The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce."

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The two most important examples of personification in "Areopagitica" are Truth and books. Milton personifies Truth as a bold and clever woman who will triumph over falsehood as long as she is given her freedom. The book is personified as akin to an ordinary member of a society, which comes into the world through birth and arrives at maturity only by interacting with others. Milton similarly personifies concepts in his other essays.