L'Allegro Summary

In "L'Allegro" a speaker argues for living a life full of pleasure. After rejecting Melancholy, the goddess that guides “Il Penseroso,” the speaker takes hands with Mirth and describes what it would be like to live in her company. He imagines greeting shepherds, going to festivals, and telling stories late into the night. In the poem’s final movement, the speaker travels from the countryside to the city to see the theater of Milton’s contemporaries. The speaker’s argument comes to an end, setting the stage for Milton’s companion poem, “Il Penseroso,” which will pick up where "L'Allegro" left off and make the opposite argument.