Milton uses the story of a shepherd grieving for Lycidas to explore his feelings after the death of his friend Edward King. The poem begins with the shepherd collecting leaves for Lycidas's funeral and calling for the world to mourn his loss. A parade of characters from Greek mythology arrive to comfort the shepherd, but he continues to grieve. In the final stanzas, he finds consolation in the promise of Christian resurrection and leaves for new pastures.
The Question and Answer section for Lycidas is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Fame changes us : fame makes us give up simple delights. The speaker is saying that the only we reason we "scorn delights" (like hanging out with Amaryllis and Neaera) and live a life of labor is because the prospect of fame "spur[s]" us on.
“Lycidas” is an example of pastoral poetry, a genre that uses nostalgic scenes from the shepherd’s life to address universal themes. The Greek poet Theocritus popularized the genre with his Idylls, a series of poems structured around singing...
Milton had a lot of famous lines. Which one are you referring to?
