Paradise Lost Lesson Plan

Why does Milton address and praise "holy Light" at the beginning of Book III? What is the relationship between the poet and this divine Light?

Some students may interpret the "holy Light" referenced by Milton as an invocation of an elemental force not unlike Chaos. Other students may disagree, however, on the basis that the rest of Milton's cosmology in Paradise Lost does not deviate too much from the traditional Christian understanding of the universe. In all likelihood, Milton's "holy Light" is a kind of euphemism or nickname for the Holy Spirit, one of the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

How does Milton describe the relationship between God the Father and God...