Interpreting SAMSON AGONISTES

Interpreting SAMSON AGONISTES
Author: Joseph Anthony Wittreich
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 429
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 1400854172

Joseph Wittreich reveals Samson to be an intensely political work that reflects the heroic ambitions and failings of the Puritan Revolution and the tragic ambiguities of the era. He sees in the work not the purveyance of Medieval and early Renaissance typological associations but an interrogation of them and a consequent movement away from them. Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Uncertain World of Samson Agonistes

The Uncertain World of Samson Agonistes
Author: John T. Shawcross
Publisher: DS Brewer
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2001
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780859916097

Ambiguity, present in all aspects of the poem, is seen as central to Milton's authorial intentions. Shawcross proposes that the many ambiguities surrounding Milton's dramatic poem Samson Agonistes are intentional: the actual words, the dates of composition, the genre, and the characters - particularly Samson and Dalila but including Manoa, Harapha, and the Chorus. Ambiguity also lies in Milton's presentation of political issues both philosophical and practical, his treatment of gender concepts, the constant questioning of the reader, and the poem's effect. Discussing all these elements, Shawcross follows with a detailed reading of the text which argues that it remains purposefully ambiguous, reflecting Milton's own recognition of the uncertainty of the content, and suggesting that Milton himself would question some of the nice 'solutions' that modern scholarship has offered in the last two decades. JOHN SHAWCROSS is Professor of English, Emeritus, University of Kentucky.

Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and the Complete Shorter Poems

Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and the Complete Shorter Poems
Author: John Milton
Publisher: Modern Library
Total Pages: 450
Release: 2012-12-04
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0679645586

Edited by William Kerrigan, John Rumrich, and Stephen M. Fallon Derived from the Modern Library’s esteemed The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton, this new volume, extensively revised and updated by its editors, contains Milton’s two late masterpieces, the brief epic Paradise Regained and the tragic drama Samson Agonistes. Age after age, these works have inspired new controversy and exciting interpretive debates. With expert commentary to guide the reader through historical contexts and verbal details, as well as the larger political and philosophical implications, the concerns of these canonical pieces live once again for today’s audiences. The volume also contains Milton’s complete shorter poems, which include such major achievements as “Lycidas,” “A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634,” “L’Allegro,” and “Il Penseroso,” and the author’s twenty-four influential sonnets. Thoughtfully edited and carefully designed, this is an essential publication of Milton’s classic poetry. Praise for The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton “For generations of readers Milton has been the measure of both eloquence and nobility of mind. For the next generation, this new Modern Library volume will be the standard. It brings Milton, as a poet and a thinker, vividly alive before us.”—Robert Hass, former Poet Laureate of the United States “A superb edition of the great poet, with modernized spelling, lucid introductions to each work, illuminating footnotes, and fresh prose translations in Latin, Greek, and Italian. This will surely be the edition of choice for teachers, students, and general readers too.”—Leo Damrosch, Harvard University

Samson

Samson
Author: James L. Crenshaw
Publisher: Wipf & Stock Pub
Total Pages: 174
Release: 2005-01-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781597522076

'Samson: A secret betrayed, a vow ignored' marks a new milestone in Samson studies. You will not likely find a more useful and informative study of one of the Bible's best known characters. 'Samson' is clear and straightforward, up-to-date, enjoyable and easily read. James Crenshaw combines literary skills with rich theological understanding and sound scholarship to present a balanced, perceptive analysis. This comprehensive new study carefully analyzes the many dimensions of this popular biblical character. James Crenshaw examines the text, employing the critic's tools with flawless proficiency. He explores: -the traditions behind the biblical account -literary form and motifs -stylistic features -unifying themes -the tragic dimension of the saga -the significance of Samson's and the Philistines' riddles Crenshaw offers a concise and thorough approach well-suited to the beginning student plus provocative new insights to challenge the Samson scholar. 'Samson' is an excellent resource for ministers, students of the Bible, and church study groups.

Samson Agonistes and Other Poems

Samson Agonistes and Other Poems
Author: John Milton
Publisher: Broadview Press
Total Pages: 107
Release: 2013-12-10
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 1770484752

In Samson Agonistes, Milton’s last great work, he addresses questions that pressed insistently on the imagination of all who were unhappy with the changes wrought by the Restoration. How do we respond to the experience of defeat, and to fears of having been abandoned by the divine? How do we know when our actions accord with divine will, or when they are fueled instead by our fallen desires and weaknesses? At what point do accommodation and compromise with an enemy become a failure of will? What constitutes true heroism? To what extent is violence justified in the cause of freedom? In this dramatic poem, Milton abandons the regularly maintained blank verse of Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained and employs varying line lengths, mixes blank verse with lyric rhyme, and takes such liberties with scansion that the poem often has the feel of modern “free verse.” To many scholars, the poetry of Samson Agonistes seems the culminating literary expression of a poet who had already demonstrated his mastery of traditional forms and felt free to abandon convention to create the poetic effects he desired. In addition to Samson Agonistes, this volume includes a selection of Milton’s best-known short poems (also taken from The Broadview Anthology of British Literature). The biblical material concerning Samson is also included in an appendix.

Between Two Pillars

Between Two Pillars
Author: Joseph Gerson Mayer
Publisher: University Press of America
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2004
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780761829720

Between Two Pillars breaks free of the regenerist-revisionist controversy over Samson Agonistes by discerning a dialectical opposition between Samson's irrevocable election by God and his subjection--instanced by his slavery--to a fallen, un-Godly order. Complementing God's act of election is Samson's genius for inventing exploits that prove him God's mighty minister. In every episode, it is evident that his heroic drive and inventive powers persist, even though his helplessness absolutely forecloses a career of heroic action.The contradiction of his situation is both epitomized and transcended by his destruction of the temple. Performed in an act of servile idolatry, and horribly violent, it confirms his subjection to sin; yet, by destroying the theater of his servility, it asserts his identity of God champion. This reading is introduced by chapters on Samson's magnanimous pride, his violence, and the characteristic style of his exploits. It is then elaborated by close readings of each episode. A chapter on three late sonnets confirms the dialectical cast of Milton's imagination. Author Joseph Mayer provides a concluding section on Paradise Regained, which corroborates his reading of Samson Agonistes by showing parallels between the two works.