Comus

Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667) 

Milton’s masterpiece, this is an epic poem about Satan’s rebellion against God, Satan’s temptation of Eve, the fall of Adam and Eve, and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The themes, such as the struggle between good and evil, are similar to those found in Comus but are presented on a larger scale. In particular, Comus’s attempt to tempt the Lady through argumentation resembles Satan’s cunning deception of Eve, though the latter is more successful.

“Lycidas” by John Milton (1638)

From the same early period in Milton’s work as Comus, “Lycidas” is a pastoral elegy. It is a lament for the death by drowning of a young fellow poet whom Milton knew at Cambridge University. Following the conventions of the pastoral elegy, the speaker is a shepherd who uses images of an idyllic life in the country to lament the loss of his friend and fellow shepherd. Comus also draws on elements of pastoral literature since both the Attendant Spirit and Comus disguise themselves as shepherds. In both poems, Milton also draws extensively on classical mythology. 

“Arcades” by John Milton (c. 1632-34)

This is Milton’s first masque. The exact date of writing is uncertain; it was performed either in 1633 or 1634. As with Comus, Milton collaborated with composer Henry Lawes, and the masque was presented to the Countess Dowager of Darby by members of her family. Arcades is much shorter than Comus, comprising 105 lines. Like Comus, it is both pastoral in form and full of mythological allusions. Unlike Comus, it lacks a plot. It features Genius, a protective spirit of the wood, who descends to praise the Countess of Derby, comparing her to a goddess who brings peace to her realm. The shepherds perform a song in her honor.