So I'm taking a Milton class this fall. Which is great. But in yesterday's class, a discussion occurred, of which I was the instigator. Basically, it revolved around the modern reader's inability to recognize medieval and early modern texts for what they are. Something that annoys me, and I think says a lot about myself as a possible future academic, is that many (of course not all) students are unwilling to read in earnest what is simply the writings of belief. Yesterday there was very little sincerity conveyed on Milton's characters, or on Milton. Instead he was given the crushing title, Naive. It's Cute, Laughable, Naive, but come on, take it seriously, that such a brilliant man could hold so strongly to such naive precepts as Protestant Christianity, come on.
My professor called this problem the inability of modern readers to break from the Hermeneutic of Suspicion, to be unwilling to be deeply moved by the sincerity of Milton's belief, while simultaneously being moved by his skill as a poet. Instead we distance ourselves from anything that requires earnestness on our part, and analyze to death what was originally meant to inspire.
If we can't do that, or are unwilling to do it, then I think these texts are dead. In all of this, big props to DR, who taught his students that these texts are first moving, to the point of tears; they are tragic and beautiful (if a bit remote from current thinking) and only second, are they academic fodder.
This is a rant.
thanks for listening.
Yours truly.
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5 comments:
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CZF:
I didn't find that when I took Milton at Muhlenberg. People seemed interested to learn about what he was talking about, I think because he had such a critical mind. In general, people moved passed the quaintness of religion and talked about the complexity of moral issues. Who cares if Milton is describing a creation that seems impossible, he's describing humanity and human purpose.
Thinking Milton's religious belief is quaint would be like dismissing Austen's writing for being too quaintly romantic.
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Also, czf, I think you should not ignore your fellow students who think they can so easily judge these texts. Maybe you should even thank them, because you don't have to worry about any of these morons trying to get the jobs you will be seeking out in the years to come.
I concur. Unfortunately, I believe that the herm. of suspicion goes far beyond students reading Milton. We (as in our society, culture, television) mock all ernestness. It's something to be distrusted. To be sincere in a belief opens oneself to sarcasm.
I don't mean anything to be only with milton. it goes far earlier (troylus and criseyde is tragic, not funny) and up to today (extremely loud and incredibly close is not ironic, it is deeply moving (or means to be)).
and i also don't mean the discussions. people are interested in milton's ethics and christianity and the new historical aspects of the religious life in the early modern period (i myself fall very strongly into this camp) because if we aren't then we simply cannot talk about milton.
what i'm talking about is the reading. not the discussion. we can talk with enthusiasm without reading with earnestness.
the hermeneutic of suspicion doesn't allow (or tries not to) reading something written with such sincerity in such a way.
i'm still hashing this out.
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