Milton: A Poem in Two Books "Jerusalem". The poem appears after a prose attack on the influence of Greek and Roman culture, which is unfavourably contrasted with "the Sublime of the Bible". The poem is divided into two "books". Book I opens with an epic invocation to the muses, drawing on the classical models of Homer and Virgil, which were also used by John Milton in "Paradise Lost". However, Blake describes inspiration in bodily terms, vitalising the nerves of his arm. Blake goes on to describe the activities of Los, one of his mythological characters, who creates a complex universe from within which other Blakean characters
The Story of Marie Powell: Wife to Mr. Milton The Story of Marie Powell: Wife to Mr. Milton The Story of Marie Powell: Wife to Mr. Milton, by Robert Graves, 1943, is a 1943 historical novel based on a true story, the life of the young wife of poet John Milton. Graves tells it from her viewpoint and paints an unflattering portrait of Milton. In addition to Milton and Marie, real historical characters included in the story include Edmund Verney, who is depicted as Marie's true love. Summarising the novel for the Carcanet edition, Simon Brittan wrote that: "Graves regards [Milton] as one of the heinous monsters in the