Sri Aurobindo

Letters on Poetry and Art

SABCL - Volume 27

Part 2. On His Own and Others’ Poetry
Section 2. On Poets and Poetry
Comments on Some Examples of Western Poetry (up to 1900)

Milton

And they bowed down to the Gods of their {{0}}wives...[[This is apparently a misquotation of Milton’s line: “And made him bow, to the gods of his wives”. — Ed.]]

Burnt after them to the bottomless pit ...

Certainly, Milton in the passages you quote had a rhythmical effect in mind; he was much too careful and conscientious a metrist and much too consummate a master of rhythm to do anything carelessly or without good reason. If he found his inspiration stumbling or becoming slipshod in its rhythmical effects, he would have corrected it.

22 April 1947