John Milton (1604-1674) is regarded as one of England's greatest poets
of all time. Today he is best remembered for his epic poems "Paradise
Lost" and "Paradise Regained". He lived in a time of political upheaval,
witnessed the Civil War, the execution of Charles I, and the Restoration
of the monarchy. The later event deprived the blind publicist of all his
publicity, but gave him the opportunity to complete his most famous
works. The life of John Milton mirrors the tense times of England during
the Commonwealth and is essential in gaining an understanding of this
precarious period.