Using Language to Describe Allegorical Figures Essay -- John Milton Ed

Using Language to Describe Allegorical Figures Milton and Spenser are both describing awful situations in their relative poems, Milton concentrating on an empty existence, filled with gloom and despair; in fact the very description is of gloom and despair, whilst Milton is describing an encounter with the gates of hell itself, and indeed two terrible creatures, causing an atmosphere of pure and utter evil flocculated with horror. Milton's language suggests ultimate evil, words that over centuries have been distorted to lessen their original dramatic meaning. We casually use words like "terrible," when describing the weather. In Milton's poem, words like "terrible" exist; to talk about unimaginable terror filled situations. When Milton uses the phrase "terrible as hell," he is saying it is so terrible; it is beyond any humans' comprehension. To create horror, Milton uses dark words to build up evil imagery, e.g. "fierce as ten furies, terrible as hell." Using these extreme adjectives consecutively, it is as if we can picture the beast growing as the description continues. Another thing that helps illustrate the mental picture of the scene is the introduction of shadow and darkness: "Black it stood as night." This darkness also adds to Milton's description of the shapeless blob-like figure. Shapeless blob does not do Milton's description justice. It is a dark, evil figure, both striding and gliding towards you, almost as if it has no fixed shape and thus could envelop you entirely. The uncertainty regarding whether it is gas like shadow or gooey substance also increases the fear, the unknown, and the unimaginable. Milton uses many evil comparisons and similes, so, should the adjectives fail to gi... ...egard to the man, Spenser tries to emphasize everything about him is low status. In Spenser's mind, the man is dirty, in the extreme sense of the word. Spenser portrays this when he says "low sitting on the ground" This also shows Spenser associates this figure with being low, soulless bound to the ground forever. He has "greesie locks," which is "long growen an unbound"; which put together means the man is extremely filthy and unhygienic, as he has not washed, cleaned or groomed himself. Spenser ends describing a dead person, bringing new filth and hopeless despair into the atmosphere. The "drearie coarse," which was "all wallowed in his own yet luke-warme blood," the thought of the "rusty," knife, is also disgusting, because the rust would cause a heavy infection should the victim recover causing even more suffering; no chance for recovery, despair.