Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell

Milton’s poem “Heaven and Hell” seeks to preset the themes of good and evil. Milton provides different opinions on how heaven and Hell looks like. The poem has similarities as well as differences as discussed below. One similarity that Milton points out in this poem is that both Heaven and Hell are creations of God. Even though Satan and devil reign in Hell, God created it and therefore God has powers to dictate how Hell should be. Therefore, God threw devils and Satan out of heaven for going against His will. Another similarity between heaven and Hell is that both Satan and God have accomplishes. For instance, Satan accomplishes include Belial and Moloch while God’s accomplishes are archangels such as Raphael and Michael.

However, many contrasts do exist between Heaven and Hell.  The views of Satan and devil contrast with that of God and His angels. Heaven is seen as a monarch while Hell is viewed as a democracy. In Heaven, God is at the top and followed by his son and Holy Spirit and the angels’ follower in that order. While in Hell, devils and Satan are treated equally. Their senior most accomplishes such as Moloch are not treated differently from others.

Milton also projects Heaven as a place of hope, light, goodness and safety, while Hell is seen as a place of fear, evil, uncertainty and a place embodied with darkness. This construction by Milton shows the contrast as Hell is depicted to be place that holds negative connotations. Hell is described by Satan as a wild, barren and sinister place and therefore depicted as a dungeon that burns with like a furnace…. Hell is described as a place where there is deep darkness where a flicker of flame is not even able to illuminate it. This is depicted in this quote,

A dungeon horrible, on all sides round, as one great furnace flamed; yet from those           flames no light, but rather darkness visible served only to discover sights of woe, regions          of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace and rest can never dwell, hope never comes that       comes at all; but torture without end…”

On the other hand, Heaven is depicted as a place of bliss and is a place of privilege as not anyone is allowed to enter. The sword of Michael guards its gates. It is a paradise and a prosperous place that all those living there are expected to give glory to their maker. It is full of love, harmony and joy. In contrast, Hell as full of fear, as demons live in fear s they are unaware of the day their thrown will be taken over by God.

Another contrast between Heaven and Hell is that Heaven is associated with light while Hell is associated with darkness. Heaven is radiant and light while Hell is always dark and gloomy. According to Milton, in Heaven, followers sing hymns and praises to the God who is at the top of the hierarchy. While in Hell, Satan and demons are equal and therefore they owe no allegiance to any superior Satan. They therefore do their things with freedom and without being forced.

Even though some readers feel that Milton has projected Heaven as a dull place compared to Hell, I am of the opinion that despite the freedom in Hell, Heaven is the best place since there is no suffering and torment but joy, hope and prosperity are found there.

The reasons that compelled Milton to write these poems are diverse. One of the reasons that made Milton to write this poem may be due his blindness when he was forty. The blindness may have made him to envision Heaven as a magnificent place. Another reason that made him to write the poem could be to help justify the ways of God to men. He wanted to demonstrate to the men that God and Heaven exist and therefore the choice of a person where to go should rest with an individual.

Last Completed Projects