17세기 영시와 비교해 본 밀턴 시의 독창성: ｢랄레그로｣와 ｢일 펜세로소｣를 중심으로

Abstract

Starting out as one of the 17th-century metaphysical poets of Restoration period, Milton was inevitably familiar with various literary traits of the day, including the weather of the traditional epic or romance, the descriptive poetry of sights and sounds of nature, and the metaphysical poetry that enjoys the combination of heterogeneous elements through a sophisticated analogy. However, he had his own individuality, always pursuing balance and temperance, without following or indulging in the current fashion of the genres, languages, and techniques. It was, in a word, to adhere to the principle of decorum, that is, to bring the parts to the whole. His originality, as seen in the two poems of “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso”, was not in his subject matter, but almost entirely in his skill in dealing appropriately and modestly with his style, using the already existing materials.