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Definition of Mood
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of Paradise Lost is highly variable—though consistently grandiose—leaving the reader with the impression of a complex universe or cosmos (Heaven, Hell, Chaos, Paradise), riven by internal strife (despite God's attempts to maintain order and a strict hierarchy): Satan's excited, even jubilant call to action (with the other fallen angels) in Book 1 fades into a difficult journey to Paradise in Book 2 and 3; Adam and Eve's joyful days in Paradise come to an abrupt end by Book 9. Heaven, though ostensibly peaceful, is constantly under threat from Satan and the other fallen angels; God, though supposedly benevolent, is also dangerous and capable of enacting severe punishments.
Moreover, at times, the reader may feel deeply pessimistic about humankind's capacity for error (as the poem depicts it): Milton emphasizes the gravity of Eve's transgression—even as he shows that she has been led astray by Satan—by hinting at her inherent rebelliousness.
Yet the end of the poem offers some optimism: Eve's transgression allows the Son of God to redeem her and Adam, and for Adam and Eve to become the "parents" of humankind, serving as an example for their children and descendants. Thus the varying mood draws readers along on a journey from the perfect innocence of Paradise to the tragedy of the Fall to the glorious hope of redemption.
