"Paradise Lost" by John Milton, Book IX

Learn these words from the original ten-book version of Milton's epic poem, which retells the Biblical story of humanity's fall from divine favor. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the poem: Book I, Book II, Book III, Book IV, Book V,
Book VI, Book VII, Book VIII, Book IX, Book X

Here is a link to our lists for the twelve-book version of Paradise Lost.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. omniscient
    knowing, seeing, or understanding everything
    for what can 'scape the Eye
    Of God All-seeing, or deceive his Heart
    Omniscient, who in all things wise and just,
    Hinder'd not SATAN to attempt the mind
    of Man
  2. prevail
    continue to exist
    I told ye then he should prevail and speed
    On his bad Errand, Man should be seduc't
    And flatter'd out of all, believing lies
    Against his Maker
  3. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
    But fall'n he is, and now
    What rests, but that the mortal Sentence pass
    On his transgression, Death denounc't that day,
    Which he presumes already vain and void,
    Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,
    By some immediate stroke
  4. mitigate
    make less severe or harsh
    I go to judge
    On Earth these thy transgressors, but thou knowst,
    Whoever judg'd, the worst on me must light,
    When time shall be, for so I undertook
    Before thee; and not repenting, this obtain
    Of right, that I may mitigate their doom
  5. guile
    shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
    Love was not in their looks, either to God
    Or to each other, but apparent guilt,
    And shame, and perturbation, and despair,
    Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile.
  6. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
    To whom sad EVE with shame nigh overwhelm'd,
    Confessing soon, yet not before her Judge
    Bold or loquacious, thus abasht repli'd.
    The Serpent me beguil'd and I did eat.
  7. expedite
    speed up the progress of; facilitate
    Long were to tell
    What I have done, what suffer'd, with what pain
    Voyag'd the unreal, vast, unbounded deep
    Of horrible confusion, over which
    By Sin and Death a broad way now is pav'd
    To expedite your glorious march
  8. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
    but I
    Toil'd out my uncouth passage, forc't to ride
    Th' untractable Abyss, plung'd in the womb
    Of unoriginal NIGHT and CHAOS wild,
    That jealous of their secrets fiercely oppos'd
    My journey strange
  9. sublime
    lifted up or set high
    they all
    Him follow'd issuing forth to th' open Field,
    Where all yet left of that revolted Rout
    Heav'n-fall'n, in station stood or just array,
    Sublime with expectation when to see
    In Triumph issuing forth their glorious Chief
  10. impute
    attribute or credit to
    See with what heat these Dogs of Hell advance
    To waste and havoc yonder World, which I
    So fair and good created, and had still
    Kept in that state, had not the folly of Man
    Let in these wasteful Furies, who impute
    Folly to me
  11. extenuate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or degree of
    Just are thy ways,
    Righteous are thy Decrees on all thy Works;
    Who can extenuate thee?
  12. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
    Thus began
    Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first
    Daughter of Sin, among th' irrational,
    Death introduc'd through fierce antipathy
  13. propagate
    transmit from one generation to the next
    All that I eat or drink, or shall beget,
    Is propagated curse.
  14. execration
    an appeal to a supernatural power to inflict evil on someone
    Who of all Ages to succeed, but feeling
    The evil on him brought by me, will curse
    My Head, Ill fare our Ancestor impure,
    For this we may thank ADAM; but his thanks
    Shall be the execration
  15. redound
    return or recoil
    so besides
    Mine own that bide upon me, all from me
    Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound
  16. cavil
    raise trivial objections
    wilt thou enjoy the good,
    Then cavil the conditions?
  17. importune
    beg persistently and urgently
    both have sinn'd, but thou
    Against God only, I against God and thee,
    And to the place of judgment will return,
    There with my cries importune Heaven, that all
    The sentence from thy head remov'd may light
    On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe
  18. evade
    escape, either physically or mentally
    Or if thou covet death, as utmost end
    Of misery, so thinking to evade
    The penalty pronounc't, doubt not but God
    Hath wiselier arm'd his vengeful ire than so
    To be forestall'd
  19. contumacy
    obstinate rebelliousness and insubordination
    much more I fear lest Death
    So snatcht will not exempt us from the pain
    We are by doom to pay; rather such acts
    Of contumacy will provoke the highest
    To make death in us live
  20. revile
    spread negative information about
    Remember with what mild
    And gracious temper he both heard and judg'd
    Without wrath or reviling; we expected
    Immediate dissolution, which we thought
    Was meant by Death that day
Created on Wed Aug 07 15:36:56 EDT 2013 (updated Tue Mar 26 11:01:09 EDT 2019)

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