"Paradise Lost" by John Milton, Book X

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. contrition
    sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
    I thy Priest before thee bring,
    Fruits of more pleasing savour from thy seed
    Sown with contrition in his heart, than those
    Which his own hand manuring all the Trees
    Of Paradise could have produced, ere fall'n
    From innocence.
  2. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
    Haste thee, and from the Paradise of God
    Without remorse drive out the sinful Pair,
    From hallowed ground th' unholy, and denounce
    To them and to their Progeny from thence
    Perpetual banishment.
  3. orison
    reverent petition to a deity
    when ADAM and first Matron EVE
    Had ended now their Orisons, and found,
    Strength added from above, new hope to spring
    Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linkt
  4. placable
    easily calmed or pacified
    For since I sought
    By Prayer th' offended Deity to appease,
    Kneel'd and before him humbl'd all my heart,
    Methought I saw him placable and mild
  5. foment
    bathe with warm water or medicated lotions
    His Omnipresence fills
    Land, Sea, and Air, and every kind that lives,
    Fomented by his virtual power and warm'd:
  6. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
    Immediately a place
    Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark,
    A Lazar-house it seem'd, wherein were laid
    Numbers of all diseas'd, all maladies
    Of ghastly Spasm, or racking torture, qualms
    Of heart-sick Agony
  7. vilify
    spread negative information about
    Their Maker's Image, answer'd MICHAEL, then
    Forsook them, when themselves they vilified
    To serve ungovern'd appetite, and took
    His Image whom they serv'd, a brutish vice,
    Inductive mainly to the sin of EVE.
  8. obtuse
    lacking in insight or discernment
    This is old age; but then thou must outlive
    Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change
    To wither'd weak and gray; thy Senses then
    Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forgo
  9. harbinger
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    The Men though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes
    Rove without rein, till in the amorous Net
    Fast caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose;
    And now of love they treat till th' Ev'ning Star
    Love's Harbinger appear'd
  10. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
    For that fair female Troop thou sawst, that seem'd
    Of Goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay,
    Yet empty of all good wherein consists
    Woman's domestic honour and chief praise
  11. apprehension
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Let no man seek
    Henceforth to be foretold what shall befall
    Him or his Children, evil he may be sure,
    Which neither his foreknowing can prevent,
    And he the future evil shall no less
    In apprehension than in substance feel
    Grievous to bear
  12. inundation
    the overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land
    but all the Cataracts
    Of Heav'n set open on the Earth shall pour
    Rain day and night, all fountains of the Deep
    Broke up, shall heave the Ocean to usurp
    Beyond all bounds, till inundation rise
    Above the highest Hills
  13. expiation
    the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing
    Law can discover sin, but not remove,
    Save by those shadowy expiations weak,
    The blood of Bulls and Goats, they may conclude
    Some blood more precious must be paid for Man
  14. penitent
    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
    From whom as oft he saves them penitent
    By Judges first, then under Kings
  15. reproachful
    expressing disapproval, blame, or disappointment
    thy punishment
    He shall endure by coming in the Flesh
    To a reproachful life and cursed death,
    Proclaiming Life to all who shall believe
    In his redemption
  16. infallible
    incapable of failure or error
    for on Earth
    Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard
    Infallible? yet many will presume
  17. specious
    plausible but false
    the rest, far greater part,
    Will deem in outward Rites and specious forms
    Religion satisfi'd; Truth shall retire
    Bestuck with sland'rous darts, and works of Faith
    Rarely be found
  18. malignant
    dangerous to health
    so shall the World go on,
    To good malignant, to bad men benign,
    Under her own weight groaning, till the day
    Appear of respiration to the just,
    And vengeance to the wicked
  19. transient
    lasting a very short time
    How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,
    Measur'd this transient World, the Race of time,
    Till time stand fixt: beyond is all abyss,
    Eternity, whose end no eye can reach.
  20. temperance
    the trait of avoiding excesses
    only add
    Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
    Add Virtue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
    By name to come call'd Charity, the soul
    Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath
    To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
    A Paradise within thee, happier far.
Created on Wed Aug 07 15:46:06 EDT 2013 (updated Tue Mar 26 11:01:15 EDT 2019)

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