Paradise Regain'd (Book 1) - John Milton
/Paradise Regain'd (Book 1) - John Milton/
Christ’s Temptation and the Path to Redemption
Original (Line 1): I who e're while the happy Garden sung
English (Line 1): I, who once sang of the happy Garden
Original (Line 2): By one man's disobedience lost, now sing
English (Line 2): Lost by a single man’s disobedience, now I sing
Original (Line 3): Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,
English (Line 3): Of Paradise regained for all humankind,
Original (Line 4): By one Man's firm obedience fully tri'd
English (Line 4): Through the unshaken obedience of one man,
Original (Line 5): Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd
English (Line 5): Who overcame each temptation, foiling the Tempter,
Original (Line 6): In all his wiles, defeated and repuls't,
English (Line 6): Defeated him in all his cunning and thrust him back,
Original (Line 7): And Eden rais'd in the wast Wilderness;
English (Line 7): And raised Eden anew in the barren wilderness;
Original (Line 8): Thou Spirit, who ledst this glorious Eremite
English (Line 8): O Spirit, who guided this glorious Hermit
Original (Line 9): Into the Desart, his Victorious Field,
English (Line 9): Into the desert, where he won his shining victory,
Original (Line 10): Against the Spiritual Foe, and brought'st him
English (Line 10): Over the spiritual foe, and led him onward,
Excerpt from the opening of Book 1. Full text is in the public domain.
Book 1 of John Milton’s “Paradise Regain’d” continues the grand theological narrative begun in “Paradise Lost,” but this time, the focus shifts from Adam’s fall to Christ’s steadfast victory over temptation. Milton opens by acknowledging his previous work—the “happy Garden” lost by Adam’s disobedience—and proceeds to describe how Christ will restore that lost paradise for humanity.
The poem zeroes in on Christ’s entry into the wilderness, where the Tempter (Satan) awaits him. By illustrating Satan’s cunning efforts to seduce Christ with earthly power, comfort, and self-indulgence, Milton underscores the stark contrast between Adam’s failure and Jesus’s unwavering obedience. This clash sets a new stage for the story of redemption: whereas Adam succumbed to temptation in Eden’s bounty, Christ resists enticements in a barren desert.
Milton’s language weaves both epic and theological threads. He elevates Christ as the exemplar of unwavering faith, the model that humankind desperately needed to reclaim lost grace. The “spiritual foe” is no mere evil figurehead; Satan stands as the personification of pride, doubt, and all that challenges divine authority. Christ’s triumph, foreshadowed in Book 1, ultimately demonstrates that human nature, when divinely guided, can overcome sin.
By drawing on biblical sources and revisiting themes of free will, obedience, and divine justice, Milton subtly reminds readers that the path to redemption is grounded not in submission to power but in the steadfast pursuit of moral truth. In this way, Book 1 provides both a fresh beginning for readers who seek hope after the gloom of the Fall, and a meditative study on the nature of true virtue in a world still marred by sin. Milton’s Christ is a living antithesis to Adam’s frailty—a luminous figure whose obedience will reclaim the paradise once lost.
Key points
1. “Paradise Regain’d” shifts focus from mankind’s Fall to Christ’s redemptive mission.
2. Christ’s fortitude against temptation contrasts with Adam’s weakness.
3. The wilderness becomes a battleground of faith, emphasizing moral strength.
4. Hope for humanity resides in unwavering obedience to divine will.
