A Day with John Milton

Step into a September morning in 1665 and spend a few hours in the modest study of a towering poet whose mind still sparkles despite failing sight and a gout‑ridden body. The narrative opens with John Milton rising at four, assisted by his faithful servant, and greeting his three very different daughters—Anne’s quiet melancholy, Mary’s defiant sarcasm, and little Deborah’s tender affection. Their brief exchanges reveal a household where brilliance collides with hardship, and where Milton’s towering ideas about education clash with the limited opportunities afforded to the women around him.

Through Milton’s stern yet wistful reflections, listeners hear the rhythm of a man who insists on rigorous, multilingual training while overlooking the very minds he loves. As Mary reads aloud from a massive Hebrew Bible she cannot grasp, Milton’s yearning for solitary contemplation becomes palpable, hinting at the personal and political disappointments that silently shape his day. This intimate portrait offers a fresh glimpse of the poet‑statesman before the turmoil of the Restoration overtakes his world.