John Milton

Born in London in 1608, John Milton was educated at St Paul’s School and Christ’s College, Cambridge. He became one of the most important writers in English literature, admired for both his poetry and his prose.

Milton lived through the upheavals of the English Civil Wars and took an active role in public debate. He wrote influential prose works, including Areopagitica, and later served in government during the Commonwealth.

His greatest achievement is usually considered Paradise Lost, the epic poem he published after he had gone blind. He also wrote Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes, and his writing has shaped the English literary tradition ever since.