What do you gather from this?
To make a third she joined the former two.
"Epigram on Milton" by John Dryden
Three Poets, in three distant Ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England did adorn.
The First in loftiness of thought surpassed;
The Next in Majesty; in both the Last.
The force of Nature could no farther go:
To make a third she joined the former two.
(The three poets are Homer, Virgil, and Milton)
What are the points Dryden is trying to make about Milton?
5 answers
I don't know who "she" is (Milton?), but I assume that means she was influenced by Homer and Virgil.
she = "force of Nature"
So Dryden's saying that Homer surpassed Virgil in loftiness and Virgil surpassed Homer in majesty (isn't this the same as loftiness?) ? I'm not sure what "in both the Last" and "The force of Nature could no farther go" mean. I guess the last line means Homer and Virgil were metaphorically combined to form Milton.
So Dryden's saying that Homer surpassed Virgil in loftiness and Virgil surpassed Homer in majesty (isn't this the same as loftiness?) No I don't think they're the same -- and don't leave anything out; it's "loftiness of thought." Use a good dictionary to make sure you know all the possible meanings of words in here. http://www.onelook.com or http://www.answers.com
I'm not sure what "in both the Last" <~~both qualities are in the Last (Milton)?? and "The force of Nature could no farther go" mean.<~~Nature couldn't improve on either of those guys, but she could put the qualities of those men into Milton. ?? I guess the last line means Homer and Virgil were metaphorically combined to form Milton. <~~I agree.
I'm not sure what "in both the Last" <~~both qualities are in the Last (Milton)?? and "The force of Nature could no farther go" mean.<~~Nature couldn't improve on either of those guys, but she could put the qualities of those men into Milton. ?? I guess the last line means Homer and Virgil were metaphorically combined to form Milton. <~~I agree.