The Portable Milton (Viking Portable Library)

Rating:
Summary: Good Collection, Excellent Commentary, But No Footnotes
Review: The Portable Milton has been in print more than fifty years. The collection is quite good, containing all of John Milton's major poems and most of his minor poems. Unlike some collections, the long poems Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and Comus are not abridged. The editor, Douglas Bush, has translated the few poems that Milton published in Latin. Milton's prose works include Of Education, Areopagitica, and three autobiographical essays.

In my copy (23rd printing, 1974) the font size is quite acceptable and easy to read. Reading Milton can be challenging and a major drawback to this collection is the absence of footnotes. However, the text does include a helpful 25-page glossary of less familiar words and proper names.

The 28-page introduction by Professor Bush is excellent and provides a firm historical, political, and religious foundation to the works of Milton. The discussion of Milton's evolving religious beliefs, especially as reflected in his epic Paradise Lost, was quite good.

You may want to consider alternative collections. Other choices, arranged by price, are below.

The Dover Thrift Edition, titled Selected Poems, is a bargain. Excluding the lengthy epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, this little book provides nearly all of John Milton's poetry that you are likely to encounter, including the 45-page dramatic poem Samson Agonistes. The footnotes are sparse.

I also like Selected Poetry (World's Classics, 1997) edited by Jonathan Goldberg and Stephen Orgel. This inexpensive book offers a nearly complete collection of John Milton's English poetry. The price is low, the font size is adequate, and best of all it offers extensive annotation, a real asset to most readers. The lengthy Paradise Lost has been moderately abridged.

Looking for an outstanding edition of Paradise Lost? I highly recommend the Norton Critical Edition of Paradise Lost, superbly edited by Scott Elledge. Examine the reader reviews and you will probably buy a copy.

I am not personally familiar with The Complete Poems and Major Prose of John Milton, edited by Merritt Y. Hughes, but it appears worth investigating. The reader reviews are quite favorable, but it is somewhat expensive.