Paradise Lost

It is an epic poem written in the 1660s by John Milton and spanning 12 books, Paradise Lost is widely considered the greatest English language epic. Although it is about the fall of Man from the Garden of Eden, one must wonder about Milton - despite his world view of "God gave you free will but unless you toe the line you'll get pounded," he still makes the character of Satan a dangerously alluring epic anti-hero.

A glorious visionary work written in the seventeenth century, when the fiery forge that shaped the best of the English language was burning hot (Shakespeare, the King James Version of the Bible) and patterns that resonate deeply to the present day were set.

Milton sought to 'justify the ways of God to men', but ended up giving Satan most of the best tunes, his speech to his battered horde as they awake to the enormity of their fall from Heaven:

"Here at least we shall be free;
The Almighty hath not built
Here for His envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice,
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."