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The poem invokes Mirth and other allegorical figures of joy and merriment, and extols the active and cheerful life, while depicting a day in the countryside according to this philosophy. Mirth, as one of the Graces, is connected with poetry within
Renaissance literature, and the poem, in its form and
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celebrates Grace
Euphrosyne through the traditional Theocritan pastoral model. The poem is playful and is set within a pastoral scene that allows the main character to connect with folk stories and fairy tales in addition to various comedic plays and performances. There is a sort of progression from
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The poems have been classified in various traditions and genres by various scholars, including: as academic writing by E. M. W. Tillyard; as pastoral by Sara Watson; as part of classical philosophy by Maren-Sofie
Rostvig; as part of Renaissance encomia by S. P. Woodhouse and Douglas Bush, and as
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Revard believes that Milton, in his first publication of poems, "takes care to showcase himself as a poet in these first and last selections and at the same time to build his poetic reputation along the way by skillful positioning of poems such as 'L'Allegro' and 'Il
Penseroso.'"
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were composed because they do not appear in Milton's
Trinity College manuscript of poetry. However, the settings found in the poem suggest that they were possibly composed shortly after Milton left Cambridge. The two poems were first published in
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content, is similar to dithrambs to
Bacchus or hymns to Venus. However, the pleasure that Mirth brings is moderated, and there is a delicate balance between the influence of Venus or Bacchus achieved by relying on their daughter.
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similar to
Homeric hymns and Pindaric odes. Stelle Revard believes that the poems follow the classical hymn model which discuss goddess that are connected to poetry and uses these females to replace Apollo completely.
228:, "explore and contrast in generic terms the ideal pleasures appropriate to contrasting lifestyles... that a poet might choose, or might choose at different times, or in sequence". In particular,
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dated 1645 but probably issued early in 1646. In the collection, they served as a balance to each other and to his Latin poems, including "Elegia 1" and "Elegia 6".
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Near the end of the poem, the narrator requests from Mirth to be immersed in the poetry and the pleasures that Mirth is able to produce:
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59:(which means "the happy man" in Italian) has from its first appearance been paired with the contrasting pastoral poem,
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The final lines of the poem frame a response to questions posed in
Elizabethan poetry, including
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Milton follows the traditional classical hymn model when the narrator invokes Mirth/
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Later, the narrator describes how Mirth is connected to pastoral environments:
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The Happy Man: Studies in the
Metamorphosis of a Classical Idea, 1600–1700
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Poems of Mr. John Milton both
English and Latin, compos'd at several times
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Watson, Sara. "Milton's Ideal Day: Its Development as a Pastoral Theme".
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were popular and were widely imitated by poets. The poet and engraver
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Tillyard, E. M. W. "Milton: 'L'Allegro' and 'Il Penseroso' in
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Kerrigan, William; Rumrich, John; and Fallon, Stephen (eds.)
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The narrator continues by requesting Mirth to appear with:
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And Laughter holding both his sides. (lines 26–28, 31–32)
507:. Ed. Thomas Corns. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
141:"Sport that wrinkled Care derides...", illustration by
498:
The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton
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Shallow brooks, and rivers wide (lines 70–72, 75–76)
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Such as the meeting soul may pierce (lines 135–138)
552:Vol 2. New York: Columbia University Press, 1972.
512:The Classical Mythology of Milton's English Poems
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211:Mirth with thee, I mean to live. (lines 151–152)
521:. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997.
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381:
538:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938.
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819:Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce
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339:
595:
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491:The Influence of Milton on English Poetry
116:To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore (lines 13–16)
493:. New York: Russell & Russell, 1961.
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548:Woodhouse, A. S. P. and Bush, Douglas.
519:Milton and the Tangles of Neaera's Hair
204:'s "Come live with me and be my love":
160:Whilst the landscape round it measures,
1011:
940:Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint
536:The Miltonic Setting, Past and Present
287:L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
926:When I Consider How My Light is Spent
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500:. New York: The Modern Library, 2007.
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290:(1740) is based partly on this poem.
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130:Nods, and Becks, and wreathed Smiles,
531:. Oslo: Oslo University Press, 1962.
257:During the eighteenth century, both
852:The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
677:On the Morning of Christ's Nativity
450:Woodhouse and Bush 1972 pp. 227–269
208:These delights, if thou canst give,
127:Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles,
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814:Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
166:Where the nibbling flocks do stray
14:
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550:Variorum: The Minor English Poems
149:Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
933:On the Late Massacre in Piedmont
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237:with the pleasures found within
791:The Reason of Church-Government
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300:after the two poems of Milton.
220:According to Barbara Lewalski,
172:Meadows trim with daisies pied,
163:Russet lawns, and fallows grey,
107:And by men, heart-easing Mirth,
503:Lewalski, Barbara. "Genre" in
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183:And ever against eating cares,
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862:Defensio pro Populo Anglicano
568:William Blake's illustrations
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110:Whom lovely Venus at a birth
104:In Heav'n yclept Euphrosyne,
16:Pastoral poem by John Milton
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991:Milton: A Poem in Two Books
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113:With two sister Graces more
10:
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298:L'Allegro et Il Pensieroso
296:'s 5th Symphony is titled
124:Jest and youthful Jollity,
100:and her divine parentage:
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872:A Treatise of Civil Power
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294:Charles Villiers Stanford
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193:Married to immortal verse
980:Edward Phillips (nephew)
781:Of Prelatical Episcopacy
796:Apology for Smectymnuus
514:. New York: Holt, 1900.
468:Havens 1961 pp. 236–275
459:Osgood 1900 pp. liv, 39
432:Watson 1942 pp. 404–420
423:Tillyard 1938 pp. 14–21
233:the pleasures found in
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998:Neo-Miltonic syllabics
985:John Phillips (nephew)
958:De Doctrina Christiana
901:The History of Britain
877:The Ready and Easy Way
145:
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1029:Poetry by John Milton
768:Antiprelatical tracts
684:Upon the Circumcision
505:A Companion to Milton
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73:It is uncertain when
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975:John Milton (father)
525:Røstvig, Maren-Sofie
545:57 (1942): 404–420.
336:Revard 1997 pp. 1–2
327:Kerrigan 2007 p. 40
202:Christopher Marlowe
918:Individual sonnets
484:General references
414:Revard 1997 p. 105
387:Lewalski 2003 p. 5
366:Revard 1997 p. 102
357:Revard 1997 p. 101
253:Critical reception
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742:Paradise Regained
623:Reception history
510:Osgood, Charles.
489:Havens, Raymond.
405:Revard 1997 p. 97
375:Revard 1997 p. 99
348:Revard 1997 p. 96
48:published in his
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908:Of True Religion
867:Defensio Secunda
839:Political tracts
749:Samson Agonistes
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894:Of Education
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847:Areopagitica
824:Tetrachordon
755:
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726:Il Penseroso
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618:Poetic style
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994:(1804–1810)
829:Colasterion
691:The Passion
604:John Milton
563:"L'Allegro"
188:Lydian airs
46:John Milton
30:Thomas Cole
1024:1645 poems
1019:1633 poems
1013:Categories
638:Early life
98:Euphrosyne
69:Background
719:L'Allegro
316:Citations
284:Handel's
271:L'Allegro
259:L'Allegro
235:L'Allegro
230:L'Allegro
222:L'Allegro
75:L'Allegro
57:L'Allegro
37:L'Allegro
26:L'Allegro
950:Disputed
633:Politics
628:Religion
304:See also
44:poem by
42:pastoral
968:Related
712:Lycidas
698:Arcades
661:Poetry
611:Topics
216:Themes
756:Poems
705:Comus
669:Poems
52:Poems
50:1645
40:is a
758:1673
671:1645
543:PMLA
273:and
261:and
92:Poem
77:and
169:...
133:...
28:by
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380:^
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