The New England Milton

The New England Milton, Volume 1, examines the profound influence of John Milton on the intellectual life of the early American republic. Kevin Van Anglen explores how the poetry and persona of Milton served as a vital tool for New England elites navigating the tensions of modernization. This work of American literature and history focuses on how Unitarians and Transcendentalists utilized Miltonic themes to address shifting socio-political authorities. By analyzing the reception of Paradise Lost, the text illustrates how writers sought to resolve ideological contradictions inherited from their Puritan ancestors.

This scholarly study of politics and literature provides deep insights into the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Theodore Parker. As a significant contribution to the study of Milton and American intellectual history, The New England Milton, Volume 1, connects transatlantic literary culture to the specific cultural authority of the Boston elite. It remains a primary resource for those researching the intersection of religious thought and literary criticism in early New England.