John Milton was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1625. He spent seven years there, earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1629 and his Master of Arts in 1632. His time at Cambridge was formative, as it provided him with a rigorous classical education that deeply influenced his later literary and political career.

Beelzebub is identified as the fallen angel who stands next to Satan in both power and crime. He is a prominent figure in the infernal council, often acting as the primary interlocutor for Satan as they plot their revenge against Heaven following their expulsion.

Samson initially refuses to participate in the Philistine festival, viewing it as an affront to his faith. However, he suddenly experiences an internal, spiritual impulse—described as 'rousing motions'—which he interprets as a divine command. This shift in resolve leads him to attend the event, where he ultimately fulfills his destiny by destroying the Philistine temple, thereby reconciling his past failures with his role as a chosen instrument of God.

T.S. Eliot's essay 'The Metaphysical Poets' famously argued that poets like John Donne possessed a 'unified sensibility,' where thought and feeling were fused. Modernists sought to emulate this complexity, rejecting the perceived emotional indulgence of the Romantics in favor of the intellectual rigor and wit found in the Metaphysical tradition.

In 1642, at the age of 34, John Milton married Mary Powell, who was only 17 at the time. The marriage was reportedly difficult due to their significant differences in age, temperament, and political loyalties, as her family were Royalists. This union eventually led to a temporary separation and influenced Milton's writings on divorce, which were controversial during his era and reflected his personal struggles with marital expectations and domestic life.

This line references the prophecy in Genesis 3:15. In this context, 'thy' refers to Eve, the mother of all living. The prophecy foretells that her offspring will eventually triumph over the serpent, representing the ultimate defeat of Satan and the restoration of humanity.

Eve's physical beauty is a central theme in the poem. Adam is captivated by her grace, Satan uses her beauty to fuel his temptation, and Eve herself is shown admiring her own reflection in a pool, highlighting the role of vanity and aesthetic appeal in the narrative of the Fall.

While Metaphysical poets were highly innovative, the Petrarchan sonnet was an established form long before their era, popularized by Petrarch and later adapted by Elizabethan poets like Wyatt and Surrey. Metaphysical poetry is better characterized by its use of complex conceits, intellectual wit, and unconventional imagery, rather than the traditional structural constraints of the Petrarchan sonnet form, which was already a staple of the preceding Elizabethan period.

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke) describe three specific temptations that Satan presents to Jesus in the wilderness. These include the temptation to turn stones into bread, the temptation to cast himself from the temple, and the temptation to worship Satan in exchange for worldly power.

John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is a monumental epic poem in blank verse that explores the biblical narrative of the Fall of Man, including the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It is considered one of the greatest works in the English language, renowned for its complex theological themes and grand, elevated style.