: He wrote radical treatises advocating for divorce based on incompatibility, sparked by his own troubled first marriage to Mary Powell.

: In 1638, he traveled through Europe, notably meeting the astronomer Galileo Galilei in Florence while the scientist was under house arrest. Political Activism and Civil War (1640–1660)

: After graduating with an MA in 1632, he spent six years in "studious retirement" at his father’s estate in Horton, reading classical and modern works extensively to prepare for a poetic career.

: A landmark defense of freedom of speech and against censorship.

John Milton (1608–1674) was a monumental figure in English literature, best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost . His life spanned a period of intense political and religious upheaval, which deeply influenced his transition from a brilliant student to a radical revolutionary and, ultimately, a blind visionary.

: Milton returned to England as the Civil War loomed. He abandoned poetry for nearly 20 years to write political and religious pamphlets supporting the Puritan cause and Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth. Key Works :