“Epigram on Milton”

Three poets, in three distant ages born, Greece, Italy, and England did adorn. The first in loftiness of thought surpassed; The next, in majesty; in both the last. The force of Nature could no further go. To make a third, she joined the former two.

“A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day”

it begins:

From harmony, from Heav'nly harmony    This universal frame began. When Nature underneath a heap    Of jarring atoms lay, And could not heave her head,    The tuneful voice was heard from high, Arise ye more than dead.    Then cold, and hot, and moist, and dry, In order to their stations leap,    And music's pow'r obey.

Anne Finch (1661-1720)

I don't have any background info on Anne Finch, but this poem seems to come up on the exam from time to time.

“Adam Pos’d”

Cou'd our First Father, at his toilsome Plough, Thorns in his Path, and Labour on his Brow, Cloath'd only in a rude, unpolish'd Skin, Cou'd he a vain Fantastick Nymph have seen, In all her Airs, in all her antick Graces, Her various Fashions, and more various Faces; How had it pos'd that Skill, which late assign'd Just Appellations to Each several Kind! A right Idea of the Sight to frame; T'have guest from what New Element she came; T'have hit the wav'ring Form, or giv'n this Thing a Name.

John Milton (1609-1674)

Milton wrote a lot of stuff that you will need to know apart from Paradise Lost, which is, according to some, the most commonly occurring work on the exam.  There's plenty of short poetry (including sonnets), long poetical works, and philosophical work to study.  Here I have given the short poetry first, followed by the non-poetic work.  On the topic of Paradise Lost, I have not included any information. Since it appears as often as it does, spending time to read at least the first book of the poem is worth your while.  The real trick with Paradise Lost is not to know the plot, but to get as sense of the cadence and the syntax. ETS really wants you to be able to identify the parts of speech in a Miltonic sentence -- what's the subject, what does X adjective modify, etc. Spending time reading the poem is the best way to prepare for those types of questions which will more than likely constitute at least four or five questions.

I have also listed Milton as a Restoration poet, which is really rather arbitrary. Milton does not really fit in with Restoration poets, but he's a bit late to be considered a Renaissance poet.

“How Soon Hath Time”

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! My hasting days fly on with full career, But my late spring no bud or blossom shew’th. Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, That I to manhood am arrived so near, And inward ripeness doth much less appear, That some more timely-happy spirits endu’th. Yet, be it less or more, or soon or slow, It shall be still in strictest measure even To that same lot, however mean or high, Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven; All is: if I have grace to use it so, As ever in my great Task-Master’s eye.