Darkness and Light Symbolism in Milton's Paradise Lost

Introduction: Imagery and Theme in Paradise Lost

John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost is filled with powerful imagery, metaphors, and symbols that contribute to the poem's central theme of good versus evil on a planet that seems always destined to be tempted by the latter. In describing Heaven, Hell, earth, mankind, God, and angels, the significance of darkness and light becomes impossible to overlook. The obvious allusions to light and dark as representing good and evil are apparent with a close reading of the text, but other, less obvious ideas emerge as well, making the symbolic landscape of the poem considerably more complex.

While Milton touches upon the straightforward connections between goodness and light and between evil and darkness, we find that things are not always so simple. Through Adam and Eve, we begin to see that light and dark — as well as good and evil — are separated by the thinnest of veils. Dark and light are symbols not only of what exists in unseen realms beyond the human eye, but also of realms that humans can feel deeply within themselves.

God, Angels, and Satan as Figures of Light and Dark

Milton places an extraordinary amount of significance on the matters of dark and light in the poem through powerful metaphors. These concepts are immediately understood as opposites and, for most of the poem, they function as such. Light has long served as the traditional metaphor for goodness, while dark imagery represents things that are sinister and evil. The first and foremost of these opposites is God and Satan, each representing a being of lightness or darkness, respectively. Milton wants there to be no doubt that "God is light" (III.3) and goes to incredible lengths describing God's grandeur. Another significant symbol of light is the angels, who are beings of light held in high regard throughout the poem and considered to be "Progenie of Light" (V.600).

Raphael is a gentle angel whose primary purpose is to save Adam and Eve from their impending fall. He is described as being "vaild with his gorgeous wings, up springing light" (V.250). This image presents him as glorious — we imagine the angel flying not necessarily on wings but on beams of light. The descriptions of these creatures of light are magnificent, and it is important that we associate them with light because they are closely aligned with goodness. Throughout the text, these particular creatures do not stray as Satan does. This is not to say that none of them fail, but their integrity is never truly in question. This is the light that surrounds them.

In contrast, Satan is associated with all things dark. Hell is a dark den of sin, and in the opening of the poem we see how Hell grows darker as Satan stages his plan to overthrow Heaven. We read that the "powers of darkness bound" (III.256) as Satan begins to conceive his deed. The contrast of good and evil, light and dark, is established early in the text through these two most prominent characters.

Heaven and Hell as Symbolic Landscapes

Milton also employs images of light and dark to describe the places where good and evil reside, creating a more powerful rendering of each by giving them imaginable, physical qualities. Heaven is described as a place of golden light, where God "lighted from his gorgeous Throne" (VI.103). As God sits upon his throne, all that surrounds him stands "thick as stars" (III.61), and Jesus is described sitting beside God as a "radiant image" (III.63).

Hell, by contrast, is described in a passage that reaches beyond the familiar image of flames licking over a cliff's edge: "Then both, from out Hell-gates into the waste / Wide Anarchy of Chaos damp and dark" (X.282–3). The chaos here is dark and damp — images that call to mind a seedier, more desolate vision of Hell. This impression is reinforced earlier in the poem, where Hell is described as a dungeon:

Horrible, on all sides round
As one great Furnace flamed, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Served only to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, (I.661–5)

Hell is meant to be a place of sorrow enveloped with darkness, and everything associated with it must be dark as well. As Satan contemplates leaving Heaven, his thinking becomes distorted. He begins to believe it would be better to rule in a realm of darkness than to serve in one of light, preferring his "mournful gloom" (I.244–5) to the "celestial light" (I.242–5) of Heaven. Milton creates definite patterns and associations with light and dark throughout the text — but he does not stop there, and this is where the poem becomes truly contemplative.

Conclusion: The Complexity of Good and Evil Through Symbolism

John Milton utilizes images of light and dark in Paradise Lost in many different ways to help us understand the story he is presenting. He begins by establishing firm principles associated with light and dark: the image of God and the angels represents the light of Heaven, while Satan and his minions represent the darkness of Hell. These descriptions are powerful and prove the author's point convincingly. However, Milton also takes the concepts of light and dark further by introducing humanity as a pivotal figure capable of being influenced by both forces. As a result, human life can be altered by one or the other, and the choice is left to humankind alone.

The lines that separate light, dark, good, and evil become blurry when viewed through the consequences of sin committed in the Garden of Eden. Milton's attempt to convey the complexity of this situation is successful in that we understand the consequences of our actions — yet that understanding does not make temptation any easier to resist. Capturing all of this within the epic, Milton allows us to understand good and evil through symbolism, and the most powerful of these symbols are darkness and light. Understanding how they operate allows us to understand how paradise was lost so easily.

Works Cited

Milton, John. The English Poems of John Milton. London: Oxford University Press, 1926.