How it was written

Milton wrote one of the longest poems in English after he had gone completely blind.

1608
A London boy
John Milton was born in Bread Street, London. He dreamed of writing a great epic poem.
1640s
A writer for the Republic
He wrote pamphlets and worked for the government of Oliver Cromwell.
1652
Blind
By 1652 Milton was totally blind. He composed the poem in his head and dictated it to helpers.
1665
The plague
During the Great Plague he moved to a cottage in Chalfont St Giles. It is now a museum.
1667
Ten books
The first edition had ten books and over ten thousand lines, without rhyme.
1674
Twelve books
A second edition split it into twelve books, like Virgil's Aeneid. Milton died later that year.