Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Just a Note: The Presence of Prayer

I know Patti thinks this quote is funny, but when I read book 11 when Adam and Eve are repenting, this quote came to mind. Ignoring the fact that Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series is really about vampires, I was reminded of this quote.

"I felt that wave of calm I always get when I pray. It doesn't mean you'll get what you want, but it does mean that someone is listening." -Anita Blake [Blue Moon]

Eve describes her emotions while she is praying: "Persuasion in me grew/That I was heard with favor. Peace returned/Home to my breast and to my memoer/His promise that thy Seed shall bruise our foe,/Which then not minded in dismay yet now/Assures me that the bitterness of death/Is past and we shall live." (11. 152-158). In this quote, it seems that Eve is more reassured about the future after she prays. Eve remains calmer and hopeful after she begs for forgiveness and is heard by God. I think this sort of relates to the quote from Laurell K. Hamilton's book, Blue Moon. Anyway, that's just what those lines reminded me of. Read it, think about it, and you know, whatever.

Reading Book 11, Adam and Eve are praying. Since I am rather religious, I find this really cool and really fascinating that prayer now enters the epic poem. What's interesting is how they pray and that they only begin to pray AFTER they have fallen. As discussed in class, I think the las page of Book 10 really captures the beginning of the idea behind repentance.

"So spake our father pertinent, nor Eve/Felt less remorse. They forthwith to the place/Repairing where He judged them prostate fell/Before Him reverent and both confessed/Humbly their faults and pardon begged, with tears/Watering to the ground and with their sighs the air/Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite in sign/Of sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek." (10. 1097-1105)

This passage was repeated twice in Book 10, but the first time these lines are stated, the passage ends with a question mark. After it is repeated, it ends with a period. I was wondering what everyone else thinks of this? To me it almost seems that Adam is at first asking what they can do to repent, but then decides to do exactly what he asked. The use of repetition brings the tone of the book to a close as they decide how they are going to repent.

Prayer is explained in Book 11, where the prayers are heard by the Son and then presented to God. I really like the imagery in the beginning: "to Heav'n their prayers/Flew up nor missed the way be envious winds/Blown vagabond or frustrate. In they passed dimensionless through Heav'nly doors, then clad/With incense where the golden altar fumed/By their great Intercessor came in sight/Before their Father's throne" (11. 14-20).

I can definitely envision the prayers flying up to Heaven and being placed at God's throne, as if they were doves or something of the sort. The fact that these prayers withstand even the heaviest winds underlines the power behind prayer. It also seems that Eve is much more repentant than Adam is. Eve does not find herself worthy of being the mother of mankind (or, according to Andrea, the baby maker), and I think that Eve definitely takes a lot of the blame and guilt on herself more so than Adam does.

Anyway, this blog is rather short because I just wanted to point out the idea of total repentance and prayer in Paradise Lost. Any thoughts?

1 comment:

Sapience said...

The fact that you are citing Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series amuses me to no end.