09-10-2013, 01:31 AM
As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
By the way, darkness IS visible. It may not contain any light, but is "manifest, apparent". Perceptual centers of your brain are very aware of what darkness is. It's not with darkness visible that Milton is messing with the reader. He took our very keen perceptual awareness of darkness and light and twisted them...flames with no light. And he knew exactly what he was doing when he did that.
No light, but rather darkness visible
By the way, darkness IS visible. It may not contain any light, but is "manifest, apparent". Perceptual centers of your brain are very aware of what darkness is. It's not with darkness visible that Milton is messing with the reader. He took our very keen perceptual awareness of darkness and light and twisted them...flames with no light. And he knew exactly what he was doing when he did that.