Judas Iscariot at Beachy Head [edit 1]

[tectak]

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.

Bill, Bill, Bill will you just stop? You are now misinterpreting Milton, and I am embarrassed for you. If I open my eyes in the darkness, my brain tells me that it is dark. Yes. Of course. However, NOTHING is visible. I don't see anything. Sight cannot function without light. Get it? 'Darkness visible' is a complete paradox, which you would realise if you interrogated the phrase further.

I don't really see this as being up for argument. You are wrong. Centuries of scholarship on Milton is right.

Tb
This one on one stuff is all very well but it is way too exclusive for this forum. If it ends here that would be to the common good. When two good wordsmiths disagree it is unnerving to find the argument deteriorating into acrimony. Good as you both are, stop this now or the whole shebang will be transported to discussion...what could be worse?
tectak/mod