The phrase ìFarewell, happy fields,î begins halfway through the line, and the caesura makes the reader pause and consider the weight of his proclamation.  Within the sentence as a whole exists internal rhyme with ìfarewellî and ìdwells,î which serves to not only draw attention to the sentence but also demonstrates the eloquence of Satan.  This will come into play later when he uses that eloquence to stir up his comrades against God as well as to carry out the deed and tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden.  The political message can be seen here, as the words of Satan, like Miltonís idea of a corrupt preacherís sermon, are charged with feeling, but are rotten because the speaker is corrupt.  Other sources seem to feel that Milton portrays Satan not as a corrupt minister, but as a legitimate Protestant rallying against the oppressive monarchy of God.  ìJoyî is personified as dwelling in the ìhappy fieldsî of Heaven, and this device paints an image of what exactly Satan is leaving behind; the very embodiment of bliss living in ìhappy fieldsî above. The sentence also ends mid-line, again causing a pause, which leads the reader to recognize the importance of the words to follow. 

Meghan Haughey

Megsabelle@hotmail.com