The exploration of emotions in John Milton's epic reveals the complex interplay of bliss, anxiety, empathy, and deceit that influences human experience. Paradise Lost: A Poetic Journey employs modern language to illuminate these themes, encouraging readers to reflect on their own Christian values while engaging with the timeless narrative of fallen angels and humanity's struggles. This adaptation not only honors the original work but also makes its profound insights accessible to contemporary audiences.
The poetic rendition captures the essence of Dante's Inferno while incorporating subtle references to contemporary political and economic issues. Crafted in classical poetic form, it employs a strict anapestic hexameter meter and an 'aabccb' rhyming scheme, blending traditional structure with modern themes.
Set against the backdrop of the 1871 fire that devastated a city, this historical novel intertwines a poignant love story with themes of triumph and heartbreak. It explores America's sense of exceptionalism, the treatment of minority groups, and environmental issues. Additionally, it delves into the complexities of the human brain's capacity for language and reflects on the interplay between spiritual and material aspects of life, offering a multifaceted narrative that resonates with contemporary concerns.
Inequality has dramatically increased in America, with few solutions on the horizon. Serious social inequalities persist. For example, the 14 richest Americans earned enough money from their investments in 2015 to hire two million preschool teachers (while the USA ranks low among developed countries in preschool enrollment). Following the Great Recession, the richest one percent took 116 percent of the new income gains, a statistic caused by so many middle-class Americans moving backward, many losing investments in property and experiencing interruptions in work. Author Paul Buchheit looks hopefully to solutions in a book that vividly portrays the rapidly changing inequality of American society. More Americans have become "disposable" as middle-class jobs have disappeared at an alarming rate. Buchheit presents innovative proposals that could quickly begin to reverse these trends, including a guaranteed basic income drawn from new revenues, such as a Financial Speculation Tax and a Carbon Tax. Discussing the challenges and obstacles to such measures, he finds optimism in past successes in American history. Ideal for classroom assignment, the book uniquely pairs historical events with current, real-life struggles faced by citizens, pointing to measures that can improve personal and social well-being and trust in government.
