John Milton (1608-74), poet, pamphleteer. Born in London, educated at St. Paul's School, then at Christ's College, Cambridge, earning MA in 1632. On leaving college, adopted no profession, but embarked on private studies to become either a poet or clergyman. Milton's 'masque' Comus published anonymously in 1637, the year in which he also composed Lycidas. Twenty years were to elapse between the appearance of this latter work and Paradise Lost, possibly completed in 1663, copyright signed 1667. In these intervening years, Milton devoted himself to political pamphleteering in defence of religious, civil, and domestic liberties, finally returning to poetry, with Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes published in 1671.