John Milton was an English poet who lived from 1608-1674. A graduate of Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1632, Milton set off on a tour of Europe shortly thereafter, visiting France and Switzerland but spending the majority of his time in Italy. However, his trip to Sicily was cut short when news of civil war in England reached him. He returned home in July of 1639 and became vigorously involved in political activity for the next twenty years, writing personal essays to Parliament, supporting Oliver Cromwell, and striving to convince the English people to accept the new democratic changes in the country and not to reform the monarchy. After many years of strained eyesight, due to long hours of studying and reading for nearly three decades, Milton went blind around 1652 while in his early forties. Despite this massive setback in his writing career, Milton went on to compose his most famous work, the epic Paradise Lost, as well as two companion pieces published shortly afterward, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.