John Milton
Paradise Regained
"Paradise Regained" by John Milton is an epic poem first published in 1671. This brief epic depicts Christ's forty days in the wilderness, where Satan attempts to break his resolve through increasingly sophisticated temptations. Unlike Milton's ornate "Paradise Lost," this work employs a plainer style to chronicle Christ's spiritual battle. Through offers of food, wealth, power, and ancient wisdom, Satan tests the fasting Jesus, who responds with scripture and steadfast refusal. The poem explores themes of reversal and hunger—both literal and spiritual—as Christ resists temptation to regain what humanity lost in Eden.