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The Life Of John Milton Trivia Quiz

How much do you know about the life of one of our greatest (and probably least likeable) poets?

A multiple-choice quiz by TabbyTom. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
TabbyTom

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
68,444

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
773

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In which city was Milton born in 1608? Hint

London

Canterbury

York

Norwich

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which school did Milton attend? Hint

Westminster

Merchant Taylors'

St Paul's

Christ's Hospital

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Question 3 of 10

3. Milton continued his studies at Cambridge. Which college of the university did he attend? Hint

King's

Peterhouse

Christ's

Magdalene

4. Milton's masque 'Comus' celebrated the 1st Earl of Bridgewater's entry into his duties as Lord President of the Council of Wales. It was performed in 1634 at the Lord President's official residence. Where was this? Hint

Ludlow Castle

Harlech Castle

Caernarfon Castle

Berkeley Castle

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Question 5 of 10

5. Edward King, a minor poet and a contemporary of Milton's at Cambridge, was drowned at sea in 1637. Milton wrote an elegy for him. What was the title of this poem?

Answer: (One Word - 7 letters - begins with L (mind spelling!))

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 1638 and 1639 Milton travelled abroad. In which country did he spend most of the time? Hint

Italy

Spain

France

Germany

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Question 7 of 10

7. Milton's 'Areopagitica', published in 1644, is one of the greatest polemics in the English language. What does it attack? Hint

The divine right of kings

Roman Catholicism

Taxation without representation

Censorship of the press

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Question 8 of 10

8. One of Milton's most famous poems, written in the early 1650s, is a sonnet ending with the line 'They also serve who only stand and wait'. What is the subject of the poem? Hint

His blindness

Church government

The execution of King Charles I

Cromwell's dissolution of Parliament

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Question 9 of 10

9. At Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire you can visit 'Milton's cottage', where the poet lived from 1665 to 1666. Why did he move out of London at this time? Hint

To care for a sick relative

To avoid arrest for debt

To escape from the plague

To avoid arrest for anti-Royalist writings

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Question 10 of 10

10. How many times did Milton marry? Hint

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which city was Milton born in 1608?

Answer: London

Traditionally, a Cockney (i.e. a true Londoner) has to be 'born within the sound of Bow bells', and you can't get much closer to the bells of St Mary-le-Bow Church than Bread Street, where Milton was born.

2. Which school did Milton attend?

Answer: St Paul's

St Paul's School was founded by Dean Colet in 1509 to provide free education for 153 boys (153 was the number of the 'miraculous draught of fishes' in John 21:11). Like many such old schools,it is today an expensive private school and is situated at Barnes in South-West London.

3. Milton continued his studies at Cambridge. Which college of the university did he attend?

Answer: Christ's

His looks earned him the nickname 'the Lady of Christ's'.

Answer: Ludlow Castle

Ludlow Castle, standing on cliffs overlooking the town's two rivers, was begun in the reign of William the Conqueror and became the seat of the Lords of the Marches in 1475. It was partly dismantled by Parliament after the Civil War.The ruins are open to the public.

5. Edward King, a minor poet and a contemporary of Milton's at Cambridge, was drowned at sea in 1637. Milton wrote an elegy for him. What was the title of this poem?

Answer: Lycidas

Milton's poem was one of a collection of 36 (some in English, some in Latin and a few in Greek, which was published to mourn King's death. It's probably the only one that is read today. It may be worth while to mention that the last line is 'Tomorrow to fresh *woods* and pastures new' (not 'fresh fields').

6. In 1638 and 1639 Milton travelled abroad. In which country did he spend most of the time?

Answer: Italy

He is generally thought to have met Galileo, but this is not certain.

7. Milton's 'Areopagitica', published in 1644, is one of the greatest polemics in the English language. What does it attack?

Answer: Censorship of the press

Censorship, in the form of the licensing of books before publication, had been exercised by the Court of Star Chamber until that Court was abolished by Parliament in 1641. Following a flood of pamphlets, Parliament reimposed licensing by an ordinance in 1643.

8. One of Milton's most famous poems, written in the early 1650s, is a sonnet ending with the line 'They also serve who only stand and wait'. What is the subject of the poem?

Answer: His blindness

Milton's eyesight had always been weak, and it deteriorated rapidly from his mid thirties onwards. By 1652 he was completely blind.

9. At Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire you can visit 'Milton's cottage', where the poet lived from 1665 to 1666. Why did he move out of London at this time?

Answer: To escape from the plague

Milton lived in about a dozen houses during his life, but this is the only one that is still standing.

10. How many times did Milton marry?

Answer: 3

In 1642 he married Mary Powell,who died in 1652. In 1656 he married Katherine Woodcock, who died in 1658, and in 1663 he married Elizabeth Minshull, who outlived him. He can't have been an easy man to live with: his first wife lived apart from him for a while. A fictional account of his first marriage from the wife's point of view can be found in 'Wife to Mr Milton', by Robert Graves.

Source: Author TabbyTom

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