Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems for Free Online Page A

arms
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    Nine times the space that measures day and night
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To mortal men, he, with his horrid 1418 crew, 1419
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Lay vanquished, rolling in the fiery gulf, 1420
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Confounded, 1421 though immortal. But his doom 1422
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Reserved 1423 him to more wrath, for now the thought
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Both of lost happiness and lasting pain
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Torments him. Round he throws his baleful 1424 eyes
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That witnessed 1425 huge affliction and dismay
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Mixed with obdurate 1426 pride and steadfast hate
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At once, as far as Angels ken, 1427 he views
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The dismal 1428 situation waste 1429 and wild. 1430
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    A dungeon horrible, on all sides round
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As one great furnace flamed, yet from those flames
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No light but rather darkness visible
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Served only to discover 1431 sights of woe
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Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
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And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
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That comes to all, but torture without end
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Still urges, 1432 and a fiery deluge, fed
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With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed. 1433
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Such place Eternal Justice had prepared
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For those rebellious, here their prison ordained
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In utter darkness, and their portion 1434 set
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As far removed from God and light of Heav’n
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As from the center thrice to th’ utmost pole
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    Oh how unlike the place from whence they fell
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There the companions of his fall, o’erwhelmed
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With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire
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He soon discerns and, weltering 1435 by his side
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One next himself in power, and next in crime
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Long after known in Palestine, and named
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Beelzebub. 1436 To whom th’ arch-enemy
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And thence in Heav’n called Satan, with bold words
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Breaking the horrid silence, thus began
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    “If thou beest he—but O how fallen! how changed
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From him who, in the happy 1437 realms of light
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Clothed with transcendent brightness, didst outshine
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Myriads, 1438 though bright!—if he whom mutual league, 1439
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United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
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And hazard in the glorious enterprise
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Joined with me once, now misery hath joined
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In equal ruin—into what pit thou seest
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From what height fall’n, so much the stronger proved
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He with His thunder. And till then who knew
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The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those
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Nor what the potent victor in His rage
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Can else inflict, do I repent, or change
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(Though changed in outward luster) that fixed mind
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And high disdain from sense of injured merit
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That with the Mightiest raised me to contend
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And to the fierce contentions 1440 brought along
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Innumerable 1441 force of Spirits armed
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That durst dislike His reign and, me preferring
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His utmost power with adverse 1442 power opposed
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In dubious 1443 battle on the plains of Heav’n,
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And shook His throne. What though the field be lost
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All is not lost—the unconquerable will
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And study 1444 of revenge, immortal hate
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And courage never to submit or yield
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And what is else not to be overcome
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That glory never shall His wrath or might
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Extort from me. To bow and sue 1445 for grace 1446
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With suppliant 1447 knee, and deify His power
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Who, from 1448 the terror 1449 of