Milton Marathon
All the participants read along as Professor Andrew Fleck read “Paradise Lost” Thursday morning at ELABS on the Edinburg campus. Logan Huizar/Pulse
The Milton marathon was held on Mar. 11, at the Charles and Dorothy Clark Art Gallery located in the center of Edinburg Liberal Arts Building South.
The Milton Marathon consists of an all day reading of John Milton’s Poem “Paradise Lost.”
It was hosted by Dr. Andrew Fleck, a professor for English studies in the Department of Literatures and Cultures Studies.
“John Milton’s Paradise Lost is about 10,000 lines of poetry. It’s a marathon in the sense that we read the whole thing but it’s actually more of a relay,” Fleck said.
“People take turns reading parts of the poem as we go all the way from the beginning to the end of the poem in a day.”
Fleck said “Paradise Lost” on the surface is a retelling of the bible, but it explores Satan’s rebellion, the fall of mankind, the story of Adam and Eve and the consequences of their actions.
Students and faculty participated in the marathon showing respect for Milton’s epic, a long narrative poem. Camelia Sanchez, an English junior, who participated in the event, said she thinks the event was a safe place to explore themes, such as good and evil.
“I think at its core it’s about a constant plight of good and evil. I feel like that is a constant theme throughout the beginning of time,” Sanchez said. “A good way to explore ourself is to understand that.”
Fleck added although the text is three decades old, it is still relevant to today’s society. Paradise Lost is a commentary on human nature and God’s justification of mankind.
Milton portrays God as a powerful figure, while he is not intentionally painted in a bad light most readers find him to be unsympathetic.
“Milton was a big critic of authoritarian politics and tyranny. He doesn’t like the idea of people lording it over each other,” said Fleck.
The Milton marathon was open to anyone, it is accessible to anyone who wants to read it such as libraries and bookstores.
Fleck added people are intimidated by the size and the language Milton presents his work in.
“I’m hoping that students would have enjoyed whatever little bit of Milton they had time to listen to and maybe they’ll want to read some Milton for themself,” Fleck said.
