Farewell, Eden, the greatest of all lands.
Where God had given to us paradise,
Eternal and truly everlasting.
Farewell, garden of infinite knowledge,
And incomparable beauty,
Where God himself could dwell,
And still espouse its glory.
Farewell, home, birthplace of Eve and I,
Nurturing mother and provider
Of warmth and comfort, as a welcoming hearth.
What did we do to deserve you,
O land of paradise? Surely no man
Could become so great as to truly
Appreciate your holy greatness.
Alas, we have betrayed you.
Eve and I are forced to leave against
Our will, because of the corruption
Of Satan, the vilest and most evil tempter.
For it was he who convinced my naïve
Companion to explore more of you,
To fully enjoy the breadth of your knowledge.
She disobeyed the will of the Almighty,
And I joined her in this Cardinal Sin.
So now, we are forced to depart
From your towering protective gates
Oh, how I wish I could come back to you,
To stroll beneath those tall trees
Of cedar, pine, and oak, adorned with
The most pleasant and agreeable fruit,
Free from strife and predators,
Where every being can conduct themselves
In peace and virtue. But alas, Eden,
I have been torn from your domain,
Grasped and dragged down by
The clutches of the Serpent.
And so we are forced to depart from you,
But not without sorrow, or heavy hearts;
Forever will the glorious memory of Eden
Remain in our minds and souls.
--Luke C.
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Analysis:
This poem is based on Paradise Lost but using the poetic style of Aemilia Lanyer’s “The Description of Cooke-ham.” It can be considered a country-house poem, since it is writing as a way to praise the property (or its owner), a genre which Lanyer originated. I tried to use the same general feel as Lanyer’s poem, which is one of sorrow and mournfulness of having to leave. But while Lanyer’s poem strays away from the concept of regret, I wanted that to be a central issue in my adaptation because of the connotation of leaving the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve in Milton.
I began with the introduction of Adam’s concern, and then moved on to his explanation for why Eve and him are being forced to leave. I didn’t have as much space as Lanyer did, but I wanted to convey the nature of Eden and do it justice in my description, and I think one of the key points of that is reinforcing the omnipotence of God and the evilness of Satan; the former for his ability to create such a place, and the latter for his ability to convince anyone to abandon it. This conveys the epic sense of war that is prevalent in Milton, while also portraying how excellent Eden is, much like Lanyer’s Cooke-ham.