Paradise Lost: A Poetic Journey

By: Paul Buchheit
Publisher: Wipf and Stock
Publication Date: April 1, 2024
ISBN: 979-8385210794
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: March 1, 2024

Paradise Lost: A Poetic Journey is a set of poems and a repackaged edition of John Milton's famous book, Paradise Lost, penned by author and poet Paul Buchheit. With a narrative thread carried from one poem to another, the book offers a marvelous retelling of the Fall of Man and his eventual redemption through salvation by Christ.

The poet weaves each story into a larger one exploring the characters and the scenes in an abstract and accessible way, an aspect so unique and rarely seen in traditional poetry. Told in long, fierce, staccato narrative verse, the poems begin with the story of Satan's banishment to hell after being cast out of Heaven by God along with his fallen angels. Buchheit goes further to tell the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience in great detail and the terrible consequences of this sin. There is, however, hope for humankind, as the poems expound, and the possibility of redemption placed upon Christ's ultimate sacrifice through His death and resurrection.

The text places much emphasis on obedience and the value of human devotion to God that will unequivocally lead us toward God's mercy, grace, and salvation. These collections are written in unrhymed but metered lines, with lines appearing in regular cadences that keep the story alive and vivid. The entries are divided into eleven sections for straightforward deciphering, an aspect that elevates these poems above their genre. Along the way, many other characters are introduced, such as Gabriel and Raphael, two of the archangels of Heaven; Uriel, an angel who guards the earth; and Moloch, a rash, irrational, and murderous devil. These and many more are well-hewn and greatly imagined. This aids in etching an intense story steeped in extreme drama, high-voltage tension, and heightened suspense hinged on the well-conceived settings.

Paradise Lost: A Poetic Journey easily manages to bend its genre in an even more remarkable way, and its poetic entries will easily resonate with readers from all walks of life and ages. The skillfully delivered dialogues and the wily changes in tone laud the key message that the poet seeks to deliver, and that rings true throughout. Through these complex and wonderful poems, God's unyielding love for humankind shines, and Milton's previous work that these poems are based upon receives much justice.

Quill says: Paul Buchheit's work is comprehensible, modern, and does not disappoint. It tells an important story that carries along with it pearls of truth.

For more information on Paradise Lost: A Poetic Journey, please visit the author's website at: booksbypaulb.com