This second edition of a perennial favorite in the Norton Critical Edition series represents an extensive revision of its predecessor. The text of the poem remains that of Milton's 1674 edition except for its spelling and use of capital letters and italics, which have been modernized. The original punctuation has been retained because it may indicate Milton's intended phrasing. The footnotes, however, have been augmented by quotations of translations of many passages from Homer, Virgil, and Ovid that Milton alluded to.