I don't believe that I've heard of Paradise Lost before. The article, written by Phillip Pullman explores his account on getting to know and love a poem written by John Milton. He explains that he had the advantage of studying the poem in school and read it aloud with his classmates. Having done that, gave him the opportunity to understand the poem on a deeper level and have a physical reaction to the words and it's meaning. Through his hands-on experience with the poem, he learned to love it. He shared that "once you love something, the attempt to understand it becomes a pleasure rather than a chore." He also discussed the different parts of a story- the beginning, middle and end. He believes that "landscapes are not enough, something has to happen in the story." And that "poems and stories have the capacity to entice, excite, and inspire people."
I believe that this concept that Pullman writes about pertaining to poems and stories hold true to any medium. Painting a picture of a landscape for example may be beautiful and the viewer can appreciate it for it's beauty, but we want to create to move, inspire and excite people. If you create drama in your art, the audience is eager to follow what's next. It enables the viewer to wonder about your art. What does it mean for them? What does it do to them? Like Pullman description of his physical response to reading Paradise Lost, can yours or my painting create that same reaction???
