When parallels are drawn between the young radical intellectual who composed the anti-prelatic tract Of Reformation and the elder master poet of Paradise Regained, the path to a more complete grasp of John Milton’s poetic vision is approached. The link between his progression as a poet and his radical support for the toleration of scriptural interpretation then crystalizes, producing a more precise understanding of the intentions that lie behind Milton’s portrayals of heroism.
Indigenous writers from New England have always understood that the charge of language goes beyond the parochial and subjugating applications of Euro-centric interpretations; one need look no further than Dawnland Voices: An Anthology of Indigenous Voices from New England to find a divergent conception of language as a performance tool. Nonetheless, in many ways the Schagticoke, Mohegan, and Penobscot people in particular, among many other tribes from the North Eastern United States, fully embrace English philosopher J.L. Austin’s theories of language and performance. Indeed, they have been embracing these ideas for thousands of years via the conduit of oral tradition.