Paradise Lost is an
epic poem in
blank verse by the 17th-century English poet
John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consisted of ten books with over ten thousand lines of
verse. A second edition followed in 1674, arranged into twelve books (in the manner of
Virgil's
Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification. It is considered by critics to be Milton's major work, and it helped solidify his reputation as one of the greatest English poets of his time.