8. 1- 4:

The speaker in this passage in the narrator, and he is recounting that Raphael has finished telling Adam about the creation of the world. He describes Raphael's voice as being so charming that it takes Adam a while to notice that he has finished speaking. Once he rouses himself and realizes that the story is finished, Adam is grateful to Raphael.

8. 5 - 38:

The speaker in these lines is Adam. He is responding to the story that Raphael has just told him. Adam although appreciative of what her has been told and what he has learned states that he still has many unanswered questions and that Raphael is the one who can answer them seen in lines 8.13-14 "something yet of doubt remains, / which only thy solution can resolve." Adam's curiosity is about nature and the stars, his ideas seem to question why the earth does not move, because it would be less effort and energy than all of the stars having to move, to make the differences between day and night. I wondered if this was Milton challenging ideas of how the universe worked. After reading the following foot notes related to the passage I though perhaps Milton may be expressing his ideas through his character because it states "Milton's Adam" and does not independently refer to the character.

8. 39 - 65:

In this passage the speaker describes Adam adopting a reflective countenance after hearing Raphael explain the cosmos to him. Eve leaves the room to attend to her nursery which spring up when she touches them. The speaker explains that Eve leaves not because of boredom or lack of understanding, but because "such pleasure she reserv'd, / Adam relating" (8.50-1). She prefers hearing the story from Adam alone rather than the angel, she enjoys the affection that is accompanied with his words.

The fact that Eve prefers to hear the explanation of the cosmos from Adam rather than Raphael infers that she would rather listen to a lesser being for the sake [of] lust. The passage focuses heavily on her carnal attributes. Along with the choice she makes, the passage suggests her corruption as a being and foreshadows this corruption spreading to Adam.

8. 66 - 178:

In this passage, Raphael tells Adam that he does not blame him for having doubts about God's decision to create such a gigantic universe full of stars simply to light up the tiny Earth for man to live, as such disproportion definitely raises concern. However, as he goes through a long process of addressing other extremely complex questions about the universe that could also lead to a loss of faith in God, it only seems to increase Raphael's faith as he thinks about all of the beauty God has created in the universe. When considering the speed of the universe, for example, Raphael says it has a "speed almost spiritual." At line 120, Raphael suggests that God placed Heaven so far away from earth so that humans would have trouble trying to travel there if they ever wanted to do astronomical investigation on it, which is probably so that people would simply have to rely on faith in order to believe that heaven is real. He then contemplates what it would mean if the sun was the center of the world, which is where all of his other questions about the universe start flowing. And as Raphael asks all these unanswerable questions about the universe, like how it could be that "insensibly three different Motions move" (130), it could be reflecting the way that there were many conflicting theories about the universe during Milton's time. However, the whole point of why Milton might have gotten Raphael to spend such an extreme amount of time coming up with questions that cannot be answered only to have Raphael still having faith in God at the end of it all might be to demonstrate how strong one's faith in God should always remain, no matter how many uncertainties you may have. Raphael tells Adam that the reason why Adam cannot answer his question is that God never supplied him with the answers, as God had not intended for him to have that particular knowledge. Likewise, Raphael tells Adam that the only knowledge he should ever seek to have is the knowledge that God gave him himself, which is the knowledge he already has. Any attempt to gain more knowledge than he already has, or to question God's creations, would be to argue a fault in God's abilities, which would reveal an unacceptable lack of faith in God.

8. 179 - 216:

In this passage, Adam thanks Raphael for explaining about Heaven and Earth. He states that Raphael taught him to live in the easiest way and to not be burdened with the perplexing thoughts that God "hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares" (8. 185). These thoughts are only troublesome if we ourselves "seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain" (8. 187). However, he feels that the mind and its imagination typically wanders in futility until it is taught "not to know at large of things remote / From use, obscure and subtle, but to know / That which before us lies in daily life" (8. 191-3). This knowing is prime wisdom, while all else is of "emptiness, or fond impertinence" (8. 195) as it leaves us unprepared for the things in life that concern us. He then suggests that by inhabiting Earth, he may be able to attain knowledge that is of use, whereas seeking knowledge of Heaven is not his place. This questioning of the attainment of knowledge harkens back to the speaker's original quest to justify God's ways to men. Rather than questioning God's ways, Adam is promoting a simple faith and trust that God will do what is best. Similarly, disbelief in God could also be seen as an example (in Adam's mind) that a person's thoughts have wandered too far beyond what concerns them. Adam decides to be content with what is, however, this evidently foreshadows the original sin and the Tree of Knowledge as Adam and Eve's sin derives from the desire to attain the knowledge that God had deprived them. Adam then asks Raphael if [he can] recite his own creation and story as he is enjoying Raphael's company, stating: "while I sit with thee, I seem in Heav'n" (8. 210)

8. 217 - 48:

Raphael’s response to Adam continues the previous book’s emphasis on Adam as made in God’s image (8.221, 7.519, 627) and praises the first man highly as an equal to angels under God (8.224-7). This heaping-on of phrase will serve as stark contrast for what Raphael later tells Adam of Eve, who, according to the angel, is Adam’s lesser in wisdom, intelligence, and purity. When Eve causes the fall, then, according to Milton’s Raphael, she is bringing down a creature very unlike herself—one as good as God’s angels.

This passage also explains where Raphael was on the day of Adam’s creation, making sure no demons escaped from hell to interfere with the divine plan (8.229-36). Interestingly, Raphael adds that Satan and his followers could not have destroyed Adam or interfered with God’s creation without God’s own express permission—they were sent on the mission ‘for state’ (that is, to uphold God’s dignity) [8.239] and ‘to enure / Our prompt obedience’ (8.239-40)—in other words, just to ensure that they did and would continue to do as they were told. Raphael finds nothing strange about this, and tells Adam that he is much pleased with their conversation.

8. 249 - 316:

Adam is relaying what happened when he first woke up, describing the plants and animals he saw. He says he did not know who he was or who created him, but he does believe that someone created him. He tries to speak and finds he can, and can name the different creatures around him, which I found to be somewhat strange since he cannot name himself. Adam is still very happy, and wanders around until he finds a place to sleep, and dream. In his dream, God comes to him and leads him to the Garden of Eden, and then when he wakes up, he finds he is physically in the garden as well, and begins to worship God out of respect. Adam says that God told him, "Submiss: he rear'd me, and Whom thou sought'st I am" (8.316) as Adam has been looking for his creator. I compared this to Book four when Eve explains her awakening and the situations are almost identical. They both awaken lying on a flower bed, and hearing water running nearby. They both do not know who they are or where they come from, however Adam is the only one who mentions figuring out that there must be a creator somewhere, and searching for him. Adam is also the only one who tells us he spoke, or that he was able to name the animals and plants around him. Eve, on the other hand, wanders around a little lost without this knowledge, which is explained when she meets Adam. Some of the praise she gives Adam is for his wisdom, because he is a man. She was not given the same knowledge as he was because her purpose was not to be wise. This also made me consider the reactions each had, even though their situations are so similar. Eve wandered to the water and looked at herself, trying to figure out what was going on while admiring how she looks. Her reaction is quiet and somewhat subdued until she meets Adam. Of course, she is still gazing around in wonder, however when Adam looks around, it seems to be because he is suddenly gaining the knowledge of whatever he looks at. His reaction is happy, like hers, but his is more blissful. I attributed that to his knowledge about things, because through that knowledge he also gains an idea of value. He knows, therefore he can fully appreciate all the different species of animals and plants. His sense of value makes him worship God out of admiration when he meets him, while Eve does not know to go search for him.

8. 316 - 33:

Adam is speaking in this passage and is depicting to Raphael what God told him about the Garden of Eden. God tells him that Eden belongs to Adam and then gives him the one rule of not eating from the tree of knowledge. Earlier in the semester we talked about how Adam and Eve do not know what death is (which is true) but they do know, at least in theory, what sadness is and that it isn't good. So when Adam narrates God in saying "From that day mortal, and this happy State / Shalt lose, expell'd from hence into a World / Of woe and sorrow" (330-333), it means that they had some foreknowledge of what they were getting themselves into by disobeying God.

8. 333 - 37:

The larger section of the text deals with Adam recounting God's instructions in reguards to the fruits of Eden. This particular few lines deals with the demeanor of God in his forbidding the Tree of Knowledge, frightening Adam with the tone of His voice. "... Sternly he pronounc'd / The rigid interdiction, which resounds / Yet dreadful in mine ear..." (333-335). God seems to have raised his voice, as someone fobidding the actions of a child, when he set apart the Tree of Knowledge from the rest of the fruits of Eden. This seems to be to serve as showing that God does have a side to him that is not all love and mercy before the fall of humanity.

8. 338 - 48:

In lines 338-348, Adam is speaking to Raphael recounting his interaction with God. Adam is saying that God has left Earth to the race of men and that as lords they must “Possess it, and all things that therein live, / Or live in Sea, or Aire, Beast, Fish, and Fowle” (8.340-1). This notion of possession brings us back to Adam’s rule of the beasts in book 7 whereby he must rule “Over the Fish and Fowle of Sea and Aire, / Beast of the Field, and over all the Earth”(7.521-2). Adam continues on, describing how he sorted each creature by kind. He gives every creature a name and summons each bird and beast forth to "pay thee fealtie" (8.344). Adam does the same with all the fish in “thir watry residence”(8.346), however Adam notes that the fish were not summoned before him because of their inability to breath air. [Late]

8. 349 - 56:

Lines 349-356 of Book VIII are spoken by Adam. He is telling of how he named birds and beasts as they approached him two by two. He describes the birds bowing low, stooped on their wing, acting out of flattery or "blandishment" (l.351). The readers discover in this passage that Adam was given the innate knowledge of all of these creatures that approached him, which is how he was able to name each of them: "I namíd them, as they pass'd, and understood / Thir Nature, with such knowledge God endu'd" (8.352-353). Even after going through all of the birds and beasts and fish, Adam clearly feels unfulfilled; he tells Raphael that "in these / I found not what methought I wanted still" (8.354-355). As readers, we know that what Adam is missing at this point in time is Eve, so his desire for something more acts to foreshadow her creation. This section ends with Adam about to speak to the "Heavínly vision" (l.356).

8. 357 - 66:

Adam is speaking to God in this section (at the time, Adam did not know it was God). Adam wants to show his gratitude towards God, however he does not know what to call him. He mentions that God is greater than the animals, mankind, and anything higher than mankind and so he would like to worship him (adore him) and calls him the Author of the Universe. After he states that God has created all things, Adam asks him why he was created alone (since everyone else came in pairs) and so he wishes for the creation of another human. He does not see happiness in solitude and thus wants his second half.

This makes me think about three things:

1) Why would God not create mankind in a pair? What was his purpose in creating Adam alone while all other creatures are in pairs? Is this a result of the society in which the story was written (the Bible as well) where women were seen as inferior beings? Or is there another reason? Possible reasoning could be that God needed to create one person first so that they can name the animals and such without debating with another person about titles. This isn't the best situation, however, since Adam names the animals with preexisting knowledge in his head that was put there from God... so it's redundant in a way to have Adam "name" the animals when they already had names in place.
2) Adam calls God the "Author" which is interesting since he is writing a story where he knows the ending. This once again pertains to the theme of how mankind is a tool and therefore doomed to fall regardless of action. God knows the ending of the story. He is the author of course.
3) If God created Adam to be perfect, he wouldn't have asked for the creation of Eve and thus the fall of mankind wouldn't have happened. So who's "fault" is it really for the fall of mankind?

8. 367 - 8:

Here Adam concludes his inquiries to God on the subject of how he should address him and God begins to speak, seeming pleased with Adam's line of questioning.

While a short passage, this section suggests God doesn't mind inquiry as long as it follows what he deems to be appropriate lines.

8. 369 - 75:

Adam is remembering what God spoke to him during their first conversation. God is asking (telling) Adam what about Earth makes him fell secluded. The Earth and Aire are both filled with creatures (as well as the unmentioned sea) who are ruled by Adam. God seems to feel that that should be enough. Adam knows the language and ways of the animals so he should understand that they are okay with that life and Adam should share that view.

8. 376 - 78:

Adam is speaking, and, after stating God's words from memory, says that this is what God told him, and it everything made sense. Then, humbly, Adam responded with the words in the following line.

8. 379 - 97:

8. 398 - 411:

In this section God is responding to Adam's call to have a companion or associate. God asks Adam what he thinks of Him being alone. God goes on to say that he has no creature like him. God is singular. He created lesser beings than himself and there is no eternal beings that measure up to him (ll. 405-7). God explains that he talks with the creatures that are beneath him to keep him company. God suggests the same to Adam, to talk to the beasts below him (ll. 408-411).

God is trying to make sure that Adam really wants another human to be around, or to be like him and be alone. Adam is made in God's image, so Adam being alone is like God. Adam ultimately defines himself away from God by not wanting to be alone, like God is.

8. 412 - 33:

Adam continues in this section by narrating his exchange with God to Raphael. In particular, Adam relates his response to God's questioning his desire for an equal partner. In the narrative, he basically asserts to God that He (with a capital just for clarity's sake) doesn't need a partner or an equal because God is perfect, whole and ubiquitous in the universe as He is. What is infinite and perfect and ubiquitous does not need replication or company. The rest of the passage was not exactly clear to me, but what I got from it was that Adam was arguing that Man, in the form of himself, is not like God in these ways. As such, in order to reproduce to make more God-like human beings (not just clones of Adam), he would need a partner just as the lion needs a lioness. According to his use of the word "collateral," perhaps he means that this partner would also need to be created by God (a common ancestor, so to speak), but as his complement, not his replica. He furthers his argument with the idea that God is so great, He doesn't need a friend because there is no equal; however, Man needs social nurturing with other human beings to be at his best - he cannot get this same fulfillment from trying to converse with so-called Beasts.

8. 434 - 36:

These are transitional lines in which Adam tells the reader that he has just spoken and God is about to respond. It seems as though Adam’s speech previous to these transitional lines is defined by a crescendo of confidence and surety. As initially his speech is defined as, “lowly” (8. 412), however, at the end of his speech he states he was “embold’n’d” (8.343). This suggests that as Adam responded to God, he possibly became more confident and free with his language as he spoke.

8. 437 - 51:

In this section, Raphael is speaking to Adam about who Adam is and why he was created. He explains how Adam has a free spirit and how he was not meant to be alone; therefore, creating Eve. Raphael explains that Eve was meant as a trial to see how her company would affect Adam. He states that "I, ere thou spak'st, / Knew it not good for Man to be alone" (8.443-45). Eve is meant to help Adam, like Adam, and to be there for him. Adam is meant to desire her emotionally when Raphael says "thy wish, exactly to thy hearts desire" (8.451).

8. 452 - 90:

Adam continues to recount his earliest days on earth to Raphael. God has concluded his dialogue with Adam, leaving the man "Dazzl'd and spent" (8.457) from the interaction's celestial sublimity. The effect of this encounter on Adam is augmented when one considers that his only antecedent communications were of a decidedly unfulfilling sort (8.389-92). Stirred by a feeling that his "unity [is] defective" (8.425), Adam entreats his maker for a suitable partner, having observed such a pattern in the wider animal world: "so fitly them in pairs thou hast combined" (8.394). As the lioness compliments the lion (8.393), Adam's counterpart, formed from his very rib, is "Manlike, but different sex" (8.471), and of exceeding fairness. The yet-unnamed creature's loveliness in Adam's trancelike vision is only natural considering his deep yearning for "collateral love" (8.426); this expectation is further solidified by God's promise that his "other self" (8.450) would be "exactly to [his] heart's desire" (8.451).

That Adam's state of consciousness at the time of Eve's creation was anything more heightened than a "deep sleep" (Gen. 2:21) is a detail unfounded in the Genesis account. Instead, the poet seems to be drawing from a well-known section of Plato's dialogue on love, the Symposium, wherein the speaker Aristophanes posits that "each of us when separated, having one side only / is always looking for his other half" (Plato, Symposium, trans. Jowett). Adam's awareness of his partner's image before their physical encounter lends classical drama to the bare scripture. But unlike a one sided grasp toward a hidden object, as the woman sweeping for the lost coin, Adam's search was providentially guided by the creator's agency in and through the object of desire. Eve was "led by her Heav'nly Maker, though unseen / And guided by his voice" (8.485-6). With "Grace / in all her steps" and "Heav'n in her Eye" (8.488), Eve both experiences and manifests her status as the unique derivative of God's image in Adam. Her mate thence rejoices.

8. 491 - 99:

Adam is speaking and he has just described seeing Eve for the first time. He says "This turn hath made amends; thou hast fulfill'd / Thy words, Creator bounteous and benigne"(8.491-92) because he had complained to God that he did not understand why all of the other creatures had a pairing, but he did not. He is grateful that God has kept his word and he goes on to say that she is the fairest gift he has ever created. He and Eve shall be one, she was created from him, and he is not her father or mother, but his wife.

8. 500 - 59:

In lines 500-559, Adam is speaking and recounts the first time he sees Eve. Adam explains Eve’s beauty, her “Innocence and Virgin Modesty” (8.501). Since Eve is “pure of sinful thought” (8.506), she immediately turns away when she first catches a glimpse of Adam. Adam follows Eve and he leads her back to the bower where they sleep together and “the Earth / Gave sign of gratulation” (8.513-514). The text describes that Eve is pure of sinful thought and she turns away when she sees Adam, but Adam is able to take Eve back to his bower. It seems as though she turns away from Adam to keep away sinful thoughts, however she is then led to go back to sleep with him. I took this as Eve being easily persuaded and a bit of foreshadowing her fall of eating the fruit from the forbidden tree because she is easily tempted. Throughout the lines, Adam describes how Eve is “th’ inferior in the mind” (8.541), however he seems to feel threatened by her as he states “what she wills to do or say / Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best” (8.549-550).

8. 561 - 94:

In book Viii, lines 561-94 an angel is replying to Adam's questions about Eve, love, and beauty. The angel tells Adam that Nature has done its part; everything is as it should be. Adam should not be shy or self-conscious of his love for Eve. However, her beauty astounds him and makes him less aware of his surroundings, making him feel less wise. The angel tells Adam that this does not mean that his wisdom is gone forever, it will return when he needs it. Adam should value Eve by how she makes him feel, and the angel says that, "Oft-times nothing profits more / Than self-esteem" (8.571-72). The angel says that there is honour in loving your mate, because she sees you when you are least wise, and supports you. However if carnal touches seem better than everything else, Adam is no more than a beast. The angel makes it clear that it is good to love her, but not to fall prey to lust. He says that if Adam is, "sunk in carnal pleasure" (8.593) he is no better than a beast and will not get a mate.

8. 595 - 617:

8. 620 - 43:

Adam has just asked Raphael how angels, and spirits in general, express love. Right from the beginning Raphael establishes a sort of thesis to his argument. It is as if he is saying Adam, your human brain might not comprehend what I’m about to tell you but just know this one thing-we are happy and our happiness is a result of love (620-21). Then in an effort to explain a very complex process Raphael aims to contrast heavenly love to human love: “Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy’st [. . .] we enjoy in eminence” (622-23). Unlike fleshly love spiritual love: faces no boundaries nor limits “obstacle find none”, is genuine in its entirety “total they mix”, is undefiled by lust or provocativeness “Union of Pure with Pure/ Desiring”, and finally it is unabashedly unrestrained ”nor restrained conveyance need” (624, 627, 627/8, 628)

Raphael then ends his explanation, rather abruptly in my opinion, saying that it is time for him to go back to Heaven. Due to the fact that we discussed the paradigm between light and dark, dark being inherently evil, I find it interesting that Raphael seems to consolidate our theory by taking the coming of the darkness as his “Signal to depart” (632). As Raphael turns to go he leaves Adam with a final word of wisdom. Adam should enjoy life but be careful that his enjoyment is within the God-given limits. He should obey God at all costs “lest Passion sway” the direction of his actions (635) and cause him to abuse the free will he was blessed with. Raphael emphasizes that Adam needs to understand that the future of mankind rests on his able shoulders so he must “stand fast” (640). Ultimately the choice to succeed or fail resides solely within Adam’s free will: “to stand or fall/ Free in thine own Arbitrement it lies” (640-641). This seems like a lot of pressure on Adam but Raphael makes it clear that he was made in the image of God and therefore is “Perfect within” and therefore needs no help to conquer and repel any temptation (642).

My question is how can perfection and free will coexist within the same individual? Does not the presence of free will imply that there is a possibility of imperfection? Is not the possibility of imperfection make the individual incompletely perfect? I see it like an inflatable toy ball: If it is advertised as perfect then I expect it to never lose its shape or its bounciness. However, if the package tells me that it is perfect but there is a possibility that it will slightly deflate over time I automatically lower my expectations because its not infinitely perfect even if its perfect now.

8. 645 - 51:

In lines 645-651 Adam is the Speaker. This passage is Adam's farewell to Raphael. He calls him "Ethereal Messenger["] (646) who is sent by God whom he (Adam) loves. He says that Raphael has been gentle and affable to him and he shall be grateful and honour Raphael's memory. In closing he says that he wishes that Raphael should continue to be good and friendly to mankind and that he should return often to Earth. He is effusive and complimentary of Raphael. He definitely shows that he is very much aware of Raphael's higher position and that he knows that he (and all mankind) is dependent on the angels' kindness and generosity. [Late]

8. 652 - 3:

These few ending lines are Raphael's departure, as he returns to Heaven. Adam on the other hand returns to his normal life and what he does in Eden. These couple of lines are narrated by the speaker. ["]Bow'r["] when I looked it up meant dwelling or abode, so I took it to mean that Adam was returning to where he and Eve stay so he can relate to her the rest of what Raphael said after she left.