Milton’s works have been divided into three categories: early pastoral poetry, middle period’s political prose, and late period’s long epic poetry. During the period of Milton’s political activity, Milton had been appreciated as a politician, not as a poet. In discussing Milton as a poet, there has been a big disconnect between his early and late works. In this paper, I will discuss Milton’s sonnets, which are poems he wrote infrequently during the period of his political activities, and examine their significance as a link between his early and late works.

[Abstract] Numerous artists of later generations, who were influenced by the poet John Milton, have created new works using Milton’s works as motifs. In this thesis, I will discuss how Milton’s works have been musically transformed and accepted from the 18th century through to the present day, focusing on the keyword "harmony." By presenting arguments based on the music of Haydn and Handel, along with Mark Morris’ stage performances, I will explore how Milton’s poetry, as an art form of "lyrics" and "sounds," has survived across the generations.