Change and Development in the English Language - Research Paper Example

Change and Development in the English Language Thesis ment: John Milton has an outstanding position in the change and development of English language for his ideas on spelling with which he experimented, his study and practice of the language, and for his contribution of a number of words and phrases to the literary vocabulary of English language, and the first two paragraphs of his 'Paradise Lost' illustrate the English language of the 17th Century. Topic Sentence 1: John Milton has an exceptional role in the change and development of English language, apart from his outstanding position as a moulder and paradigm of English poetic diction, and "he had ideas on spelling, with which he experimented; he was a keen student of the language and a supreme practitioner in it; and he has added a number of words and phrases to the literary vocabulary if not to the spoken.

" (Wrenn, 170) Topic Sentence 2: There have been significant evidences which suggest that Milton "tried to indicate a distinction in spelling, for instance, between the stressed and the unstressed forms of the personal pronouns - mee, hee, shee, and their for the emphatic forms, and me, he, she, thir, for the weaker ones." (Wrenn, 170-1) Topic Sentence 3: Milton was the greatest master in English poetic language, next only to Shakespeare, but "besides being the master in poetic diction of so many who have followed, Milton has left some notable marks on the language which go far beyond this sphere.

" (Wrenn, 173) Topic Sentence 4: In a profound analysis of the first two paragraphs of Milton's 'Paradise Lost', one gets a fair idea of the English language of the 17th Century. Change and Development in the English Language: Contribution of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' John Milton enjoys an outstanding position as a moulder and exemplar of English poetic diction and as the greatest master in English poetic language, next only to Shakespeare. However, he has also played an exceptional role in the change and development of English language and he has made exceptional contribution to the growth of the language in the 17th Century.

Milton is highly regarded as a prominent figure in the development of the language through the century, mainly due to his ideas on spelling with which he experimented, his study and practice of the language, and for his contribution of a number of words and phrases to the literary vocabulary of English language. John Milton has an exceptional role in the change and development of English language, apart from his outstanding position as a moulder and paradigm of English poetic diction, and "he had ideas on spelling, with which he experimented; he was a keen student of the language and a supreme practitioner in it; and he has added a number of words and phrases to the literary vocabulary if not to the spoken.

" (Wrenn, 170) Significantly, the first two paragraphs of his 'Paradise Lost' illustrate the English language of the 17th Century. His contribution to the growth English language through his epic poem 'Paradise Lost' includes transformation of spelling, contribution of a number of new words and phrases etc. Work Cited Wrenn, Charles Leslie. The English Language. Taylor & Francis. 1977. P 170.