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That dismal World, if any Clime perhaps

Might yield them easier habitation

Satan’s heroic-like journey continues through treacherous conditions,

having to pass inhospitable terrain and fauna, before reaching “thrice

threefold” gates of Hell, three of brass, three of iron, and three of

adamantine rock, guarded by Sin and Death. On managing to escape

Milton’s world of Hell he eventually reaches earth where subtly tempts

Eve with the forbidden fruit of knowledge until Eve concedes and eats

leading to their loss of paradise. An analogy could be drawn here

between Satan and the colonisers of the period enduring a tiresome

journey and then tempting the inhabitants (Adam and Eve) with the

prospect of wealth through trade; and on acceptance, thus marking their

own loss and transgression into a state of perpetual inferiority

thereafter in respect of the colonisers. Adam and Eve the original

settlers are beguiled by Satan’s corruptness through their own innocent

naivity. In respect of Paradise Lost and the theme of colonisation we

can the course marked by Satan via his journey (see diagram) is

regarded as his geography, despite having finally accomplished his

course of action.

Further on in books V-VII we have elaborate description of the

landscape of Paradise, which is used the manifesto of colonialism

through religious dynamics and instability. The schematics of

geography and the final mappings that became increasingly important, in

so far as territories, progression of colonization and like, even God

himself charters the stars in a calculated Genesis

He took the golden compasses, prepared

In God’s eternal store, to circumscibe

This universe, an all created things:

One foot he centred, and the other turned

Round through the vast profundity obscure,

And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds

This by thy just circumference8

Milton himself somewhat of a nationalist puritan poet in response to

the issue of reformation, firm in the belief that the English were

God’s chosen people addressed parliament asking:

Why else was this Nation chos’n before any other, that out of her as

out of Sion should be proclam’d and sounded forth the first tidings and

trumpet of Reformation of all Europ. And had it not bin the obstinat

perversnes of our Prelats against the divine and admirable spirit of

the Wicklef, to suppresse him as a scismatic an innovator… the glory

of reforming all our neighbours had bin compleatly ours.9

Similarly if not more so the concepts of colonialism, the systematic

functions of identifying, locating and securing are no better

displayed, conveyed or apparent than in writings of the metaphysical

poets.

Man is all symmetrie,

Full of proportions, one limbe to another,

And all to all the world besides:

Each part may call the furthest, brother:

For head with for hath private amitie,

And bothe with moons and tides.10

In this brief extract taken from George Herberts poem Man we can see

the extent to which this evangelical poem – using maps and geometry to

define the protestant server and his maker. A new method of language

and metaphors had become available and poets did not hasten to

incorporate as many different styles as possible to create an identity,

using the terminology associated to science, in order to define. A

place for everything and everything in its place, reaching the

conclusion that God is omnipresent, after having used language to

process His location. Likewise John Donne an acclaimed poet of his

period, and as Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral was a seemingly

inexhaustible source of spirituality with which to ordain his poems.

Licence my roving hands, and let them go

Behind, before, above, between, below

Oh my America, my new found lande,

My kingdome, safeliest when with on man man’d

My myne precious stones my Empiree

How blest I am this discovering thee11

In this his poem named, Elegie: To His Mistress Going to Bed the

allusions to colonialism are by no means marginalised. Donne paints a

scene of a woman undressing, in which his description has the duality

of de-sexualising, whilst sexualising. The emphasis and attention paid

on material objects such as the garments are for all intents and

purposes dehumanising. The description of clothes are paralleled to

the colonial, metaphysical conceits discovery and of ownership, whilst

mapping. Ostensibly what Donne endeavours to do is colonise the body

of the woman. Although considerable language and detail is spent in

describing the layers of clothing the purpose of which to emphasise the

letting go of material objects. The infinite quest of the spiritualist

could be that longing for the return to innocence, of spirituality and

spiritual embodiment can only be achieved when irrelevant and

extravagant thoughts of materialism and clothes are disregarded. Once

the woman is void of! all external graces and is the way nature

intended, only then does the journey of exploration commence, to

discover the essence of human nature, the spiritual manifestation of

passion merely acting as a catalyst in the celebration of sexuality.

The theme of a quest, searching, mapping territory or bodies, geography

of mind, body and soul, unrest and all

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