This study delves into the intertextuality between the theme of creation in Milton's Paradise Lost and Ovid's Metamorphoses, analyzing their connections in terms of creation concepts and linguistic style, and how this relationship reflects Milton's poetic reconstruction of Christian creation theory. Simultaneously, it reviews the multidimensional scholarly research on this relationship from the late 17th century to the 20th century, pointing out that Milton's borrowing from Ovid stemmed from poetic identification and creative anxiety. By transforming classical resources, he achieved a poetic expression of theological propositions, securing the classic status of Paradise Lost.

Christian Creation Doctrine and Milton's Creation Thought

This section deeply explores the complex relationship between Christian creation doctrine and Milton's creation thought. Firstly, it outlines three main theoretical paradigms of creation in Christian theological tradition: creation from primordial matter, creation ex nihilo, and creation from the essence of God, detailing their theoretical origins, core viewpoints, and positions within the Christian doctrinal system. Subsequently, it provides a detailed analysis of Milton's theory of creation, noting its affinity with the creation-from-God's-essence view. Through semantic analysis of the word "create" in classical languages and logical arguments, it critiques creation ex nihilo, ultimately concluding that all matter originates from God.

The Creation Narrative in Paradise Lost and the Creation Myth in Metamorphoses

This section deeply explores the close connection between the creation narrative constructed by Milton in Paradise Lost and the classical epic Metamorphoses. Through the accounts of the angels Uriel and Raphael in Paradise Lost, Milton skillfully presents his unique concept of creation—the transformation from chaos to order—a concept that resonates with the creation ideas of classical philosophers. Milton's creation narrative not only shares significant ideological similarities with Metamorphoses but is also profoundly influenced by its vocabulary and linguistic style, such as expressions like "Chaos" and "Elements...in thir places." Although Milton proposed a different creation thought in his Christian Doctrine, the depiction of creation in Paradise Lost aligns more closely with the classical creation myth system. This discrepancy prompts deeper reflection on Milton's creation thought and the motivation behind his incorporation of pagan works in a religious epic.

Milton's Anxiety of Influence and the Figure of Ovid as a Friend

This section deeply explores the anxiety of influence Milton experienced while writing Paradise Lost and his literary connection with Ovid. From his youth, Milton harbored a strong ambition to create an epic and achieve immortal fame, but facing the accomplishments of numerous poetic giants during the Renaissance, he developed an anxiety of influence. This anxiety manifested not only in his work as a poet but also in his theological interpretations as a theologian. Milton's borrowing from Ovid was not coincidental but rather a sophisticated "alliance of latecomers" in literary history. Ovid's subversive reconstruction of the epic tradition in Metamorphoses provided Milton with an example and creative inspiration to combat literary anxiety. Milton keenly captured Ovid's poetic wisdom, integrating it into the creation of Paradise Lost, achieving a creative transformation of the classical tradition and a fusion with Christian spirit.

The Narrative Style of Metamorphoses and the Literary Nature of the Creation Narrative in Paradise Lost

This section deeply explores the narrative style of Ovid's Metamorphoses and its profound influence on the creation narrative in Milton's Paradise Lost. Ovid's poetic style centers on playfulness and aesthetic pleasure. His depiction of creation in Metamorphoses is filled with unique semantic shifts and neologisms, cleverly blurring the identity of the creator and portraying the process as a literary feast of elements spontaneously ordering themselves. When composing Paradise Lost, Milton faced the challenge of transforming the solemn creation narrative of Genesis into a literary expression rich in poetic charm and theological depth. He drew upon the poetic style of Metamorphoses, using expansive poetic language to shift the focus of the creation narrative partially toward the spontaneous ordering of the material world. This approach softened the didactic tone of the biblical original and endowed the creation narrative with unique aesthetic value. This fusion is not mere stylistic embellishment but a deep poetic reconstruction that maintains the solemnity of the sacred narrative while infusing it with poetic vitality, achieving a perfect unity of "the poetization of doctrine" and "the theologization of poetry." Milton's view of creation shows evident interpretative differences across his various works, differences that serve his specific artistic pursuit: maximizing epic artistry while upholding theological orthodoxy. The success of Paradise Lost lies not only in its commercial success and continuous republication but also in the realization of its poetic value, which is partly indebted to Milton's creative transformation of Ovid's creation myth.