Download or read book The Empty Garden written by Ashraf H. Rushdy and published by University of Pittsburgh Pre. This book was released on 2010-11-23 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Empty Garden draws a portrait of Milton as a cultural and religious critic who, in his latest and greatest poems, wrote narratives that illustrate the proper relationships among the individual, the community, and God. Rushdy argues that the political theory implicit in these relationships arises from Milton's own drive for self-knowledge, a kind of knowledge that gives the individual freedom to act in accordance with his or her own understanding of God's will rather than the state's. Rushdy redefines Milton's creative spirit in a way that encompasses his poetic, political, and religious careers.