Born in 1608, John Milton's appearance as a master dates from his 22nd year; dying in 1674, his memorable prose and verse fill the lifetime between 1629 and 1673. It is as a writer that he counts; therefore we must concentrate on his significant writing. Since his supremacy was in poetry, it is as a poet that we must chiefly examine him, touching but briefly on only the salient matters in his career apart from letters, and considering those matters only as they affect his character and, above all, his Muse.