I'm making an attempt this Christmas break at reading Paradise Lost through. I've read Daniel Danielson's prose translation of the poem (which made for a wonderful reading experience), but I've never read the poem start to finish. We'll see how it goes.

I'm currently in Book 2, when Satan begins his journey out of Hell. As the other fallen angels wait to see how Satan's journey goes, they amuse themselves in all sorts of ways--military practice, athletic competitions, exploration, music, . . . and even philosophical discussion. One group of particularly bookish fallen angels sits apart from everyone and debates philosophy. I thought this passage was notable for its satire coming from Milton, a strong believer in free will:

     Others apart sat on a hill retired,
     In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high
     Of Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate—
     Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute—
     And found no end, in wandering mazes lost.
     Of good and evil much they argued then,
     Of happiness and final misery,
     Passion and apathy, and glory and shame:
     Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy!—
     Yet, with a pleasing sorcery, could charm
     Pain for a while or anguish, and excite
     Fallacious hope, or arm the obdured breast
     With stubborn patience as with triple steel.

Book 2, lines 557-69.