Is Areopagitica a pamphlet ?
In form and structure, Areopagitica is undoubtedly a pamphlet. It was written on the current topic of licensing books and when Milton wrote other pamphlet on political, religious, domestic and educational problems. It was also written to protest the censorship imposed upon the printing of books.But the pamphlet. Areopagitica was not merely a pamphlet. The theme on which it was written did not concern only England and the English but the whole of freedom loving people of the world. So, the theme is universal and its style is oratorical and touching. A pamphlet deals with a controversial topic of the day. So can be dated. Milton's Episcopal pamphlets and his tracts on divorce and kingship are of this type.They have evoked considerable interest when they have appeared but now have been completely forgotten. Areopagitica, on the other hand, is still alive to influence the active minds of the people. Still to-days. It appeals to freedom lovers of all countries and Climates.
A pamphlet takes sides without considering the merits and demerit of the issue on which it is written and gives biased arguments which will appeal only to the partisans. There is no sincerely of purpose. But in Areopagitica when Million talks of liberty the words come from his heart and so they go on to our hearts. Besides, a pamphlet is written on the heat of the moments and the writer does not display any learning or wisdom but Milton uses all the wealth of this learning to prove that licensing of books will be a great bar to the flowering of the national genius.Taking all these points into consideration, we can say without any hesitation that Areopagitica is not a mere pamphlet but a lasting piece of literature.
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