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Source identified
“Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n.”

John Milton · Fictional character · Satan

Source
Paradise Lost
Date
1667
Attribution
Source identified
Voice / speaker
Fictional character · Satan
Meaning

What does this quote mean?

The imperative turns defeat into a choice between renewed action and permanent collapse, which explains its later motivational use outside the poem.

Source context

Where does it come from?

Book 1 of Paradise Lost; Satan rallies the fallen angels after defeat.

Primary / edition source ↗

Voice attribution

Who voices the line?

Fictional character · Satan. Satan calls to the fallen legions in Paradise Lost, Book I.

The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.

Attribution

How should this attribution be read?

This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.

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Themes

Ideas connected with this quotation