Goddess of grain and agriculture (thus “cereal”)

Hesperus (Venus) is the evening star; its job (“office”) is to decide when it’s time to turn down the lights on Earth. (Actually this is probably determined by some complicated law of astrophysics, but whatever. Milton had complicated feelings about science.)

In contrast to Eve’s “unsparing hand” in Book 5, here it seems like Eve should have shown a little restraint.

Recalls God’s description of man at 3.99:

Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.

God made us capable of avoiding temptation, but also of succumbing to it (by “swerving”)

What Eve is trying to say is that if they (Adam + Eve) are able to detect and deter temptation from Satan then they’ll win favor in the eyes of God and prove their faith, love, etc.

This mirrors what Milton wrote in ‘Areopagitica’; namely that unproved faith is barely faith at all. It is interesting that Milton chooses Eve (the woman in the story who is supposed to have less Reason than Adam) to voice his own opinions. In this way, he allows neither character to become wholly ‘good’ or ‘evil’, but rather a mix of both.

The root of “sapience” is the Latin sapere (to taste, or to know), so it’s easy to see why Eve thought eating might have something to do with knowledge.

Eve, in praising the Tree of Knowledge, is practicing idolatry – a big no-no, especially for Protestants like Milton.

For Milton, who ate very moderately and did not drink, this is a bad thing

Eve is the only one for Adam…she’s also literally the only other person in the world.

With the repetition of “sole” Adam is also alluding to Eve’s “soul”; he doesn’t just love her for her (always naked, as Milton frequently reminds us) body.

OK, prayers are done, what’s next?

1. Stop and smell the roses, enjoy the scenery, etc.

2. Determine what work needs to be done that day, and in what order

3. Perform said work with maximum efficiency

Sounds like paradise!