John Milton (1604-1674) is regarded as one of England's greatest poets of all time. Today he is best remembered for his epic poems "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Regained." He lived in a time of political upheaval, witnessed the Civil War, the execution of Charles I, and the Restoration of the monarchy. The later event deprived the blind publicist of all his publicity, but gave him the opportunity to complete his most famous works. The life of John Milton mirrors the tense times of England during the Commonwealth and is essential in gaining an understanding of this precarious period.