...top of Fesole,0 Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands,0 290 Rivers or mountains in her spotty globe. His spear, to equal which the tallest pine Hewn on...hills, to be the mast Of some great admiral, were but a wand,0 He walked with to support uneasy steps Over the burning mart, not like those steps0 On heaven's...

...from the top of Fesole, Or in Valdarno, to descry new Lands, Rivers or Mountains in her spotty Globe. His Spear, to equal which the tallest Pine Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the Mast Of some great Ammiral, were but a wand. (1.283-94) Milton's similes have complex functions. For example, they often...

...Satan with his "Atlantean shoulders" (11.306), who is so large that his shield is like the moon and his spear "to equal which the tallest pine/ Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast/ Of some great ammiral, were but a wand" (1.292-294) is a physically gigantic incarnation of the abstract idea of...

...a rood ; his shield, like the broad circumference of the moon ; and his spear so great, that to it the tallest pine Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast Of some great admiral, were but a wand. But, not in this way can we get a right idea of Satan's greatness. We must lift our thoughts to much...