Originally published in 1667 in ten books, Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse written by John Milton; it was republished in 1674 after being divided into twelve books. Milton has presented his version of the disobedience and subsequent expulsion of man from the Garden of Eden. It is an attempt to understand the heavenly proceedings and to comprehend the conflict between God's decrees and free will. Incarnating theological issues in his work, Milton has created a masterpiece.