The Political Afterlife of Paradise Lost

In case anyone is interested, the full text of Paradise Lost with helpful annotations is available online at Dartmouth:

https://milton.host.dartmouth.edu/reading_room/pl/intro/text...

It's also on Standard Ebooks, in case one considers the annotations distracting: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/john-milton/paradise-lost

I know that people spend a lot of time fixating on how to write a good opening line for their books ("It was a dark and stormy night", etc.), but Paradise Lost has I think the most beautiful closing passage of any book (spoilers for The Bible):

They looking back, all th' Eastern side beheld

Of Paradise, so late thir happie seat,

Wav'd over by that flaming Brand, the Gate

With dreadful Faces throng'd and fierie Armes:

Som natural tears they drop'd, but wip'd them soon;

The World was all before them, where to choose

Thir place of rest, and Providence thir guide:

They hand in hand with wandring steps and slow,

Through Eden took thir solitarie way.

HN discussing this link in old thread here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38876560

A Tale of Two Cities also has a beautiful (and famous) closing passage.