Today, Milton's Paradise Lost is hardly read. However, this epic poem, which becomes 350 years old this month, continues to be a work of exceptional creative creativity that inspires English literature even now. It relates the account of the fight for heaven and man's exile from Eden in almost 10,000 lines of blank verse. The main characters are Adam, Eve, Satan, and God. Paradise Lost has been called England's national epic because it is said to have inspired Britain's national identity. In 1667, John Milton published his epic poem about the battle between good and evil titled Paradise Lost. It is regarded as one of the most important works in English literature. Milton used ancient and classical mythology as a framework for his narrative. The work can be divided into four parts: "Paradise Lost" describes the rebellion of Satan against God; "Paradise Regained" recounts God's redemption of man after the fall; "Paradise Lost" again tells how Satan attempts to overthrow God; and finally "Paradise Regained" concludes with God's promise of future happiness to mankind. Paradise Lost has been praised for its poetic beauty by such writers as Samuel Johnson, Edward Young, William Wordsworth, and Alexander Pope. Its influence on later poets was so great that some critics believe it is difficult to write poetry after him who has done more than any other to set standards for English poetry.