“
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
SatanParadise Lost · Book 1
🔥 Hell: Satan’s Revolt
Book 1 of 12
Satan rallies his followers after the Fall from Heaven. He reframes defeat as liberation: they are now free from servitude. This line crystallizes the tension between rebellion and damnation.
Why This Matters
The most quoted line in the poem. Satan declares that sovereignty, even over the damned, is preferable to obedience. Blake said Milton was "of the Devil’s party without knowing it."
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Satan Arousing the Rebel Angels
William Blake, 1808 · Public Domain