Chaos & night

 Loneliness is a major problem that many of us seem to struggle with everyday. However, this is a somewhat new phenomenon that has just recently arisen. In english literature, one of the first times loneliness has been spoken of is in the epic blank verse poem, Paradise Lost. Published in 1667, John Milton wrote and arranged the poem into 12 different books. Within the second book lies this early mention of loneliness. It concerns the biblical story of the devil making his way to the garden of Eden. When he enters the empty space between hell and the garden, he describes it as a lonely distance in which he finds chaos and night.

In literal terms, the nameless main character finds himself alone and disoriented within this mysterious forest. He remembers nothing but what he finds in his pockets, a watch, and a parking ticket with the time “8:27” and “Tivoli” written upon it. Unsure of its context, he puts them away before starting his trek through and hopefully out of the woods. Though what he doesn’t know is that he is a part of a much larger scheme. The seemingly ordinary man he encounters is testing him for his suitability in the underworld. Conclusively, he fails this test, leading to his demise. The final line the man speaks, is Satan’s description of the lonely cavity of chaos and night, the 827th line of the poem. This film is both an analogy and literal interpretation of loneliness.