Who Was John Milton?

John Milton was a famous English poet and writer (1608-1674).  He is perhaps most renowned for his works 'Paradise Lost' and Paradise Regained'.  He was also politically active, he wrote many controversial pamphlets which attacked the monarchy and called for reform of the divorce laws (which was quite radical for the 17th Century).
He also wrote Agonistes and Areopagitica, which was a cry for freedom of the press.
Milton's political opinions, which were strongly in favour of Oliver Cromwell, who formed the Republican Government between 1649 and 1659 when England had no monarch, led to him being appointed to the Government.  Interestingly, Milton went blind in 1651, but continued to work through dictating his writing.  
After the Stuart monarchy was restored in 1660 Milton fell very strongly out of favour (mainly due to his anti-monarchist stance) and his works were publicly burned as a deterrent to others who dared to question the role of the monarch.  However, his works are still revered today, particularly in academic circles.