This is why he's continually placing the imaginative origin of the poem back to the very dawn of time, perhaps even back before if you can imagine such a time -- before the very dawn of time.

这就是为什么弥尔顿总是试图把想象中的这首诗的起源,推至时间开始的时候，甚至更早,-如果你们能想象这样一个时间--在时间开始之前。

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选

Why hadn't Milton pressed on this possible distinction earlier?

为什么他没有更早一些指出这个区别？

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选