What is the correct chronological order of the works of John Milton?

A. Paradise Lost

B. Paradise Regained

C. Lycidas

D. Comus

E. L'Allegra

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct option is E, D, C, A, B.

To determine the correct chronological order of the works of John Milton, we can examine their composition and publication dates:
1. E. L'Allegro: This famous pastoral poem was written around 1631 during Milton's early poetic career and is traditionally paired with Il Penseroso.
2. D. Comus: A masque (originally titled A Mask Presented at Ludlow Castle) first performed in 1634 and subsequently published in 1637.
3. C. Lycidas: A pastoral elegy written in 1637 to mourn the death of Milton's university classmate Edward King, first published in 1638 in a collection of elegies.
4. A. Paradise Lost: Milton's masterpiece epic poem, which was first published in ten books in 1667.
5. B. Paradise Regained: A subsequent epic poem published later in 1671, alongside the closet drama Samson Agonistes.

Arranging these works chronologically from the earliest to the latest yields the sequence: E, D, C, A, B.