Which English poet sought to justify the ways of God to man?

• A. Milton
• B. John Donne
• C. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• D. George Herbert

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is theodicy—the effort to defend or justify God's ways to humanity in literature. The poet who embodies this aim most clearly is John Milton, especially in Paradise Lost, where he presents a comprehensive defense of God's sovereignty and justice. Milton explains why evil exists, how human free will fits into a divine plan, and how history moves toward a redemptive purpose, all to reconcile God’s goodness with the presence of suffering and rebellion. While Donne emphasizes personal devotion, Coleridge explores imagination and philosophy, and Herbert focuses on intimate piety, none provide the same expansive theodicy as Milton.