What is meaning of "Malt does more than Milton can,...."?

[gonghoujun]

Dear Teachers,
Here are lines of A.E. Housman:
Malt does more than Milton can,
To justify God's ways to man.
What is meaning of them?
Thank you.

[Anglika]

Malt is a by-product of barley, used to make beer.

The Housman poem is a hymn celebrating beer and its benefits.

[gonghoujun]

Dear Teacher Anglika,
Thank you very much for your reply. I can not know why did author use 'Milton' in 'Malt does more than Milton can'? Would you like to explain it in detail?
Thank you.

[Anglika]

Because the poet and philosopher John Milton [ John Milton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] wrote many books and poems seeking to explain the Bible and the workings of God's mind.


Housman believed that the ordinary man could just as well arrive at the same conclusions by drinking good beer.

[BobK]

also there's the sound-related reason. Can you suggest why Housman's line is better than either of these (or many other poets):

• Malt does more than Shakespeare can...
• Malt does more than Tennyson can...

I suppose he could have written 'Beer does more than Byron can...'

b

[Speedwell]

Hooch does more than Heinlein can?

never mind, just playing around... :D

[gonghoujun]

Dear Teacher Anglika,
'To justify God's ways to man' means that by drinking good beer, it is like God's ways to man? Explain it again, please.
Thanks.