By the late eighteenth century Milton was regarded as one of Britain's most important literary figures, second only to Shakespeare. His most influential poetic works included his masque Comus (1637), "Lycidas" (1638), "L'Allegro" (1745) and "Il Penseroso" (1745), Paradise Lost (1667), Paradise Regained (1671), and Samson Agonistes (1671). In addition, his sonnets offered inspiration to the Romantic period sonnet revival. Among his prose works, Areopagitica (1644), originally written as a speech, defends freedom of the press.