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LINES 6-7 We are selfish men; Oh! raise us up, return to us again; The speaker continues to disparage the people of England in 1802, this time suggesting that they are "selfish." For the first time, though, the poem isn't just a critique of England, since it implicates the speaker, too. Indeed, the line, "We are selfish men" includes the speaker, thereby illustrating that the country's decline has had an effect on all of its citizens, even those who are (like the speaker) aware of the ways in which British society has fallen from greatness. This, it seems, is why the speaker is so eager to address this problem. Because the people of England have become so "selfish," the speaker wants Milton to "raise" them, helping them achieve a more humble and rewarding lifestyle. By imploring Milton to do this, the speaker's reverence for the famous poet becomes even more pronounced. To that end, the line, "Oh! raise us up, return to us again," makes it clear that this poem isn't just a celebration of Milton's poetry. By saying this, the speaker addresses Milton as if he’s a savior capable of returning from the dead to help the masses, thereby treating him like a religious figure, perhaps someone similar to Jesus Christ. In this moment, then, the speaker's reverence for Milton approaches the point of spiritual worship, and this only further emphasizes the extent to which the speaker respects the values Milton represents.