In 1740 Handel created his setting of Milton's "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso," to which he added a third persona, "Il Moderato." In this aria he successfully creates a musical context for the lyricism of "Il Penseroso" (Line 61 on). The delicate versatility of the music perfectly matches the shifting moods and settings of the poem with a lightness of touch which is identical to Milton's own.