Satan creates an optimistic tone to give his mate the confidence necessary to take flight after having fallen. To remind his mate that flight is still possible although he has fallen, he addresses him as “fallen cherub.” He uses the noun of “cherub” to remind him that his identity is a flier. He uses the past participle of “fall” to remind his mate that falling is action that occurred in the past rather than an inherent part of his identity.
Satan uses words portraying uncertainty to point out the existing slivers of hope to his mate. These words include “oft times,” “may,” “whether,” “perhaps,” “if,” and “if not.” He uses these words frequently and repeatedly to give him the hope necessary to rally him into flight.
He contrasts the current fallen state against the future state of action. He describes the current fallen state using depressing words like “dreary,” “forlorn” “desolat[e],” “pale,” and “dreadful” to show that his mate’s current lack of hope is merely a function of the hopeless location, and thus imply that it will change once they take flight.
He describes contradictions in the current location to show the necessity to leave such a nonsensical, irrational place. He says that the location is “void of light”, but immediately contradicts this with, “save what the glimmering of these livid flames casts.” Second, he next describes “fiery waves”, which is an oxymoron, for waves usually describe water, which destroys fire. Third, he instructs his mate to “there rest” before implying that rest is not possible there by saying, “if any rest can harbor there.” He paints this scene as irrational and follows up such a description with a rational agenda, including action words such as “reassembling,” “consult,” “offend,” “overcome,” “reinforcement,” and “resolution.” Such a concrete set of rational goals is more appealing than an illogical location that does not abide by the rules of science.
He concludes by acknowledging his agenda of trying to give the mate hope so that they can together pursue a resolution by saying, “what reinforcement we may gain from hope.” Thus Milton portrays Satan as aware of the feelings of others and able to use logic to alter those feelings for his own betterment.
I see what you mean here with the sense of progressiveness that is meant to highlight the obstinacy they must demonstrate. I didn't recognize the more emotional point that Satan had made in trying to comfort Beelzebub--I think that adds dimension and also a sense of responsibility to his legions. (I'd always seen him as unfailingly solitary.)
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