"On his blindness" by John Milton

ON HIS BLINDNESS

When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest he returning chide,

"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts: who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest:

They also serve who only stand and wait."

                                                                                                      -john milton- 


John milton was born in London on 9th of Dcember 1608 into a middle class family.he was a son of J.milton and Sarah jeffery.he went to Cambridge and began to write poetry in Latin,Italian and English. During this time he prepared to go into ministry, but after university he abandoned those plans. He entered six year period of private study in which he wrote a number of poems and toured France and Italy meeting  many influential people including Galileo. He married Mary Powell and had 4 children with her before she died from birth complications. He married twice after that. 1654 is when Milton went completely blind and this is the time when he wrote this poem. Another famous works of his is Paradise Lost.He passed away on November 8,1674. 


This sonnet is written in the "Petrachan" ryme scheme which is divided into an eight-line "octave" and six-line "sestet". The octave rhyme scheme is a/b/b/a/a/b/b/a and the sestet rhyme scheme is c/d/e/c/d/e.

john Milton's eyesight began to fail in 1644. Totally blind in 1652 age of 44.he wrote this poem in that period.the theme of the sonnet can be identified as Milton questioning his purpose in life as he turns blind and feels he can no longer serve god.

In the octave represents when he think of how he have lost his vision even before middle age, and how he is unable to use best talent to ask if god requires his servants to work for him even if they don't have vision.

The sestet represents Milton's answer from patience,which makes  him realize that he does not need to serve god that attempt to obtain them obliviously and obsessively. Milton realizes that good things come to the ones who wait.


There is so many poetic devices,

•             metaphor                   -               "one talent....deathto hide                                                                                                                 "doth god exact day-labour, light deny'd"                                                                                       "bear this mild yoak"

•            personification          -                   "light is spent"                                                                                                                                 "that murmur,soon replies"

•            diction                    -                       "i fondly ask"                                                                                                                                  "his state is kingly.thousands at his bidding"