🌟John Milton was the most renowned English poet of the 17th century. He was a polemicist, man of letters and civil servant for the commonwealth of England. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost. Milton’s poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self -determination and the urgent issue and political turbulence of his day. His ability to write was threatened and as a result his relationship with God became complicated.
🌟On His Blindness is a well known Sonnet of Milton composec in 1655. It express the deep grief poet fell for the loss of his eyesight. The poem takes the from of a patriarchal sonnet. Patriarchal sonnets traditionally focus on love and romance but Milton subverts this in order to explore his relationship with God.
🌟In this poem, Milton is struggling to understand what God expects of him now that he is losing sight. He is upset about wasting his talent. “And that one talent which is death to hide”. This line had a biblical reference to the talents (Matthew 25; 14-30). Here two people invest their talents to get reward. Their involvement brings them promotions. While another one just hides his talents in a hole, for that he is punished. Milton feels that God expects him to use talent for Writing poetry in a way that honors Him.
🌟Milton is disturbed that his lack of sight is preventing him from serving God when he wants to so roughly.
“Lodg’d with me useless, though my soul more ben:
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,”
🌟Milton’s ‘true account’ refers to his religious poetry. Much of his poetry was concerned with God’s relationship to mankind and he considered it a serious duty to write poetry that simultaneously made God’s mysterious ways more clear to people and honored God with its craft.
🌟Milton wonders if God still expects him to keep writing without his sight, and then decides that God is more forgiving than he was giving him credit. To knowing his condition and strong desire please Him. God wouldn’t expect anything that he couldn’t possibly accomplish nor would he punish him.
That murmur, soon replies: “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts “
🌟The last half of the poem has a calmer tone. It’s almost like Milton realize that while his writing that people can serve God on many different ways. “They also serve who only stand and wait”. It’s the intent and the grace with which one deals with hardship that counts. Milton fears that his Blindness will prevent him from doing God’s work. Patience tells him that even his idleness is useful to God if he continues to have faith in his writings.
Eduindex News 
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