On His Blindness
By John Milton
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.”
Summary of On his Blindness
- Popularity of “On his Blindness”: The poem, “On His Blindness” by John Milton, one of the celebrated English poets and intellectuals, is a superb literary piece. First published in 1673, the poem unfolds his personal opinions related to blindness. It explains how he accepts this natural defect and intends to serve his life in God’s obedience. Despite having simple and straightforward subject matter, the poem universalizes its theme.
- “On his Blindness” As a Representative of Man’s Obedience to God: The poem accounts for Milton’s tragic blindness and his optimistic stance toward it. It begins when he laments that he is going to lose his eyesight. He fears he will not be able to utilize his god-gifted ability of poetic composition anymore. Out of sadness, he questions God whether He wants him to continue the work that requires sight after taking that sight from him. Finally, his patience subdues his foolishness. He realizes that God does not need man’s work. He is like a king, and humans are destined to serve their master.
- Major Themes in “On his Blindness”: Realizing one’s strength, God’s obedience, and spirituality are the major themes of the poems. The poem explicitly narrates the speaker’s worries regarding his blindness and his patience that allows him to accept his fate without bothering. In the first part of the poem, the speaker seems disheartened, sad, and discouraged. He thinks he won’t be able to enlighten the world with his philosophical and distinct poetic ideas. However, the second part exhibits his optimistic side. His spiritual heart responds to the foolishness that obstruct him from believing in his creator.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “On His Blindness”
literary devices enable the writers to present their ideas, feelings, and emotions impressively. Their clever use makes a simple text lifelike. The analysis of the devices used in this poem is stated below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /e/ and /o/ in “That murmur, soon replies: “God doth not need” and again the sound of /e/ in “And post o’er land and ocean without rest.”
- Allusion: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference of a person, place, thing or idea of a historical, cultural, political, or literary significance. The writer alludes to the parable of talents in the third line such as; “And that one talent which is death to hide.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /n/ in “doth not need” and /w/ sound in “world and wide.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /n/ in “Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed” and the sound of /t/ in “And that one talent which is death to hide.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“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.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. John Milton has used imagery in this poem such as “To serve therewith my Maker, and present”, “Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best” and “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of the extended metaphors of God’s obedience throughout the poem such as;
“To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide.”
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet has personified patience in the eights line of the poem such as;
“I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies:”
- Pun: A pun is a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings. The writer has used this device in the opening lie of the poem where light refers to his eyesight as well his life before getting blind such as “When I consider how my light is spent.”
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. John has posed rhetorical questions in the seventh line of the poem to put emphasis on his point such as “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of suffering, acceptance and humbleness just to show how sufferings bring people close to their Maker.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “On his Blindness”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. The poet has used end rhyme in it such as “wide/hide”, “bent/present” and “best/rest.”
- Sonnet: A sonnet is a poem generally structured in the form of 14 lines, usually iambic pentameter that expresses a thought or idea and utilizes an established rhyme scheme. This is a Petrarchan sonnet having an octave and a sestet.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABBAABBA CDECDE rhyme scheme.
Quotes to be Used
The lines from the poem “On His Blindness” are useful to quote in a speech that addresses the supremacy of God.
“To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
