On His Blindness

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On His Blindness  A Poem Poem by John Milton Milton (1608-1674) A Study Guide

Cummings Guides Home ..|..Contact This Site . Type of Work

Theme

Line 3: ey to the !eaning

!eter

Background

Te"t of the #oem

$otes

%igures of  Speech

Origin of the Sonnet %orm

Study &uestions

'ssay Topics

Biography

. Study Guide Prepared by Michael J. Cummings.. Cummings ..© © 2008 .

Type of Work and Year Written "On His Blindness" is a Peta!han sonnet a lyi! #oem $ith %o&teen lines' his ty#e o% sonnet #o#&laied by the *talian #iest Peta!h (1+04-1+74) has a hyme s!heme o% ABBA ABBA ABBA ,. and ,.' John Milton $ote the #oem in 16//' o moe in%omation abo&t sonnets see Oiin o% the 2onnet om om  belo$'

Theme 3od &des h&mans on $hethe they labo %o Him to the best o% thei ability' o e5am#le i% one !a#ente !an mae only t$o !hais a day and anothe !a#ente !an mae %ie they both see 3od e&ally $ell i% the %ist !a#ente maes his t$o !hais and the se!ond maes his %ie' *% one !a#ente be!omes seeely disabled and !annot mae een a sinle !hai he emains $othy in the siht o% 3od' o as Milton says in the last line o% the #oem "they also see $ho only stand and $ait'"

Lines 3-6: Key to the Meaning 9ines + to 6 o% the #oem all&de to the "Paable o% the alents" alents" in ,ha#te :/ o% the 3os#el o% Matthe$ eses 14 to +0' *n this %amo&s #aable an em#loye $ho is oin a$ay %o a time ies his thee seants money in #o#otion to thei ability to in!ease its al&e' He distib&tes the money in talents a &nit o% $eiht &sed in an!ient times to establish the al&e o% old sile o any othe medi&m &sed as money' h&s a ;oman miht #ay ten talents o% old %o militay

s&##lies o seen talents o% sile %o a &antity o% %ood' *n the "Paable o% the alents" the em#loye ies the %ist seant %ie talents o% sile the se!ond seant t$o talents and the thid seant one talent' A%te the em#loye et&ns %om the ti# and ass %o an a!!o&ntin the %ist seant e#ots that he do&bled his talents to ten and the se!ond that he do&bled his to %o&' Both men e!eie #omotions' he thid seant then e#ots that he still has only one talent %o he did nothin to in!ease its al&e' *nstead he b&ied it' he em#loye deno&n!es him %o his lainess ies his talent to the man $ith ten and !asts him o&tside into the daness'

Meter   All the lines in the #oem ae in iambi! #entamete ' *n this meti! #atten a line has %ie #ais o% &nstessed and stessed syllables %o a total o% ten syllables' he %ist t$o lines o% the #oem ill&state this #atten< 1''''''''''' :''''''''''' +'''''''''''' 4'''''''''''' / =hen  ! !on S" ! e #$W%! my L&' ! is S(')T 1'''''''''''''''' :'''''''''''' +''''''''''''''' 4'''''''''''''''''''' 4 .e #AL& ! my "AYS ! in T#S ! da W$*L"%! and W"'

+a,kground John Milton>s eyesiht bean to %ail in 1644' By 16/: he $as totally blind' Oddly he $ote his eatest $os Paradise Lost  and Paradise Regained  a%te he be!ame blind' Many s!holas an Milton as se!ond only to 2haes#eae in #oeti! ability'

$n #is +indness By Jhn Miltn !"#08$"#%&'

Te.t =hen * !onside ho$ my liht is s#ent .e hal% my days  in this da $old and $ide  And that one talent  $hi!h is death to hide 9oded $ith me &seless  tho&h my so&l moe bent o see thee$ith  my Mae and #esent My t&e a!!o&nt  lest he et&nin !hide? "oth 3od e5a!t  day labo liht denied@" 1

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* %ondly  as' B&t Patien!e  to #eent hat m&m& soon e#lies  "3od doth not need .ithe man>s $o o his o$n i%ts'  =ho best Bea his mild yoe  they see him best' His state *s inly? tho&sands at his biddin s#eed  And #ost  o>e land and o!ean $itho&t est? hey also see $ho only stand and $ait' 8

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)otes 1''''liht is s#ent< his !la&se #esents a do&ble meanin< (a) ho$ * s#end my days (b) ho$ it is that my siht is &sed &#' :''''.e hal% my days< Be%oe hal% my li%e is oe' Milton $as !om#letely blind by 16/: the yea he t&ned 44' +''''talent< 2ee 9ine +< ey to the Meanin' 4''''&seless< n&sed' /''''thee$ith< By that means by that talent? $ith it 6''''a!!o&nt< ;e!od o% a!!om#lishment? $oth 7''''e5a!t< emand e&ie 8''''%ondly< oolishly &n$isely C''''Patien!e< Milton #esoni%ies #atien!e !a#italiin it and hain it s#ea' 10''3od ' ' ' i%ts< 3od is s&%%i!ient &nto Himsel%' He e&ies nothin o&tside o% Himsel% to e5ist and be ha##y' 11' yoe< B&den $oload' 1:' #ost< ael'

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'.ampes of &igures of Spee,h  Alliteation< my d ays in this d ark w orld and w ide (line :) Meta#ho< though my soul more bent / To serve therewith my Maker  (lines +-4)' he a&tho !om#aes his so&l to his mind' Pesoni%i!ationDMeta#ho< But Patience, to prevent / That murmur, soon replies ' ' ' (lines 8-C)' Paado5< They also serve who only stand and wait '

$rigin of the Sonnet &orm '''''''he sonnet %om oiinated in 2i!ily in the thiteenth ,ent&y $ith 3ia!omo da 9entino (1188-1:40) a la$ye' he #oeti! taditions o% the

PoenEal eion o% an!e a##aently in%l&en!ed him b&t he $ote his #oems in the 2i!ilian diale!t o% *talian' 2ome a&thoities !edit anothe *talian 3&ittone d>Aeo (1:+0-1:C4) $ith oiinatin the sonnet' he .nlish $od "sonnet" !omes %om the *talian $od "sonetto" meanin "little son'" 2ome ealy sonnets $ee set to m&si! $ith a!!om#animent #oided by a l&te' '''''''he *talian #oet Peta!h (1+04-1+74) a ;oman ,atholi! #iest #o#&laied the sonnet %om' Othe #o#&la *talian sonnetees $ee ante Alihiei (1:6/-1+:1) *taly>s most %amo&s and most a!!om#lished $ite and 3&ido ,aal!ante (1://-1+00)' '''''''Peta!h>s sonnets ea!h !onsist o% an eiht-line stana (o!tae) and a si5-line stana (sestet)' he %ist stana #esents a theme and the se!ond stana deelo#s it' he hyme s!heme is as %ollo$s< (1) %ist stana (o!tae)< ABBA ABBA? (:) se!ond stana (sestet)< ,. ,. (o ,, ,,? o ,. ,.)' 2onnets $itten in this %omat by late #oets !ame to be no$n as Peta!han sonnets' '''''''he sonnet %om $as intod&!ed in .nland by 2i homas =yatt (1/0+-1/4:) and Heny Ho$ad .al o% 2&ey (1/17-1/47)' hey tanslated *talian sonnets into .nlish and $ote sonnets o% thei o$n' 2&ey intod&!ed blan ese into the .nlish lan&ae in his tanslation o% the Aeneid  o% Feil' =yatt and 2&ey sometimes e#la!ed Peta!h>s s!heme o% an eiht-line stana and a si5-line stana $ith thee %o&-line stanas and a t$o-line !on!l&sion no$n as a !o&#let' 2haes#eae ado#ted the latte s!heme in his sonnets and this %om !ame to be no$n as the 2haes#eaean sonnet' '''''''Besides 2haes#eae $ell no$n .nlish sonnetees in the late 1/00>s in!l&ded 2i Phili# 2ydney 2am&el aniel and Mi!hael ayton' '''''''*n *taly .nland and else$hee bet$een the thiteenth and ealy si5teenth ,ent&ies the most !ommon theme o% sonnets $as loe' 2onnets in late times also %o!&sed on eliion #oliti!s and othe !on!ens o% the eadin #&bli!'

Study /uestions and 'ssay Topi,s 1' =ite an essay that #oides e5am#les o% #eo#le $ho e 5em#li%y the last line o% the #oem' :' ;esea!h the li%e o% John Milton' hen $ite an essay des!ibin the methods he &sed to !om#ose his #oety $hen he $as blind' +' Anothe %amo&s man 9&d$i an Beethoen !om#osed eat sym#honies a%te he be!ame dea%' Pete 3ay a baseball #laye eaned the iht to #lay in the mao lea&es een tho&h he had only one am' J&li&s ,aesa an e#ile#ti! be!ame &le o% ;ome' o yo& beliee that the h&man #sy!he has a $ay o% !om#ensatin %o a #hysi!al disability@

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