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    On His Blindness - John Milton

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    Um Zainab
    This poem by John Milton is about coming to terms with losing his eyesight later in life. In the first eight lines, the poet expresses depression and despair over having his talent for writing poetry taken from him due to blindness. However, in the last six lines, his tone becomes more accepting and resigned to his situation. The overall theme is that one can still serve God through patience and acceptance, even when facing difficulties, as expressed in the line "They also serve who only stand and wait."

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    On His Blindness - John Milton

    Uploaded by

    Um Zainab
    509 views3 pages
    This poem by John Milton is about coming to terms with losing his eyesight later in life. In the first eight lines, the poet expresses depression and despair over having his talent for writing poetry taken from him due to blindness. However, in the last six lines, his tone becomes more accepting and resigned to his situation. The overall theme is that one can still serve God through patience and acceptance, even when facing difficulties, as expressed in the line "They also serve who only stand and wait."

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    line by line analysis

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    This poem by John Milton is about coming to terms with losing his eyesight later in life. In the first eight lines, the poet expresses depression and despair over having his talent for writing poetry taken from him due to blindness. However, in the last six lines, his tone becomes more accepting and resigned to his situation. The overall theme is that one can still serve God through patience and acceptance, even when facing difficulties, as expressed in the line "They also serve who only stand and wait."

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    509 views3 pages

    On His Blindness - John Milton

    Uploaded by

    Um Zainab
    This poem by John Milton is about coming to terms with losing his eyesight later in life. In the first eight lines, the poet expresses depression and despair over having his talent for writing poetry taken from him due to blindness. However, in the last six lines, his tone becomes more accepting and resigned to his situation. The overall theme is that one can still serve God through patience and acceptance, even when facing difficulties, as expressed in the line "They also serve who only stand and wait."

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Read the following poem and answer the following questions:

    On his blindness - 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
    Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
    To serve therewith my Maker, and present 5
    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 10
    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.’

    1.1. Complete the following sentence by using the words provided in the list below:
    sestet; Elizabethan; octave; quatrains; strict; talent
    This is a Miltonic sonnet because unlike other sonnets, there is no (1.1.1) …break
    between the (1.1.2) … and the (1.1.3) … . (1 ½)
    1.2. Refer to the following words in line 1 (‘… how my light is spent’).
    Give figurative meanings of “light” and “spent” as used in line 1. (2)
    1.3. Refer to lines 2 and 3 (… ‘in this dark world and wide …one talent which is
    death to hide’).
    Using your own words, explain the meaning of these lines. (2)
    1.4. What is John Milton’s “one talent” in line 3? (1)
    1.5. Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence.
    In the first eight lines of the poem, the poet’s tone is a tone of …. .
    A acceptance and resignation
    B praise and admiration
    C depression and despair
    D declaration (2)
    1.6. Identify the figure of speech in lines 8 and 9.
    (‘… but Patience, to prevent … soon replies …) (1)
    1.7. In this poem, the poet talks about his personal experience in life.
    What kind of a poem would that be? (2)
    1.8. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote THREE consecutive
    words to support your answer.
    The poet realised the mistake he made in questioning God’s motives for
    putting him in the situation he finds himself in. (2)
    1.9. The poet’s tone in the poem varies from the octave to the sestet.
    What is the tone of the following lines?
    The last 6½ lines – lines 8 – 14
    (‘but Patience, to prevent … who only stand and wait’). (1)
    1.10. What is the theme of the poem? Quote the line that expresses this idea. (3)
    [17 ½]
    Memo:

    On his blindness- John Milton

    1.1.1. Strict. ½
    1.1.2. Octave. ½
    1.1.3. Sestet. ½
    1.2. “light”- eyesight. 
    “spent”- used up. 
    1.3. The poet finds himself alienated, in this dark world. 
    He also has an ability to write poetry, but that he cannot do anymore
    because he is blind. 
    1.4. The ability to write poetry. 
    1.5. C/ depression and despair. 
    1.6. Personification. 
    1.7. It is an Autobiographical poem. 
    1.8. TRUE, “I fondly ask”. 
    1.9. It is a tone of acceptance/ resignation/ hope. 
    1.10. The theme of the poem is that one serves God by accepting the burdens
    that life brings, with patience.  “They also serve who only stand and wait”. 
    [17 ½]

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