John Milton: 'On His Blindness' Poem Summary, Imp RTCS Also

John Milton: 'On His Blindness' Poem Summary

John Milton’s sonnet "On His Blindness" (formally titled "When I consider how my light is spent") is one of the most profound meditations on faith, disability, and divine service in the English canon. Written around 1652, after Milton had become totally blind, the poem captures a deeply personal struggle with his perceived inability to serve God through his writing.

1. The Context: Historical and Personal

To understand the poem, one must understand the man. John Milton was a polymath, a civil servant, and a staunch Puritan.

· The Loss of Sight: Milton lost his vision entirely by the age of 44. For a man who defined himself by his scholarship and his "intellectual light," this was a spiritual catastrophe.

· The Puritan Work Ethic: Milton believed he was gifted by God to write a great English epic (Paradise Lost). Blindness felt like a divine "revocation" of that mission.

· The Biblical Allusion: The poem heavily references the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where a servant is punished for burying the single coin ("talent") entrusted to him rather than investing it. Milton fears he is that "unprofitable servant."

2. Line-by-Line Summary and Analysis

The Octave (The Problem)

"When I consider how my light is spent / Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,"

· Analysis: "Light" functions as a double metaphor for both his eyesight and his life’s energy. "Spent" implies it has been used up or extinguished. He feels lost in a world that is now "dark" and "wide" (intimidating).

"And that one Talent which is death to hide / Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent"

· Analysis: The "Talent" is his poetic genius. In the Bible, hiding the talent led to "outer darkness"; here, Milton is literally in darkness. He expresses a cruel irony: his soul is "more bent" (more eager) to serve, yet the physical means are gone.

"To serve therewith my Maker, and present / My true account, lest he returning chide;"

· Analysis: He views his life as a ledger. He wants to present a "true account" of his work to God (the Maker) so that he isn't scolded ("chide") for wasting his gifts.

"“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?” / I fondly ask."

· Analysis: This is the emotional climax of the doubt. He asks if God is a "hard taskmaster" who demands work even when He has taken away the tools. "Fondly" here uses the archaic meaning: foolishly.

The Sestet (The Resolution)

"But patience, to prevent / That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need / Either man’s work or his own gifts;"

· Analysis: Patience is personified here as a stabilizing force. It interrupts his "murmur" (complaint). The theological shift is massive: God is self-sufficient. He doesn't need Milton’s poetry or any human contribution.

"who best / Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best."

· Analysis: The "mild yoke" is a New Testament reference (Matthew 11:30). It suggests that submissive endurance of suffering is a form of active service.

"His state / Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed / And post o’er Land and Ocean without rest:"

· Analysis: Milton depicts God as a monarch. The "thousands" are angels who perform active deeds. This acknowledges that while some are called to action, others have a different role.

"They also serve who only stand and wait."

· Analysis: One of the most famous lines in literature. It redefines "service" from doing to being. Waiting with faith is just as virtuous as "speeding o'er Land and Ocean."

John Milton On His Blindness Summary In Hindi

HINDI SUMMARY

· · शुरुआत की पंक्तियाँ: मिल्टन कहते हैं कि जब मैं सोचता हूँ कि मेरी आँखों की रोशनी (Light) मेरी आधी उम्र से पहले ही कैसे चली गई, तो मुझे यह दुनिया बहुत बड़ी और अंधेरी लगती है।

· · टैलेंट का डर: वह कहते हैं कि भगवान ने मुझे लिखने का जो हुनर (Talent) दिया है, उसे छिपाना 'आध्यात्मिक मौत' के समान है। वह हुनर अब मेरे पास बेकार (Useless) पड़ा है, जबकि मेरा मन बहुत करता है कि मैं अपने मालिक (भगवान) की सेवा करूँ।

· · मूर्खतापूर्ण सवाल: दुखी होकर मिल्टन अपने आप से पूछते हैं, "क्या भगवान मुझसे काम (Day-labour) की उम्मीद रखते हैं, जबकि उन्होंने मेरी आँखों की रोशनी ही छीन ली है?"

· · सब्र (Patience) का जवाब: तभी उनका 'धैर्य' (Patience) उन्हें टोकता है और जवाब देता है— "भगवान को इंसान के काम या उसके तोहफों की ज़रूरत नहीं है।"

· · असली सेवा: जो लोग भगवान द्वारा दिए गए दुखों (Mild yoke) को चुपचाप सह लेते हैं, वही उनकी सबसे अच्छी सेवा करते हैं।

· · निष्कर्ष: भगवान एक राजा की तरह है। हज़ारों देवदूत उनके एक इशारे पर धरती और आसमान में दौड़ रहे हैं। लेकिन, "वे लोग भी भगवान की सेवा ही कर रहे हैं, जो बस चुपचाप अपनी बारी का इंतज़ार करते हैं और खड़े रहते हैं।" (यानी सिर्फ काम करना ही सेवा नहीं है, अटूट विश्वास रखना भी सेवा है)।

3. Major Themes

A. The Nature of Service

Milton moves from a Legalistic view of service (doing chores to avoid punishment) to a Grace-based view (existing in a state of readiness and faith). Service is not just production; it is an internal posture of the soul.

B. Spiritual vs. Physical Vision

While Milton’s physical "light" is spent, the poem documents the opening of his spiritual eyes. By the end of the poem, he "sees" God’s majesty more clearly than he did when he was complaining about his physical darkness.

C. Divine Sovereignty

The poem asserts that God is not a merchant who needs returns on investment, but a King whose glory is independent of human effort.

4. Important RTCs (Reference to Context)

RTC 1: "And that one Talent which is death to hide / Lodged with me useless..."

· Context: These lines appear in the opening of the sonnet where Milton reflects on his blindness and his poetic vocation.

· Detailed Answer: Here, Milton employs a pun on the word "Talent," referring both to the biblical currency and his own literary gift. The phrase "death to hide" refers to the spiritual death or damnation that follows a failure to use God-given gifts. The word "lodged" suggests that the talent is still physically inside him, but "useless" because he cannot see to write. This creates a sense of internal claustrophobia—having a great power trapped inside a broken vessel.

RTC 2: "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"

· Context: This is the "foolish" question Milton asks himself midway through the octave.

· Detailed Answer: This line represents the poet’s momentary lapse into despair and resentment. It is a rhetorical question that challenges the justice of God. By using the term "day-labour," Milton compares himself to a common worker whose wages depend on his output. He is questioning if God is "fair" to expect the same results from a blind man as from one who can see. The tension here is between the "Old Law" (works) and the "New Law" (faith).

RTC 3: "They also serve who only stand and wait."

· Context: The concluding line of the sonnet.

· Detailed Answer: This line provides the catharsis or resolution to the poem’s tension. It suggests that "waiting" is not passive laziness, but an active spiritual state of "waiting upon the Lord." It validates the lives of the disabled, the elderly, and the contemplative. In the hierarchy of God's kingdom, the "standing" servant is just as essential as the "speeding" angel. It is an act of total surrender and humility, marking Milton's transition from an ego-driven poet to a humble servant of God.

5. Literary Devices Table

Device	Example	Effect
Enjambment	"though my Soul more bent / To serve..."	Creates a sense of urgency and a flow of thought that mirrors his anxiety.
Personification	"But patience... replies"	Gives moral authority to an abstract virtue, making the internal dialogue more dramatic.
Allusion	"Talent," "Yoke"	Grounds the poem in Biblical authority, elevating a personal problem to a universal theological one.
Metaphor	"Light is spent"	Equates vision with life-force and spiritual clarity.

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