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John Milton was a Puritan -- i.e. a strict English Calvinist -- who recognised that he had an
amazing ability to write poetry. When, however, he developed glaucoma and went blind while
his poetic ability had still not been fully explored, he worried that God himself would hold it
against him and punish him for not using his poetic talent.
This was reference to a New Testament story where Jesus told of how a wealthy man had given
three people certain amounts of money -- a talent was a coin used in Israel. One man buried
his talent instead of using it to earn yet more money, and he was later punished for doing so.
Milton equated his poetic ability with such a talent which was being buried because he was now
blind and could therefore no longer write. As a Puritan, he expected his God to punish him --
even though it was not his own fault that he was now blind.
ABOUT THE POET
John Milton was born in London in 1608. He was of a wealthy family, his father probably being
a merchant and shipping magnate. The son was therefore raised as a puritan, which was fairly
typical of the urban bourgeoisie of the time.
It seems that Milton believed himself predestined for greatness. He attended Cambridge
University, after which he continued his studies privately. In the end, he became the best
educated poet in the English language, being able to write not only in English but also in Italian
and Latin.
Milton spent most of his early life in the service of the puritan movement which, under the
leadership of Oliver Cromwell, overthrew the monarchy in 1649 and established an autocratic
republic in its place.
When, however, the English grew tired of puritan control and in 1660 re-established the
monarchy, Milton found himself in a precarious position because all the leaders of the revolution
were summarily executed. The poet was lucky that his standing in the community saved him
and he was allowed to retire quietly -- but he nevertheless lost everything including his personal
reputation.
By about 1650, shortly after the puritans had overthrown the monarchy, Milton developed
glaucoma which led to his blindness. This had a devastating impact upon him because he had
not yet achieved the greatness which he had predicted for himself.
His strongly puritan sentiment made him question whether God would punish him for his
inability to develop his poetic talent. It was in this context that he wrote his most famous
sonnet, "On his blindness" in about 1655.
His distress was exacerbated, however, by the fact that many influential people, including some
of his friends, were claiming that his blindness was actually caused by God himself as a
punishment for the poet's allying himself with Cromwell. It was believed that the monarchy was
of divine origin and that rebellion against the king was therefore rebellion against God himself.
The glaucoma, however, did not end Milton's poetic career. He dictated "On his
blindness" to his daughter and continued to dictate his further works, either to his daughter
or to hired secretaries. Indeed, his greatest works -- "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise
Regained" -- were dictated during these years of blindness.
Milton married a teenager, Mary Powell, and with her fathered four children. Their marriage,
however, lasted only ten years before his wife died while giving birth, an event which affected
the poet deeply. He later married Katherine Woodcock who too would die during childbirth and
within only two years of their marriage. His third wife, Elizabeth Munshull, would survive him.
John Milton himself died of gout in 1674. He was then 66 years of age.
Have you looked at the questions in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer the following questions:
"But Patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his milde yoak, they serve him best, his State
Is Kingly."
[Need help?]
Patience would be a female being -- a goddess perhaps, or maybe the voice of Milton's
conscience. It is certainly the voice of reason, the judge within him who presents a counter-
argument to his own guilt.
He calls this voice "Patience" because the voice counsels patience and acceptance:
"Do not fret because God is not a demanding being. Be cool and just accept your lot in
life."
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- Why does "Patience" use the uppercase "P"? (2)
[Need help?]
The uppercase denotes personification. Milton personifies the word, turns an attribute
into a person or a goddess.
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- What is a "yoak" (or "yoke")? (2)
[Need help?]
Milton actually used the word "yoak" whereas your poetry book presumably uses the
modern spelling of the word, "yoke".
A yoke is a rather heavy wooden structure which is put around an ox's neck to force the animal
to obey the commands of the master.
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- What then does the poet mean when he says, "who best bear his milde
yoak"? (4)
[Need help?]
In the New Testament, Jesus says that people who follow him will also have a yoke put round
their necks as if they were oxen, but this yoke will be a light one and will not bow the Christian
down with its unbearable weight.
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"Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o're Land and Ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and waite."
- Who is being referred to by "his"? (1)
[Need help?]
The poet is referring to God, is he not?
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- Milton's father was a shipping magnate. If so, then what image is being used in these
lines? (4)
[Need help?]
The poet speaks of God as if he was also a shipping merchant. The poet's own father had lots
of men in his employ, and so it didn't really matter too much if just one of them were sick and
could not work. God too had thousands and thousands in his employ. If one of them were sick
or blind, therefore, it didn't matter. There were thousands of others to take that person's place.
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- Give another word for "post" (2)
[Need help?]
The poet remembers his father's shipping agency where he had thousands of men posted
around the world. "Posted" therefore means "to be stationed". These men
therefore worked in various posts or positions around the world.
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Explain in your own words why Milton is able to conclude that he need not be troubled about
being blind. (4)
[Need help?]
The poet realises that his blindness is not his own fault. He cannot therefore be expected to
utilize his talents when afflicted in this way.
He also concludes, along with Martin Luther and John Calvin, that one does not earn one's way
into heaven. Salvation is a gift from God, not something to be earned by working hard. It is
sufficient, therefore, to accept whatever afflictions God sends because salvation is through faith
alone.
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