“On His Blindness “By John Milton(1608 - 1674)

Sixth Lecture
“On His Blindness “By John Milton(1608 - 1674)
It is one of John Milton’s finest Sonnets. It is the inner voice of a man who has resigned himself entirely to the will of God and depends only on His mercy and justice. This sonnet bears Italian structure. It proves clearly that Milton’s faith in God is unshakeable. The poem gives us a glimpse of Milton’s philosophy of life. The poet was known to possess a noble and lofty character and his conduct was akin to his nature and temperament. He therefore does not lose heart or weep like an ordinary man. He endures suffering with fortitude and bears the loss of his eyesight in a courageous and manly way. Incidentally, this sonnet solves an age-old question. The problem is, does God require the service of man??? Milton employs patience to solve this riddle. The answer is that those who resign themselves unquestioningly to the will and wishes of God are his best servants. This idea is repeated with ample emphasis twice in this sonnet. “On His Blindness “ has a universal appeal, far from being a mere poem.

More to discuss in this Poem
1- The characteristics of Puritan poetry.
2- The Biblical allusion in the Poem.
3- Archaic way of spelling. (All nouns have capitals)
4- Milton’s sincere devotion to God, and how t is served through his poetic talent
5- The themes.
6- Poetic devices in the poem.