When I Consider...

The first thing I thought of when I read this poem is how Milton went blind in his later life. Knowing this detail about his life makes the line "When I consider how my light is spent" have a more profound meaning. He goes on to say that "E're half my days, in this dark world and wide,/And that one Talent which is death to hide,/Lodg'd with me useless, though my Soul more bent..." (ln. 2-4). The fact that he is so obviously passionate about “that one Talent”, or his ability to write, makes the next line, “Lodg’d with me useless”, incredibly sad. I’m no John Milton, but I have always had a great passion for writing. For me, while writing in and of itself is a great release and hobby, the other half of the fun is going back in my notebooks or computer files and re-reading things that I have written over the years. These things are personal to me, and if I lost my sight then they would most likely go unread by anyone because I wouldn’t want anyone else to read them to me.

However painful it must have been for Milton to lose his sight, I found it very impressive how he wrapped up the poem. Milton turns the tables on “blindness” and what it means to truly see. Being a devoutly religious man, he concludes that although he lost his sight, his “true account”, the real purpose of his life and talents, is to “serve therewith my Maker” (5). He reasons that “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…” (9-12). In other words, regardless of “man’s” talents or abilities, God’s work will go on more or less undisturbed (according to Milton).

I had mixed feelings about the above mentioned lines. I think that people’s talents and abilities are extremely important, however great or small they may be. I think Milton believed this too; perhaps he was just trying to be optimistic…I’m also a little confused at the line “Doth God exact day-labour, light deny’d” (7). I’m looking forward to today’s class discussion…I really like Milton’s poetry!