Psychological Criticism

ON HIS BLINDNESS  (SONNET)

BY: 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
Lodg’d with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
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
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.”

ANALYSIS

The sonnet of Milton can be analyzed through the use of Psychological Criticism because it reflects life and is a realistic representation of Milton’s life especially in his blindness. The main themes of this poem are Milton’s exploration of his feeling, fears and doubts regarding his failed sight, his rationalization of this fear by seeking solutions in his faith.

 The tone of the poem is one of contrasting darkness and light, “my light is spent” and spending half of his life “in this dark world and wide”, using alliteration and contrast to give understanding to his affliction, but Milton is also indicating a biblical reference to the `Talent’; a unit of currency in those times, and used several by Jesus as a symbolic level of the meaning of forgiveness. The ending part of this line `which is death to hide’, Milton is referring to the Resurrection and that if one hides one’s Talent or the gift of the forgiveness and / or compassion, and not extend it to others, will this will this be extended to you at the End of Days?

Thus, the sonnet shows how the author reflects on his life and tells how he is motivated to write this sonnet even in the absence of his sight