Poem: On His Blindness
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
Lodged 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.”

Summary

In the beginning, the poet is worried that he has become blind for half of his lifetime. He was a religious-minded man, and he believed that God had gifted him the poetic talent to serve Him through writings. His poetic talent has become useless, though his soul is more bent to serve God. He fears that if he does not serve Him, He(God) will chide him. It says that God does not need either His own gifts or man’s service. God’s state is kingly. Thousands of angels speed over land and ocean without rest at His bidding. So Milton assures himself that he is not sinning by failing to work for truth. The ending line of the sonnet gives us the moral that “They also serve who only stand and wait”.

Bangla Summary

এই কবিতাটিতে কবির অন্ধত্বের কথা বলা হয়েছে। কবি চিন্তা করছেন কেমন করে তিনি তার জীবনের অর্ধেক সময়ের আগেই অন্ধ হয়ে গেলেন। কবির প্রতিভা অর্থহীন হয়ে গিয়েছে, যদিও তার আত্মা ঈশ্বরের প্রতি অবনমিত। তিনি ঈশ্বরের কাছে নিজেকে উৎসর্গ করতে আগ্রহী, পাছে তিনি ঈশ্বরের রোষানলে পড়েন। কিন্তু শীঘ্রই তার মনে উদয় হয়, ঈশ্বরের প্রতি তিনি দায়িত্ব পালন করেছেন কিনা। তিনি এই বলে সান্তনা লাভ করেন যে ঈশ্বর মানবের কোনো সহায়তা চান না। ঈশ্বর সর্বশক্তিমান। হাজার হাজার স্বর্গদূত অক্লান্তভাবে তার সেবায় জলে ও স্থলে নিয়োজিত। মানবজাতির প্রয়োজন ধর্য্যের। ধৈর্যশীলদের কে তারা (স্বর্গদূত) সেবা করেন।

Rhyme Scheme

A rhyme scheme is the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse
Being a sonnet the rhyme scheme of the poem is abba abba cdecde.

“spent”=a
“wide”=b
“hide”=b
“bent”=a
“present”=a
“chide”=b
“deny’d”=b
“Prevent”=a
“need”=c
“best”=d
“state”=e
“speed”=c
“rest”=d
“wait”=e

Here the last word of the 1st line is “spent” and the last word of the 4th line is “bent”. Both have the same sound.So we can mark it “a”. Then,the last word of the 2nd line is “wide” and the last word of the 3rd line is “hide”. Both have the same sound. So we will mark it ” b”.

Again, the last word of the 5th and 8th lines are “present” and “Prevent”. Both words have the same sound. So we can mark it “a”.Further again the last word of the 6th and 7th lines are “chide” and “deny’d”. Both have the same sound. So we can mark it “b”.

In the set, the last words of the 9th and 12th lines are “need” and “speed”. Both have the same sound. So we will mark it “c”.And the last words of the 10th and 13th lines are “best” and “rest”. Both words have the same sound. So we can mark it “d”. And finally, the last words of the 11th and 14th lines are “state” and “wait”. So we can mark it “e”.

So at last we can find out that the rhyme scheme of the poem is abba abba cdecde.

Tone

The tone is a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength. The poem begins with a tone of lamentation. The poet wonders how his light is spent before half of his life span. Now he has nothing to do in this dark and wide world. He is very sad to think that the poetic talent that he had got as a gift from God, will stay unused in his heart and mind till his death. His heart wants now more and more to serve the purpose of God through religious writings. But he has no way to write as he is fully blind. This part of the poem conveys the deep lamentation of the poet.

The set carries the tone of consolation when the poet asks himself if God desires full service from a helpless blind devotee like him. God does not need human service or any gift from a man. God is the king of the world and his kingdom is all over the land and ocean. He is almighty, he has thousands of angels to obey his order at a quick speed. The patience consoles the poet saying that the persons who do their duties as assigned by God, and those who stand and wait with patience serve the purpose of the Creator. In this part, the tone ends with consolation.

Structure

The poem is a sonnet. A sonnet is a lyric poem consisting of fourteen iambic pentameter lines intricate by a rhyme scheme. It’s a Petrarchan sonnet. The Petrarchan sonnet is divided into octave and sestet. An octave consists of eight lines rhyming abba abba and sestet consists of six lines rhyming cde cde or cdcded. Octave asks a question or conflict, the sestet tries to give the answer or solution to the problem or conflict. This turning from octave to sestet is called volta in the literary term. Following the Petrarchan form, the rhyme scheme of the octave is abba abba and that of the sestet is cde cde. The subject matter of this sonnet is the inner conflict of the poet. A question is raised in the octave and is answered in the set. So, structurally it’s a Petrarchan sonnet.

Theme

The theme is the central idea in a piece of writing. The whole body explains the theme.

The central theme of the poem is the inner conflict in the mind of a man. This poem shows the poet’s inner conflict who had wished to do his best to serve God through his writings. But he couldn’t complete that because he became blind at a very early in his life. The poet was a religious man, and he firmly believed that God had given him the poetic talent to serve Him through writings. When he became totally blind, he felt a sense of guilt that God will give him severe punishment for his failure to do the duty assigned by his Master. Then the poet thought that he was not responsible for his blindness. Rather God was responsible for his sufferings. This sense of guilt created an inner conflict in his mind.

Authors Position

When an author writes to persuade, he/she will have his/her own position on the subject. The author’s position is an author’s opinion about the subject. It may be subjective or objective.

Subjective means where the writer can use his/her own feelings, emotion, and own choice.

Objective means where the writer can’t use his/her own feelings, emotions, and own choice.

This is a subjective poem because the poem uses his own feelings, appeal, experience, and conflict. So it’s a subjective poem

Figures of Speech

Figures of Speech mean the use of ornamental elements in a piece of writing.

Alliteration:
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds.
* “Days and dark”
* “world and wide”.

Metaphor:
A metaphor is an indirect comparison between two far-faced things without using “as” or “like”.

* ” though my soul more bent, To serve therewith my Maker”.
Here, the poet indirectly compares his soul to his mind.

Personification:
Personification is a figure of speech in which the writer gives an imaginary life to a lifeless thing or character.

* “But Patience, to prevent, That murmur, soon replies”.
Here, the poet personifies Patience.

Paradox:
The paradox is a short, witty but self-contradictory statement and universally true.
* “They also serve those who only stand and wait”.
It’s a paradoxical statement that is obviously true.