A Prose Analysis of Miltons Sonnet XIX :: essays research papers

A Prose Analysis on Miltons "sonnet XIX"     John Milton, a poet who was completely blind in 1651 wrote "Sonnet XIX"in 1652 this sonnet is his response to his loss of sight. The theme of thesonnet is the loss and regain of primacy of experience. Milton offers hisphilosophical view on animism and God. Furthermore, "Sonnet XIX" exploresMiltons faith and relationship with God. "Sonnet XIX" suggests that man wascreated to work and not rest. The supportive details, structure, form, andrichness of condition embodies the theme. The sonnet goes through two phases thefirst phase is Miltons question addressed to God, "why me?" he asked. Then,the second phase offers a resolution to Miltons dilemma. Moreover, the sonnetacts as a self-poem to Milton, himself.     In the beginning of the sonnet, Milton suggests that his primacy ofexperience have been deferred when he became blind. The words, "dark", " te rmination",and "useless" (lines 2-4) describe the emotional state of Milton. His blindnesscreated a shrouded clarity within his mind. Line three, "And that one talentwhich is death to hide" is an allusion to the biblical context of the bible.Line three refers to the story of Matthew XXV, 14-30 where a retainer of the lordburied his single talent instead of investing it. At the lords return, he castthe servant into the "outer darkness" and deprived all he had. Hence, Miltondevoted his life in writing however, his blindness raped his Gods gift away.A tremendous fog casted over him and darkened his reality of life and theworld. Like the servant, Milton was flung into the darkness.     Line seven, "Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?" describes thelimitations and burdens of a person who has lost his sense of place in life.Obviously, Milton is making a reference to his blindness in relation to lineseven. Line seven implies that once the usefulness of a man has diminished,then is man doomed to wasting the rest of his remaining days. In other words,has Miltons handicap made him into an obsolete machine? The quote "To be ornot to be,", (Hamlet, acquit 3, Scene1) runs through Miltons mind. Shall hestruggle and fight in the webs of darkness, or shall he accept defeat. A senseof "dark clarity" - a sinister paradox occupies Miltons mind. His brain wasonce clear, set, and on task but now, it is clouded, unorganized, andfragmented.     However, in the darkness, a new form of clarity arises. "That murmur.Soon replies, God doth not need both mans work or his own gifts" (lines 9-