Critical Analysis:

ON HIS BLINDNESS

The Background

"On His Blindness" is sonnet poem composed by John Milton in 1655. John Milton, an English
poet, who, by 1652 at age 48, was blind. His ability to write was threatened and, as a result, his
relationship with God became complicated..Here you will find the analysis of on his blindness
by John Milton.

The Structure
The poem On His Blindness is a typical Italian sonnet that has a noticeable rhyming scheme. It’s
divided into 2 parts. The first part is an octave (first 8 lines of a poem called octave) while the
second is a sestet. The poet used metaphor, alliteration, personification and other literary
devices in driving home his message.

The Meaning

 Death of Poetic Talent

"On His Blindness" is a thought provoking poem that reflects on the reality of being blind. The
poet, John Milton became completely blind in his middle age . As a result, he couldn’t use his
poetic talent properly. He's upset about wasting 'that Talent of Writing t which is given by
God' .For him, the condition is a spiritual death

“And that one talent which is death to hide”

Milton feels that God expects him to use his talent for writing poetry in a way that honors Him.

 Desire to Serve God

. His soul desires to serve God with his poetic talent which is the best power he has from
God .Milton is frustrated that his lack of sight is preventing him from serving God when he
wants to so badly:
“Though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present”
 Does God need services of man ?
He goes on to ask whether God still requires the services of a blind man or not and concludes
that God doesn’t need the service of a man or the account of the gifts bestowed on him by God.
 "God doth not need, Either man's work or his own gifts”
. He explains that the best thing is for one to accept to the will of God in hardships and in
painful situations. Only those who accept to His will serve him the most
” Who best,Bear his milde yoak, they serve him bes”.

 The power of God

The poet goes ahead to think of the royal power of God and says the oceans,mountains
,rivers ,and lands are under the control of God ,and thousands of people travel on His lands
.The whole world is God’s state and under His controle.
“His state Is kingly;  ..And post o'er land and ocean without rest”:
Conclusion
From the messages portrayed in the poem, it’s very clear that the poet, John Milton was a
devout Christian. He was very dedicated and devoted to serving God even in his blind condition.
Milton's 'true account' refers to his religious poetry. Much of his work was concerned with
God's relationship to mankind and he considered it a serious duty to write poetry