Programme B.A. / B.

Sc

Subject Language English

Semester Second Semester

University University of Mysore

Session Session- 2
 SONNET : ON HIS BLINDNESS
BY
JOHN MILTON

Topic:
Analysis of the Sonnet ON HIS BLINDNESS

Bharathi T R
Assistant Professor
Department of English
 Recap of the Previous Class:
Life and significant works of John Milton.

Introduction to Sonnet and its types.

Salient features of Sonnets.

 Theme of the Sonnet On His Blindness.

Learning Objectives:
•To critically analyse the sonnet.
•To empathise with the poet’s sense of loss and
disappointment after he becomes blind.
•To appreciate the poet’s patience and his firm faith in
God’s plans.
To appreciate the poet’s use of language and literary
devices.
Session Outcomes:
After this session, the students will be able to-
Critically analyse the sonnet.
Understand and Emphatise with the profound sense
of loss and dispappointment felt by the poet.
Appreciate the poet’s patience and firm faith in God.
Appreciate the poet’s use of language and rhyme in the
sonnet.
Image Source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/6883516/
 John Milton’s
On His Blindness – An Introduction
 On His Blindness is one of the best known and very significant
sonnets written by John Milton.
 This is an intensely personal poem which has a reference to
his blindness which left him completely dejected and
depressed.
 This is a Petrarchan sonnet and it is divided into two parts-
Octave and Sestet. The sonnet, although begins on a sad note,
ends up with hope, satisfaction and a firm belief in God’s will.
 Analysis of John Milton’s On His Blindness
 Milton was a deeply religious poet and he wanted to write
great poems in praise of God.

 The blindness which crept upon him at the age of 43

shattered his dreams of writing great poems and Milton
becomes very devastated at the loss of his eye sight.

 He begins the sonnet with an expression of profound sense of

loss. He expresses the fear that half of his “light” (life) is
already spent and now his world has become dark due to the
loss of his eye sight.
 Analysis of John Milton’s On His Blindness
 Milton was a poetic genius and he considers that he is not
able to make the best use of this God-given “Talent” because
of his loss of eye sight.
 He feels very sad that hiding this God’s gift is similar to
burying it and causing the death of his talent.
 Milton feels guilty that, due to the loss of his eye sight, he is
not able to write poems in praise of God.
 He thinks that on the Day of Judgement, God might perhaps
chide him for wasting the “Talents” given to him.
 In a moment of anxiety, Milton questions himself whether
God would demand the same amount of labour from a blind
man as he would expect from any other normal Person.
 Analysis of John Milton’s On His Blindness
 Milton becomes very sad at the thought of God expecting as
much labour from a blind man as ‘from those blessed with
eye-sight’.
 But when he reconsiders this fact and slowly tries to analyse,
he is able to understand the fact that God actually does not
require any such labour.
 Patience, which is personified here tells him that, “God doth
not need Either Man’s work or his own gifts, who best bear
his mild yoke, they serve him best”.
 Milton is thus convinced that God does not need man’s work
or his own gifts.
 The best gift one could give back to God is to bear his mild
yoke.
 Analysis of John Milton’s On His Blindness
 Milton says that the God’s splendour resembles that of a King
and he has thousands of people who wait to obey his
command and will always be ready to work over land and
ocean without rest.
 Milton concludes his sonnet with a great satisfaction that
even those people who stand and wait to receive God’s
commands equally serve God.
 Thus according to Milton, those who patiently wait to receive
God’s commands also render him their genuine service similar
to others who do their service.
 Form and style of the Sonnet
 Milton’s On His Blindness is a Petrarchan Sonnet. It is divided
into two parts – Octave and Sestet.

 In the first part, the poet expresses his fear and concern over
the loss of his eyesight and his inability to serve God.

 In the second part, there is a change in the flow of the

thought. The poet’s anxiety gradually vanishes and he
becomes consoled that God’s plans are always better than
human being’s petty insecurities.

 Milton uses many Literary Devices to express his personal

feelings in this sonnet.
 Literary devices used in the Sonnet
On His Blindness
 Use of the Rhyme Scheme:
abba abba cde cde

 Use of the Figures of Speech:

 Methaphor
a) to bear the Mild yoke – to bear the sufferings
 Synechdoche
a)Light – Eyesight, vision (also Life)
 Personification ( of Patience)
 Pun and Allusion – Talent
 Summary
• Milton’s Sonnet On his Blindness is a Petrarchan Sonnet.

• The First Part presents Milton’s fear, anxiety and dejection

over his loss of eye sight and his concern over the death of his
God-given Talent.

• The second part has a twist in the thought, where Milton is

convinced by patient thoughts that God does not demand
labour from him after denying him “light” and he concludes
that “they also serve who only stand and wait”.

• Thus through this sonnet form, using many literary devices,

the poet “ justifies the ways of God to men”.
Answer the following questions by choosing
the correct option:

1 ) The Sonnet On His Blindness is based on the theme of ____.

(a) Religion

(b) Friendship and Trust

(c) Loss of vision and Faith in God

(d) Marriage

Answer: Option (c) Loss of vision and Faith in God

2) What does the word Light mean in this sonnet?

(a) Sun light

(b) Morning

(c) Lantern

(d) Eye sight or Vision

Answer: Option (d) Eye sight or Vision

3) In the sonnet, Milton is afraid that the God-given ______ is
rendered useless by his blindness.

(a) Beauty

(b) Talent

(c) Intelligence

(d) None of the above

Answer: Option (b) Talent

4) According to Milton, the God’s state is like that of a ______.

(a) King

(b) Minister

(c) Warrior

(d) None of the above

Answer: Option (a) King

5) Patience is an example for ______ in the sonnet On His
Blindness.

(a) Simile

(b) Metaphor

(c) Personification

(d) Oxymoron

Answer: Option (c) Personification

 References:

 Evans, B Ifor. A Short History of English Literature. Penguin

Books. London: 1948. Print.

 Rees, R. J. English Literature. Macmillan India Ltd. New Delhi:

2007. Print.

Image Courtesy:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo- john milton in blindness