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3.1 When I Consider How My Light is Spent
I(caps)n this poem, John Milton examines the temporal nature of people or the transience of life. The terrestrial or earthly is placed side by side or compared with the celestial. John Milton reminiscences about his and people’s activities on earth and what God expects of humanity at the end of life. The title of the poem is deliberately metaphorical as the poet compares his life to “light”. “Death is a talent” that no man can hide, as it will deprive a human being of his most cherished soul. As he begins eternal journey to serve his maker he is bound to present his “true account”.
The poet probes his own conscience, asking if God really needs a person’s work. The poet answers his own question, that God do not really need man’s work or labour. Instead God bears man’s burden, “the yoke of thousands at his bidding which He bears”. Man relies on His grace, but God requires that man serve as the “land” and “ocean” also serve God restlessly.
Milton had become blind when this verse was composed. Thus, he juxtaposes his blindness to his soul as both the eyes and soul function as light of humanity. With blindness, the poet became even more conscious of death; so he speaks like one who is prepared to die, and ready to give account of his journey in the world when he finally returns to God.
3.2 How Soon Hath Time
The poet discusses the themes of death, anxiety, longevity, time, endurance, and hope. He places time at the forefront of a person’s total existence, longevity or otherwise. We see time in this poem as the sole determinant of every aspect of a person’s existence, his youthfulness, ageing, death, success, desires and failure. Whatever the
ambition, time becomes a major determinant of every goal. Milton questions, “How soon hath time, the subtle thief of youth, stol’n on his wing three and twentieth year”.
In this poem, Milton describes the overpowering influence of time that has quickened his age. Time parallels the poet’s career at a young age, moving at a fast pace through all the seasons such that time advances the youthful appearance of the poet toward manhood. It appears the poet dislikes this natural process and role played by time in his life, because, if he had a choice, he would have preferred to be ever youthful and agile. The poet says his youthful appearance was descriptive and that time inevitably stole into advance his age” to manhood “am arrived so near” inwardly:
Time leads me, and the will of Heav’n
All is, if I have grace to use it so
The poet ends the poem on a note of grudging and indifference as he surrenders to time and concludes that he has no grace to change time’s eternal motion of making youth grow old and drawing nearer to heaven. He also recognises that the power of humanity to take the advantage of time is by the “grace” of God.
3.3 At a Solemn Music
In this poem, John Milton praises the serene and harmonious nature of the rhyme. He describes the verse as the synonym of music, the heavenly choreography that keeps Angels busy and dutiful “…. pledges of Heaven’s joy … voice and verse, that is made in Heaven, divine sounds”. So powerful is the divine excellence that is attached to the verse that is capable of penetrating the soul. The verse is purified, admirable sound of “sapphire coloured” capable of radiating around the throne of God, where the heavenly saints “saintly shout and solemn jubilee”. The “seraphim” in orderly “burning row” the Angel trumpets blow the cherubic host in thousand choirs” are all busy singing with inertial Herpes of golden wires” while the glorious spirits too were busy in the apparel of “victorious psalms… Hymns devout and Holy psalms” the primary duty of the heavenly Angels is to sing “everlasting.”
The poet compares the spirituality of heavenly Angels with human-made melodies and concludes that man-made songs are inferior to heavenly hosts as ours is coloured by sins, devoid of love and goodness. The last few lines of the poem predict people’s transformation into the celestial, where the mortal will be united with God and sing in “endless mourns of light”:
That we on Earth with understanding voice
May rightly answer that melodious noise
As once we did, till disproportio’nd sin
Jarrid against Nature’s chime, and with harsh in
Broke the fair music that all creatures made …
In first disobedience, and their state of good
And keep in tune with Heaven till God are long
To His celestial consort us unite.
Milton’s poem refers to the songs of people as filthy melody engineered by their sins, the sins of Adam and Eve and people’s sins bring them to disrepute with the Almighty God.
3.4 ‘Paradise Lost’
The theme of the epic poem is of universal significance. The poem deals with the genesis or beginning of the suffering of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, as presented in the book of Genesis of the Bible. Adam and Eve took the path of Satan who deceived and lured them away from the presence of God. The fate of the hero and his experience in Milton’s poem typifies the fate of every human. Other themes of the poem are deception, suffering and pain.
The first few lines of Milton’s epic indicate Satan’s readiness to cajole and mislead Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He had come to engage Eve in discussion as a friend, but underneath the discussion and his appearance of innocence was deception – “eyes sparking blazed”. Thus, the tenants got swept away by the beguiling spirit the same way disobedient children of Adam and Eve were swept off by the great flood. Adam and Eve floated around like the victims of the flood, as they lost the garden, the path of God, chose the path of Satan and became homeless. They got more than they bargained for through their disobedience of God as their problems became worse, towering monstrously huge or giant” Titanian” leviathan”. Apart from the main theme of deception in the poem, other themes are conviction, pride, determination, pride, innocence, suffering, separation, disfavour and disaster.
The poem is written in elevated style with generous use of imagery, use of historical, Biblical and classical allusions. Examples are “Satan flood “Briareas” ancient Tarsus” sea beast “Leviathan” God, “Norway foam”. The beauty of the poem also lies in the generous use of ancient, Latinate expressions and syntax that elevate the themes of the poem above the ordinary level of verse compositions. Milton’s use of metaphor, extended simile and ironies predominates in the poem. The poem combines natural setting with classical landscaping pitched against a historical context. In the epic poem, Satan, it seems, played the hero as juxtaposed with Adam and Eve. This can be seen in the long-time effect of Satan’s craftiness, the successful but subtle way of making enmity of the beautiful relationship that had existed between God and man.
The first few lines of the poem contrast different personalities by placing together Satan and Eve (antithesis). The lines also double as euphemism; there are also inversions (change in normal sentence order) in the poem order as seen in “with head uplift above the wave and eyes lay floating many a road in bulk as huge Leviathan which God of all his works.”
3.5 ‘At a Vacation Exercise in the College. Part Latin, part English. The Latin Speeches Ended, the English Thus Began’
This poem of Milton praises his native language/mother tongue, the English that belongs to the group of languages that include German, Dutch, Flemish, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. Consider the way the poet salutes the English language: “Hail native language that by sinews weak, didst move my first endeavouring tongue to speak”. The poet emphasizes his connectivity to his language and culture of first contact: “Half unpronounced, slide through my infant lipps”.
Milton reminisces about his affinity with his English culture as an infant, but now “pardon ask”, for the brief disconnection he experiences with his mother tongue. He regrets his temporary dissociation with his mother tongue. The poet confesses that he could not do without his language which he “now use thee in my latter task”. He is caught in-between the Greek and Latin civilization that competes with his mother tongue. Despite the obvious competition experienced by the culture contacts, the poet is comfortable with himself, expressing the multiplicity of ideas and the refinement of thought in his native English tongue.
He sees the English language as an asset and pleads that he be not denied his culture as he is not willing to deny his literary expression and communications, despite the mixed character of the English language vocabulary. The poet considers the language a treasure, rich, and “gladdens pleasure giving’s” “thy wardrobes bring thy chaffiest treasure”. Milton states that the burning thought and knowledge that grow in him can only be clothed appropriately with his mother tongue. He considers the English language as the best and befitting one for cultural expression, better than the Greek, Latin, and German languages he had contact with. The poet’s spiritual connectivity to his language of birth is deeply expressed. He merges the terrestrial with the celestial reviving the aesthetic relevance of the English language, as he says:
I have some naked thoughts that role about
And loudly knock to have their passage out,
And wearies of their place do only stay
Till thou hast deck’t them in thy best array;
That so they may without suspect or fears
Fly swiftly to this fair Assembly ears;
Yet I had rather if some graver subject use
The poet elevates his native language to the high heavens, decorating it in god-like status in power and strength as “blissful Deities” … Apollo sings.” “Nectar” . “Neptune”. The English language is capable of representing wonderful thoughts conceived in the poet’s mind, able to sustain” substances with canons” To Milton, the English enjoys an exceptional advantage over all other major Europeans languages.
3.6 An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet William Shakespeare
The poet combines a discussion of the ephemeral nature of life with the lasting beauty of the work of art in his eulogy of the English poet and dramatist, William Shakespeare. The poet argues in favour of the English poet’s honour, “labor of an age implied stone a”,… a star- y pointing pyramid”. Milton addresses the deceased with a deep expression of love and nostalgia, but questions the weak and unpopular respect accorded Shakespeare in death:
Dear son of memory, great heir of fame.
What needs’t thou such weak witness of thy name?
The poet observes that Shakespeare’s “excellent” artistry should not have been “(hidden) under a pyramid” “that will wither after all”. The English poet, he adds, has fashioned a credible and lasting image for himself, as demonstrated in his creativity “while alive” show – endeavoring art” that became a gratifying source of human wisdom and knowledge and many bear testimony to his numerous books, though many found it difficult to value “thy unvalued book”. Milton regrets being bereaved by the death of valuable William Shakespeare and his arts. But the poet is satisfied that the creative works of the English poet and dramatist were his ideal marble and already immortalized him, “sepulchered in such pump dost lie”. The kings and honourable men of this world will prefer Shakespeare’s stately honour which his art earned him even in death. His works are themselves more reliable marble in comparison to the honour accorded his “bones” and “labor” of a whole age that is now “in piled stones.”
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