Line 1-2 (analysis) When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days, in this dark world and

wide, The speaker thinks about how all of his

light has been used up ("spent") before even half his life is over. As a man without light, he now lives in a world that is both "dark and wide.“
When he thinks about how he spent or use his eyesight, the speaker was lamenting his bad luck that was brought by his late-night reading and
writing. Finally, calling the world "dark and wide“. Interestingly, Milton makes it seem as if the world has run out of light, rather than growing
dark because of any blindness on his part. The first word of the poem “When” gives us a feeling of suspense. It is a subordinate clause that opens
a box of ideas on what could follow. However, the follow-up of the first line came only until the seventh and eight line. The word "ere" means
"before." He became blind before his life was halfway over. Milton went completely blind at the age of 42.

7. Line 3-4 (analysis) And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, When Milton says that talent is "death to hide," he is
referring to the money in the Biblical story and also to his own "talent," in the sense of a skill or trade. The talent that he talks about could be his
intelligence and his writing and reading skills, which he had used in service of Oliver Cromwell's government. This "talent" is "lodged" or buried
within the speaker just like the money in the story, "The Parable of Talents."

8. Line 4-6 (analysis) though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide; The speaker
has just told us that his talent is as useless as money buried in the desert, but now he says that his uselessness has nothing to do with a lack of will.
To the contrary, his soul desires (is "bent") to use his skills in the service of his "Maker," God. The word "account" here means both" story" and "a
record of activities with money." The speaker worries that God will scold or "chide" him. And if God is anything like the lord from the parable, the
speaker could get cast into a darkness even more fearful than the one created by his blindness.

9. Line 7-8 (analysis) "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" I fondly ask. […] He wonders if God demands that people undertake hard, physical
work, or "day-labour," when they don't have any light. The speaker doesn't have any light because he's blind The word "exact" means something
like "charge," "claim," or "demand." So the speaker wants to know if God demands work as a kind of payment that is due to Him. The first section
of the poem is completed by the words "I fondly ask." The word "fondly" means "foolishly," not "lovingly." The speaker accuses himself of being an
idiot for even thinking this question.

10. Line 8–10 (analysis) But patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or his own gifts; who best
Patience is often personified in Christian art because of its role in helping one to achieve important virtues like courage and wisdom. The speaker
is about to "murmur" his foolish question, but then his patience steps in to stop him. Patience points out that God does not need anything. God is
complete and perfect. He doesn't need work or talents ("gifts") of any kind.

11. Line 11 (analysis) Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. […] Essentially, this means accepting things as they come, especially suffering and
misfortune. A "yoke" is a wood frame that is placed around the necks of farm animals, like oxen, so that they can be directed. Patience doesn't
want to make God sound like a slave driver, so God's yoke is called "mild," or not-that-bad. It's not how much you have to show for your time on
earth that counts, it's how you handle your submission to God.

12. Line 11-14 (analysis) 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." The final point made by patience is that God is more like a king than a lord thus the parable does not strictly apply . Kings have
unlimited resources, especially if they control a "state" as large as the entire earth. With His kingly status, God has plenty of minions to do His
"bidding" by rushing from place to place. Unlike lords, kings also have people who "wait" on them, who stand in a state of readiness until their
action is needed. The word "post" here just means "to travel quickly." The poem ends with a vindication of the speaker's passivity, which has
been forced on him by his blindness.

13. Poetic Elements : FORM “On His Blindness” is an example of Petrarchan sonnet in structure since it followed an octave-sestet style. Since it a
sonnet, it would also follow that the poem is an example of a lyric poetry.

14. Poetic Elements : Rhythm All the lines in the poem are in iambic pentameter. In this metric pattern, a line has five pairs of unstressed and
stressed syllables, for a total of ten syllables. The first two lines of the poem illustrate this pattern: 1...........2........... ……3............4................5 …..
When I | con SID | er HOW.| my LIFE | is SPENT 1.....................2.............. 3.....................4....................5 Ere HALF | my DAYS | in THIS |
darkWORLD.| and WIDE

15. Poetic Elements : Voice The voice of this poem is a man who is seething with frustration with his incapability of serving God profitably.

16. Poetic Elements : IMAGERY The poem focuses on the sense of sight or rather the loss of it. The voice of the poem laments on his loss of sight
and how this problem could affect his poetic talent. At the beginning, the voice helps us picture out a world that is dark and wide then at the end, it
help us imagined God with His angels doing his bidding and human at His side singing praise for Him.

17. Poetic Elements : SOUND Since the poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, the poem could be divided into two parts: the octave and the sestet. The
octave follows a rhyming pattern of a/b/b/a/a/b/b/a while the sestet follows the rhyming patter of a/b/c/a/b/c
18. Themes Guilt and Blame The speaker is guilty for he thinks he wasted the gift that God has given him by doing late-night reading and writing.
He feels guilty because he thinks that due to his blindness, he could not anymore serve his purpose. He thinks that because of the loss of his
eyesight, his poetic talent would be buried deep into his soul and would not anymore see the light of the day. Dreams, Hopes, and Plans Before
the speaker has gone blind, he had high hopes. He planned on serving God profitably and using his talent for prosperity. However, due to him
getting blind at a young age, all his hopes was replaced by his self-doubt.

19. Themes Virtue Patience was emphasized in the poem. Patience is an important virtue because it is due to this that we achieved the others. If
we do not have any patience to do something then we could never depart from zero. Also during his time of darkness, his patience preserved,
stayed strong and never wavered. It was Patience that stopped him from further questioning himself and God. It was this virtue that helped him
have an epiphany on his blindness. Adoration and Fear of God The speaker greatly adored and feared God at the same time. He adored him to
the point that he wanted to serve Him with all that he has, and feared him because he thinks that when one does not utilize his talent, he would be
punished. Since he is blind, he could not anymore perfectly utilized his poetic talent and that would lead him to his damnation

20. Themes Inner Conflict The primary focus of the poem is the speaker’s inner conflict. He wanted to serve God profitably just like how the first
and second servant had served their Lord in the parable. However, his blindness stand as a hindrance to his goal. He then wonders if God would
demand from him the same service of what He would demand to those who could see. Spiritual Light “Light” is one of the most focused subjects
in the poem. Not only is his eyesight that is important to him, but also his spiritual light. The spiritual light is the same as the light of life. Although
he lost the light of his eyes, he was still alive due to his inner light preserving and giving him power.

21. Themes Fairness of God God judges humans on whether they labor for Him to the best of their ability. For example, if one carpenter can make
only two chairs a day and another carpenter can make five, they both serve God equally well if the first carpenter makes his two chairs and the
second makes his five. If one carpenter becomes severely disabled and cannot make even a single chair, he remains worthy in the sight of God.

22. Figurative Language Milton uses figurative language to express his grievances and discontent. He reflects upon his life and “how my light is
spent,” or the time he had his sight. Milton then expresses the feeling of the “dark world and wide” of the blind as his introduction to his questions.
He begins to question his writing that only death can take away (“...one talent which is death to hide..”), “lodged... useless” within him because of
his new blindness. As a result, Milton begins to question God, “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?” Milton wonders as to the meaning of his
blindness; if God want him to continue to write, even with his blindness. Moreover, Milton uses allegory in comparing his situation with the event
in the Parable of Talents with him being the third servant who buried his money and God as the Lord. Furthermore, Milton uses personification to
express the importance of words and values. He personifies “Patience” as if patience were a man who replies for him. Patience is his reasoning for
accepting the fact that he is blind. It is used to introduce the answer towards his questioning.

23. Examples of Figures of Speech Alliteration: my days in this dark world and wide (line 2) Metaphor: though my soul more bent / To serve
therewith my Maker (lines 3-4). The author compares his soul to his mind. Personification/Metaphor: But Patience, to prevent / That murmur,
soon replies . . . (lines 8-9). Paradox: They also serve who only stand and wait.

24. Notes 1....light is spent: This clause presents a double meaning: (a) how I spend my days, (b) how it is that my sight is used up. 2....Ere half my
days: Before half my life is over. Milton was completely blind by 1652, the year he turned 44. 3....talent: gifts of God. 4....useless: Unused.
5....therewith: By that means, by that talent; with it 6....account: Record of accomplishment; worth 7....exact: Demand, require 8....fondly:
Foolishly, unwisely 9....Patience: Milton personifies patience, capitalizing it and having it speak. 10..God . . . gifts: God is sufficient unto Himself. He
requires nothing outside of Himself to exist and be happy. 11. yoke: Burden, workload. 12. post: Travel.