About the Poet : John Milton was born on December 9, 1608 in London.
His father was a lawyer. He was sent to St. Paul's School about the year 1620. He had a tutor also at home named Thomas Young, a Scotchman, who afterwards became an eminent Puritan clergy. He was perhaps the inspirer of much of Milton's Puritan sympathy. Milton went to Christ's College, Cambridge in 1625, took his B.A. degree in 1629 and joined M.A. in 1632 but left Cambridge shortly afterwards. Milton did have some serious difficulty with his tutor which led to his removal from Cambridge for a few weeks and his transference to his another tutor on his return. Milton inherited his love of music and classics from his father who was a man of culture, an expert musician and a composer too. At Christ's College, Cambridge, he was called’ the lady of the college', for his grace and beauty. Being a puritan in faith, he was a dedicated soul from the very beginning. He felt that he was fated to write an immortal epic like The Paradise Lost and The Paradise Regained. His object therein was 'to justify the ways of God to man'.
His dramatic poem 'Samson Agonistes' crowns the labours of closing years of his life. In this, as in The Paradise Lost, Milton applies his art to the treatment of a Biblical subject, for the work is fashioned strictly upon the principles of Greek tragedy while the matter, mood, tone and outlook are strictly Hebraic and Biblical. Milton lost his eyesight at the age of 44 only. Though married three times, he never experienced bliss in marriage. His daughters remained unmarried for the sake of their father and took the poems of Milton to dictation. In fact in the later years of Milton, his daughters became the eyes and ears of the blind poet. But blindness became a blessing in disguise for the poet as only a blind person could picture so beautifully the fires and tortures of Hell.
About the Poem : On His Blindness belongs to the Middle Period of sonnets. It is Milton's personal sonnet which deals with his blindness which deprived him of many joys of life and prevented him from using his poetic talent in the service of God. He complains to God against the injustice done to him and in it he is almost like a rebel. But soon he realises the supremacy of God and comes to know that resignation to the will of God is the best to him.
When I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent, which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest He, returning, chide,
‘Doth God exact day-labour, light denied ?'
I fondly ask : but Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, God doth not need
Either man's work, or His own gifts; who best
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best; 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'.
Hindi Translate [Poem]
जब मैं विचार करता हूं कि मेरा प्रकाश कैसे व्यतीत होता है
मेरे आधे दिन, इस अंधेरी दुनिया में और चौड़े,
और वह एक प्रतिभा, जिसे छिपाना मृत्यु है,
मेरे साथ बेकार है, हालांकि मेरी आत्मा अधिक झुकती है
मेरे निर्माता के साथ सेवा करने के लिए, और वर्तमान
मेरा असली खाता, ऐसा न हो कि वह लौट आए, धोखा दे,
'भगवान सही दिन-श्रम, प्रकाश से इनकार किया?'
मैं हौसले से पूछता हूं: लेकिन धैर्य, रोकने के लिए
वह बड़बड़ाहट, जल्द ही जवाब देता है, भगवान की जरूरत नहीं है
या तो आदमी का काम, या उसका अपना उपहार; कौन सबसे अच्छा
उसके हल्के जुए को सहन करें, वे उसकी सबसे अच्छी सेवा करते हैं; उसका राज्य
राजसी है: उसकी बोली गति पर हजारों,
और आराम के बिना ओ'र भूमि और महासागर पोस्ट करें;
वे भी सेवा करते हैं जो केवल खड़े रहते हैं और प्रतीक्षा करते हैं ’।
Appreciation of the Poem : This is a personal sonnet of Milton which represents his early reaction to total blindness. He is purely Christian and believes in the Bible. He wants to use the poetic gift given to him by God. But by turning him blind, He has deprived him of the required capability. He is quite aware that God will naturally scold him for not completing his mission when he goes back to Him on the day of judgement. But soon he feels his mistake and repents on his folly.
He realises the supremacy of God. The sonnet is moving and heart touching. It brings us close to the mind and heart of the blind poet. The sonnet follows the Italian (Petrarchan) form. Its rhyme scheme is ab ba, abba, cde, cde. The first eight line (octave) prepare us in sprit for the conclusion of the last six line (sestet). The total impression is that of “a rolling sweep of harmony and peculiar solemnity “which animates the soul.
Book Name : English
Chapter Name : On His Blindness
Class : 12th
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