An Explication of John Milton’s “When I Consider How My Light is Spent”
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 the present
My true account, lest he returning chide;
“Doth God exact day-labor, 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.”
In “When I Consider How My Light is Spent”, John Milton employs a rhyme pattern, rhythm, meter, Biblical references, and the diction of archaic language to successfully complete this Petrarchan sonnet. The speaker and audience are obvious, and unique from other poems. All of these elements work together as the speaker reflects in the octet how the one who took away his light now expects labor from him; the sestet is the Lord’s kind answer to his servant.
The structure of Milton’s poem is an octet followed by a sestet. Because of this structure, the number of lines in the poem, and the content of those lines, it is a sonnet and more specifically a Petrarchan sonnet. The one structural difference lies in the division of the octet from the sestet, for the speaker changes here as well.
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This poem is unique in its speaker-audience relationship. The first eight lines are spoken by the one who raises the issue of the doubts that cloud his faith. Following these lines, the audience from the octet becomes the speaker of the sestet, who attempts to kindly give the doubting man peace. Because of the contents of the octet, many are led to believe that the speaker was Milton himself, for just as he lost his eyesight shortly before this poem was penned, so too did the speaker wonder about his “spent light”. Therefore, the relationship between the speaker and the audience is quite personal because of the role that each has, and eventually trades, and this element makes the poem especially meaningful to the reader.
The elements of meter, rhythm, and rhyme go hand in hand with the element of structure. As a Petrarchan sonnet, the meter is iambic pentameter, which lends itself to the definite rhythm this poem has. The rhyme pattern that Milton employs is in the form of ABBAABBACDECDE, with the octet rhyming separately from the sestet.
Although there is not a great amount of figurative language in this work, the figurative language that it has is very strong. For example, the idea that hiding one’s talent (line 3) brings about death is a strong correlation to make, and it displays the speaker’s feelings on this parable.
Another aspect prevalent in this work is the many Biblical and religious references. When the speaker tells of his talent in line three, he refers to the Parable of the Talents in Matthew, in which the man of the parable was dismissed to the darkness. It is also apparent that the speaker directs his question to God, for he acknowledges that it was God who gave him his abilities in the first place, and proclaims him his maker. Finally, there is the reference by the respondent, presumably God, for he refers to the mild yoke that Jesus speaks of in Matthew eleven when he says that “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The final aspect of this poem is its diction, and this is probably the most important element, for it is what makes up the poem and the study of it helps the reader to unravel the speaker’s meaning. For example, the first line of Milton’s work sets the stage for the poem to continue, as well as sets the mood for this sonnet. The speaker’s reflection at this time shows that his wonderment is the basis for the poem, and his also tells the reader that this poem is to be about his uncertainty.
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I recently read two poems, entitled “Island Man” and “The Fringe of the Sea”. These two poems are similar in many ways, but also have conflicting ideas. They both have connections to the sea, through the content of the poems, but also through the authors. Grace Nichols is the author of “Island Man”, and she was born in Ghana, and now living in Britain. A.L. ...
As the second line begins with the archaic contraction, “Ere,” the reader is led to know that the writing of this poem took place long ago and that the denotation of some words was no doubt different then. Knowing that John Milton lost his eyesight shortly before he wrote this poem is significant, for in the second line he refers to darkness, and because of the content of the speaker’s question, the meaning of this word could signify his spiritual darkness, because of the question that follows, or the physically dark world the writer had begun to live in.
The talent that the speaker refers to in the third line may not be significant, but it becomes much more so when it is paired with the following line. The talent that he believes that God demands of him has been hidden inside him and the speaker believes that it is irretrievable. However, although he realizes that this talent is not useable, he still desires to serve his maker, for fear that God will reprimand him for possessing the talent and failing to put it to use.
Next the speaker goes on to ask the question that seems to be weighing heavily upon his soul. Knowing of the talent God gave him, he fearfully asks how the Lord could give him a unuseable quality and yet require that he put it to use. These last two lines of the octet are quite possibly the most important, for it is here that the speaker presents his problem, yet knowing that it is foolish to ask questions of the all-knowing God.
As the sestet begins, it would seem that the position of speaker is either changed from the man to God, or the man simply reports on God’s response. In any case, the Lord’s response in this sestet is what the man no doubt already knew. The Lord begins by reminding the man that he does not desire works, but rather those who take his mild yoke upon themselves, as he invites the man to do. He then goes on to remind the man that, not only is he a king, but he also has thousands of angels at his disposal. Therefore, the man ought not to worry but instead put his faith in one higher than himself.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I am grateful to the Almighty God for establishing me to complete this project. I wish to express my sincere thanks to SOTERO H. LAUREL Librarians, for providing me with all the necessary facilities and books that I need to be able to carefully analyze all the topics that have been discuss in philosophy of human existence. I also thank Professor Josefina C. Perez, one ...
Reading only a portion of Milton’s peom could not make it significant to the reader, but when the elements of poetry are combined, it is easier for one to unravel the speaker’s intent by examining each element individually. In conclusion, the audience cannot know definitely what the speaker’s “darkness” meant to him, or if he possibly meant this poem as a lesson for fellow Christians. However, by evaluating the different aspects of the work, it is possible for the reader to read someone else’s words and still make the text explicit for all to comprehend.
