Class 12 English Notes Poetry 2 (Poems by Milton) – Kaliedoscope Book
Alright class, let's delve into the profound world of John Milton as presented in your Kaleidoscope textbook. We'll be focusing on the two prescribed poems: "On His Blindness" and "On Time". These are significant not just for their literary merit but also for the universal themes they explore, making them relevant for your exam preparation.
John Milton (1608-1674): An Overview
- Era: A pivotal figure of the 17th century English literature, spanning the late Renaissance and the Puritan era.
- Significance: Considered one of the greatest English poets. Known for his epic poem Paradise Lost.
- Beliefs: A devout Puritan, his works are deeply infused with religious themes, biblical allusions, and a strong moral compass. He was also actively involved in the political turmoil of his time (the English Civil War).
- Style: Characterized by the "Grand Style" – elevated language, complex sentence structures (Latinate syntax), classical and biblical allusions, serious tone, and profound subject matter.
Poem 1: On His Blindness (Sonnet XIX: "When I consider how my light is spent")
- Form: This is a Petrarchan (or Italian) Sonnet. It has 14 lines written in iambic pentameter and is divided into:
- Octave (first 8 lines): Rhyme scheme ABBAABBA. Presents a problem, raises a question, or expresses doubt.
- Sestet (last 6 lines): Rhyme scheme CDECDE (can vary slightly). Resolves the problem or answers the question.
- Context: Written around 1652, after Milton became completely blind, likely due to glaucoma. He was in his mid-40s, at the peak of his intellectual powers, and felt his blindness hampered his ability to serve God through his writing ("talent").
- Summary:
- Octave (Lines 1-8): The speaker (Milton) reflects ("considers") on how his eyesight ("light") is gone ("spent") before even half his life is over ("ere half my days") in this dark world. He laments that his most important talent (likely his literary ability, possibly alluding to the Parable of Talents in the Bible, Matthew 25:14–30), which he desperately wanted to use to serve God, is now useless ("lodged with me useless"). He fears God will rebuke him ("chide") for not using this gift. He foolishly asks ("fondly ask") if God demands full work ("day-labour") even when He has taken away the means (light denied).
- Sestet (Lines 9-14): Before the speaker can finish his complaint, "Patience" (personified) intervenes. Patience explains that God doesn't need man's work or his own gifts back. Those who best serve God are those who patiently bear His "mild yoke" (burdens, challenges, His will). God's state is kingly; thousands of angels serve Him constantly across the world without rest. Therefore, humans can also serve God simply by accepting His will and waiting patiently ("They also serve who only stand and wait").
- Themes:
- Faith vs. Doubt: The poem charts a course from despair and questioning God's justice to reaffirmation of faith.
- Service to God: Redefines service not just as active work but also as patient endurance and acceptance of God's will.
- Acceptance and Patience: The resolution emphasizes the virtue of patience in the face of suffering.
- Dealing with Disability/Loss: Explores the frustration of potential thwarted by physical limitation and finds spiritual consolation.
- God's Justice and Sovereignty: Affirms God's ultimate power and wisdom, suggesting human understanding is limited.
- Literary Devices:
- Personification: Patience is given human qualities, speaking directly to the poet.
- Metaphor: "light is spent" (sight is compared to a consumed resource like lamp oil); "talent" (writing ability compared to the coin in the parable); "mild yoke" (God's will/burden compared to the harness on an ox).
- Biblical Allusion: The "one talent" clearly refers to the Parable of Talents.
- Enjambment: Lines flow into the next without punctuation, creating a more natural speech rhythm (e.g., lines 3-4).
- Caesura: A pause within a line, often marked by punctuation, contributing to the rhythm and emphasis (e.g., "God doth not need / Either man's work...").
- Pun: "spent" can mean used up (like light/oil) and also wasted (like time/life).
- Key Message: True service to God lies not only in active deeds but also in passive acceptance and patient endurance of His will. Suffering can be a form of service.
Poem 2: On Time
- Form: This poem is not a sonnet. It's more akin to an ode or an address. It comprises one continuous stanza of 22 lines with a specific, though slightly irregular, rhyme scheme and meter.
- Context: Likely written earlier in Milton's career. It reflects a common philosophical and religious theme of the period: the contrast between fleeting earthly time and eternal heavenly existence.
- Summary:
- The speaker directly addresses Time, personified as an envious and destructive force. He commands Time to fly quickly ("Fly envious Time") and glut itself ("glut thy self") on base, worldly things ("what thy womb devours / Which is no more than what is false and vain / And merely mortal dross").
- He urges Time to hurry ("haste") and consume even itself ("eat thy fill"). The speaker declares that Time cannot touch ("canst not touch") what is truly good and sincere ("one particle of Truth sublime").
- True Virtue ("she") will flourish ("flourish") happily despite Time's destructive power. When everything earthly ends and Time itself ceases ("long Eternity shall greet our bliss"), the virtuous soul, adorned with divine glory ("Attir'd with Stars"), will sit forever in joy and triumph over Death, Chance, and Time itself.
- Themes:
- Transience of Time: Time is depicted as fleeting, consuming, and ultimately insignificant compared to eternity.
- Nature of Eternity: Eternity is presented as the ultimate reality – blissful, unchanging, and the reward for virtue.
- Virtue vs. Vanity: A clear distinction is made between worthless worldly concerns ("mortal dross") and enduring spiritual qualities ("Truth sublime," "individual vikrtue").
- Triumph over Death and Time: The poem asserts the Christian belief in an afterlife where the virtuous soul transcends the limitations of earthly existence, including death and the passage of time.
- Christian Hope: Offers a vision of ultimate victory and bliss for the faithful.
- Literary Devices:
- Apostrophe: The entire poem is an address to an abstract concept, Time, as if it were a person ("Fly envious Time...", "...and thee O Time.").
- Personification: Time is given negative human attributes: "envious," gluttonous ("glut thy self," "eat thy fill"), and ultimately defeated. Virtue is personified as "she".
- Metaphor: Time's "womb devours" (comparing Time to a creature that consumes); worldly things are "mortal dross" (worthless waste material). Heavenly reward is being "Attir'd with Stars".
- Contrast: The central device is the stark contrast between Time (fleeting, destructive, base) and Eternity (permanent, blissful, sublime); also between worldly vanity and spiritual virtue.
- Imagery: "lazy leaden-stepping hours," "Attir'd with Stars," "glut thy self".
- Alliteration: "false and vain," "mortal dross," "Truth sublime".
- Key Message: Earthly time and concerns are insignificant and fleeting. True virtue is eternal and will ultimately triumph over Time, Death, and Chance, finding its reward in the bliss of Eternity with God.
Relevance for Exams:
- Understand the context of each poem (Milton's blindness for the sonnet, philosophical/religious ideas for "On Time").
- Be able to paraphrase key lines and explain their meaning.
- Identify and explain the major themes.
- Recognize and name the literary devices used and explain their effect.
- Understand the structure of the Petrarchan sonnet.
- Be aware of Milton's characteristic style and Puritan background.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
-
In "On His Blindness," what does the "one talent" most likely refer to?
a) His wealth
b) His political influence
c) His poetic/literary ability
d) His physical strength -
The structure of "On His Blindness" is a:
a) Shakespearean Sonnet
b) Spenserian Sonnet
c) Petrarchan Sonnet
d) Ballad -
Who answers the speaker's troubled question in "On His Blindness"?
a) God
b) An Angel
c) Patience
d) Milton himself -
What is the central theme resolved in the sestet of "On His Blindness"?
a) God demands constant active work.
b) Blindness is a punishment from God.
c) Service to God can also mean patient acceptance of His will.
d) Milton should abandon his poetic ambitions. -
In "On Time," the speaker addresses Time with a tone of:
a) Fear and reverence
b) Scorn and challenge
c) Sadness and regret
d) Joy and celebration -
According to "On Time," what is immune to the destructive power of Time?
a) Great monuments
b) Worldly riches
c) Truth and Virtue
d) Human life -
The literary device used throughout "On Time" where the speaker directly addresses Time is called:
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Apostrophe -
What does the speaker in "On Time" urge Time to consume?
a) Truth and goodness
b) The virtuous soul
c) False, vain, and mortal things
d) Eternity itself -
The final lines of "On Time" express a sense of:
a) Despair and defeat
b) Triumph and eternal bliss
c) Uncertainty about the future
d) Anger towards God -
Both poems by Milton prominently feature themes related to:
a) Romantic love
b) Political satire
c) Religious faith and the nature of existence
d) The beauty of nature
Answer Key:
- c) His poetic/literary ability
- c) Petrarchan Sonnet
- c) Patience
- c) Service to God can also mean patient acceptance of His will.
- b) Scorn and challenge
- c) Truth and Virtue
- d) Apostrophe
- c) False, vain, and mortal things
- b) Triumph and eternal bliss
- c) Religious faith and the nature of existence
Study these notes carefully, focusing on understanding the meaning, themes, and techniques. Milton's language can be challenging, so pay close attention to the paraphrasing and explanations provided. Good luck with your preparation!