SHORT QUESTIONS OF SONNET 19 : ON HIS BLINDNESS BY JOHN MILTON.

1. “When I consider how my light is spent”—What is meant by ‘light’? How has the poet spent his light?

 Here ‘light’ means poet John Milton’s eyesight. 

 The poet has spent his light i.e. eyesight without utilising it properly in poetic works.

2. Why is the world dark to john Milton?

 The world is dark to John Milton because when he wrote this sonnet, he was totally blind.

3. How did the world seem to the poet when he wrote the sonnet?

 When Milton wrote the sonnet, the world seemed to him totally dark and wide.

4. “And that one talent……..”—What is meant by “talent”?

 Here talent has two meanings- one is God-gifted power to write poem and another meaning is money or wealth that is mentioned in Bible (Parable of Talents).

5. “And the one talent which is death to hide”—Why is that one talent death to hide?

 Here talent has two meanings—one is God-gifted power to write poem and another meaning is money or wealth that is mentioned in Bible (Parable of Talents). In Bible, one Lord gives money to his three servants to utilise them. But the third servant did not utilise that money and becoming angry, Lord killed the servant. Here the third servant is compared to the poet who, like him, did not utilise God’s talent. So, to hide it is similar to death.

6. Why is the talent within himself useless to the poem?

 To the poet, his talent is totally useless because now he is completely blind and he cannot utilize that talent in poetic creation.

7. Why would God chide/ scold the poet according to the poet?

 According to the poet, as he had not utilized God-gifted talent, God would chide him.

8. “My Soul more bent…………..my Maker”—What does poet’s soul desire? Who is the “Maker” here?

 Now the poet’s soul desires to serve the almighty God.

 Here “Maker” refers to God.

9. What does the poet doubt about God? / “Doth God exact day-labour, light denied—I fondly ask”- Explain.

 The poet doubts about the God that when he will stand in front of God, God will chide him for not utilising his talent and will demand his due duties.

10. Why does the poet think that God will chide him?

 The poet thinks that God will chide him for not utilising his gifted talent in poetic work when he had eyesight.

11. Who makes up John Milton’s doubt and what does he/it assures the poet?

 Patience makes up Milton’s doubt.

 Patience assures the poet that God will not demand any due duties from the poet because God has so many countless servants like the poet.

12. Who is the God’s best server?

 According to the patience, who obeys the orders of God perfectly, is the best server of God.

13. “His state is Kingly”—Whose state is Kingly?/ who is compared to the king here?

 Here in Milton’s Sonnet—19, God state is Kingly. / God is compare to the King here.

14. “They also serve……..”—Who also serve and whom?

 Here in Milton’s Sonnet—19, the men who have not served God yet but waiting for God’s order to perform duty, also serve God.

15. “Ere half my days…………”—Explain.

 Here the poet laments that half of his life has gone in vain because he has not done anything worthy in that half of his lifetime when he had eyesight. But it is sad to say that now the poet is blind.

16. How has the poet presented patience here?

 Here the poet personifies ‘patience’ and presented as the rescuer of the poet’s troubled mind.