Part 3: The Need to Interpret
Part 4: The Beauty of Form
This is an essay by Leland Ryken, professor of English at Wheaton College. It is excerpted from his book The Liberated Imagination. If you are interested in reading about the importance of the arts through the lens of a Christian worldview, I highly recommend it.
John Milton's Sonnet on His Blindness
For a second example of how art works, let's consider a poem written in the middle of the seventeenth century by the English poet John Milton. Milton wrote the poem after going totally blind at the age of forty-three or forty-four.
'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-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.'
This, too, is an expression of a recognizable human experience. As we absorb the poem, we listen to the voice of suffering humanity. For all its particularity, the poem arouses our awareness of something that is close to the experience of everyone - the tragedy of human life, the debilitating catastrophe that changes a person's whole life, the psychic pain that cannot be brushed aside because it is a daily reality. The poem does what art often does: it faces the facts of life at their worst. One function of art, therefore, is to allow is to grapple with our own problems from a safe distance.
21 comments:
Milton is wonderful. If you love this one, read "Good Friday 1613. Riding Westward." One of the most powerful Christian poems ever written.
can anyone disect this poem and tell me what the poet milton is trying to express please
Milton is concerned that in his blindness he is not able to serve God well. He refers to the parable related by the Lord Jesus concerning those who hide their talents, and how God will judge them ( see the gospel of Matthew, Ch. 25 vs 14-30) He is concerned that God will judge him for his inability as a blind man to do for God as a seeing man can. He comes to the realization that God doesn't " need " any man's service, and as he is sovereign over even our infirmities ,our patient acceptance of our limitations ( even if in human eyes we seem inactive) can give as much glory to God as those ,who in God's providence, are able to more actively serve God.
i think Milton is trying to tell as from the begining of the sonnet he is not happy for not doing what his fellows(people who can see)can do.but we realised that the end part of his verse brings the thought that God
does really mind man giving him all respect because he has several sevants that worship him.this can be seen in lines
11 and 13"Bear his mild yoke,they serve him best.His state
Is kingly:thousands at his bidding speed,"
I feel that Milton was concerned with the possibilty that his Maker would judge him on his inability to work and to some degree he oposed a questionm and then answered the question as did Acquinas.
"I am afraid that, in my diminished state of physical blindness, I am no longer good enough for God to accept me upon my death. No, I was wrong. God will acccept me." In short, Milton concludes, God does not need anything anyone can do for him but rather acknowledges those individuals who most graciosly take on whatever burdens are thrust thier way.
i love this poem!
when was this thing written?!
This poem if properly understood should greatly inspire every physically-handicapped person._Someone who doesnt particularly like Milton.
does anyone know if milton was religious?
it's a great poem...
really
In this poem Milton seems to be afraid that in his blindness he is not capable of serving God well. When he says “talent which is death to hide” he is referring to Jesus’ parable that God judges those who hide their talents. Milton is concerned that God will judge him for his inability as a blind man to oblige God like a seeing man can. Milton comes to the realization that even if we seem dormant to other humans he can still give as much glory to God as someone who is more capable of serving him. Furthermore, Milton concludes that God understands our infirmities and our limitations.
The above comment is by james
Yesterday I was pondering the fact that I am in a profession that does not satisfy when 'on His Blindness' came to mind. I have not immersed myself in poetry since I was forced to 50 years ago. I always consider such fruitful aberrant thoughts as coming from God. Christians discover
recurrent deaths described as "death to self" with the paradoxical outcome of experiencing God anew as I think Milton is saying: "though my soul more bent to serve therewith my Maker". The unsaid words of God regarding "day labour" are that "the world judges people as functional and non-functional but I do not"
a follow up to 7:02 comment: The last line "They also serve who only stand and wait" is also an unexpected discovery that Christians make. Far from being an opiate, our meditation and contemplation produce results that do not originate with us, that renew us, that make our impact on other people kinder, that give us greater awareness of the need to intercede for others, that make us desire to be a better person. Waiting on God is affirmed in the Old Testament and in Jesus' words to his friend Martha about her sister.
I think it' more than that. He makes the point that at God's bidding many will jump to action. But doing His will - what He calls you to do - is serving Him, even if it's just waiting for the right time or assignment.
This poem confirms the biblical saying,"for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few" As God not only uses our talents and abilities, but also our weaknesses and disabilities.
If I may add to your thoughts, pondering on Milton's distress- perhaps his "stand and wait" philosophy came by recognition of the fact that we are sometimes best used, and only used, when we come to a place of weakness and brokenness. Consider Paul, with the "thorn in the flesh", being told by the Lord that His grace is sufficient! 2 Cor 12
i love this comment its amazing
what is the sentiment behind "they also serve who only stand and wait"
Tonight, when I was feeling particularly distressed at the fact that I am in my 60s and though I have always worked, have not accomplished what I thought I should, I remembered this sonnet. I found it consoling, and I think Milton wrote it as a rational consolation to himself in his distress at not being able to use his gifts. It's not the gifts that are as important as bearing the mild yoke patiently, Milton says. At least that's what he thinks God wants, and Milton had a facility for interpreting the mind of God that we don't see in our time.
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