John Milton, Sonnet XVII: “On His Blindness” 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, 4 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?” 8 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 12 Is kingly - thousands at his bidding speed And post o'er land and ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait.”
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Na ślepotę własną Gdy pomyślę, żem światło, wzięte z rąk Twych, Panie, Strwonił w pół drogi poprzez życia mroczne morze; Że, obdarzon talentem jednym, nie pomnożę Skarbu, bom go zakopał; że dusza wnet stanie Przed Stwórcą, aby z drżeniem złożyć sprawozdanie Z służb, jakimi ją Dziedzic obarczył w Swym dworze: „Czy Pan, gdy światło zabrał, prac wymagać może?” - Pytam, głupiec; lecz zaraz na owo szemranie Odpowiada Cierpliwość: „Bogu nie potrzeba Ludzkich prac, ani własnych darów; Pan nad pany Chce, byś ty sam dar przyjął: jarzmo. Świat człowieka W najwyższej władzy ma ten Król. Na rozkaz z nieba Rzesze sług śpieszą poprzez lądy, oceany:Lecz i ten jest Mu sługą, kto stoi i czeka”. |
An Italian sonnet rhyming a b b a / a b b a / c d e / c d e. Its theme draws to some extent on the Puritan notion that work and the earning of wealth is not only good but encouraged by God. Since prosperity in worldly affairs was seen as a sign of God's favour, the speaker finds his situation doubly troublesome: he can achieve very little of worth in his present condition, and seems to have done something to deserve God's neglect. The defence of the contemplative life in the last line of the poem is a traditional medieval theme, but it is not altogether consonant with the 'Puritan work ethic' of the seventeenth century. Note the way in which phrases tend to run past rhyme-endings to form what has been called 'verse paragraphs', a style typical of Milton's later writings. Observe as well the unusual treatment of the break or turn of the sonnet between lines 8 and 9. Most scholars assume that the poem refers to Milton's blindness, but this interpretation has recently been challenged.
[1] light: (a) sight; (b) intelligence, mind; (c) gift of knowledge or God-given abilities; spent (a) extinguished; (b) used up, exhausted; (c) employed.
[2] Ere half my days: i.e. before half his working time as a poet and thinker has elapsed; dark world and wide Scholars date the sonnet sometime in the mid 1650s, after Milton had become blind; if that is the case, the world seemed literally dark and wide to the poet, but the phrase also recalls the traditional Christian description of this world as a place of darkness and emptiness compared with existence in the hereafter.
[3] one talent ... to hide: An allusion to the story of the servant who was given one talent by his departing master, and failed to do anything with it, as told in Matthew 25: 24-8 ('Then the one who had received the single talent came and said, "Lord, I know that you are a demanding person, reaping where you have never planted. ... And I was afraid, and went and hid the talent you gave me in the earth. Here it is, just as you gave it to me. ..." [And the master, displeased, commanded] "Take the talent from him and give it to the one who received ten talents"'); talent (a) ability or skill to do something; (b) a unit of money in Greek and Roman Antiquity. The poet is concerned that he has not accomplished as much as his abilities and early endowments as an author would lead God to expect of him.
[4] Lodged: stuck, buried; useless i.e. (a) the talent has not been put to use; or (b) the receiver of the talent, because he has done nothing with it, is useless; though my soul more bent though my heart is even more anxious or determined.
[5] therewith: with the talent he has been given; my Maker God (the master in the biblical parable).
[6] My true account: The servant in the parable was accountable for the money given him; account (a) detailed statement of money owed or earned; (b) interest or profit; (c) answering for conduct; (d) narration of some event; chide scold or rebuke.
[7] “Doth God exact ... denied?”: A complex allusion to Matthew 20: 1-16, the story of a vineyard owner who hires men at different times of the day but pays all of them for a full day's labour at sunset. The labourers who have worked all day protest but are rebuked by the owner, who explains that he has chosen to be generous. The poet's question to God is similar -- he asks whether or not God expects him (exact require, demand), now blind, to work as though he still had his sight; day-labour (a) work performed during daytime; (b) work performed in the light of day.
[8] fondly: foolishly; Patience i.e. the more thoughtful side of the poet's mind which causes him to pause and reflect before complaining; prevent anticipate, forestall.
[9] murmur: complaint; soon right away, immediately; note the slight paradox that it is 'Patience' which replies so readily.
[10] his own gifts: (a) man's own gifts; (b) God's own gifts; i.e. God has no need of giving or receiving for himself; gifts (a) abilities, talents (in the usual sense); (b) presents; (c) grace (in the theological sense).
[10-11] who best/Bear ... best: i.e. 'Those best serve God who most readily bear his mild yoke' (i.e. easy burden); his state (a) his condition of existence; (b) his government (which supersedes all earthly government).
[12] kingly: (a) like the existence of a king, without needs; (b) God alone is king and owns everything; he is therefore without need; Thousands the innumerable hosts of angels, spirits who are higher than man and the constant, faithful messengers or servants of God; at his bidding speed rush to perform at his command.
[13] post: convey swiftly.
[14] They also serve ... wait: A phrase cited so often as to become proverbial. It expresses a defence of (a) a properly religious attitude: cf. Christ's exhortation to his disciples following the parable of the ten sensible young women who were properly prepared to greet the bridegroom at the wedding (Matthew 24: 42-25: 13); (b) the contemplative life of the mind as superior to even the most useful physical labour. Thus waiting recalls the `Patience' of line 8 and suggests that to question God's purposes is foolish because the readiness to obey his commands is as important as executing them; wait (a) expect the imminent occurrence of an event (here, God providing the poet with clearer instructions as to what he expects of him); (b) attend upon, like a servant (i.e. to give all one's attention to serving God).