ON HIS BLINDNESS -BY JOHN MILTON/ b.a general Lcc english

ON HIS BLINDNESS 

                    -BY JOHN MILTON

FULL POEM:-

When I consider how my light is spent

যখন আমি ভাবি কিভাবে আমি আমার দৃষ্টি শক্তি ব্যয় করলাম

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide

আমার অর্ধেক জিবনের আগেই এই বিশাল অন্ধকারময় পৃথিবীতে

And that one talent which is death to hide

এবং সেই প্রতিভা টি যেটি লুকিয়ে রাখা হল মৃত্যুর সমান

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent

সেই প্রতিভাটি মুল্যহীন ভাবে আমার মধ্যে রয়েছে, যদিও আমার হৃদয় চায়

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

আমার সৃষ্টি কর্তা/ ইশ্বর কে সেই প্রতিভা দিয়ে সেবা করতে এবং হাজির করতে

My true account, lest he returning chide;

আমার প্রকৃত স্বত্তা কে পাছে তিনি ফিরে এসে আমায় বকেন;

"Doth God exact day labor, light denied?"

"ঈশ্বর কি আমার অন্ধত্বের সময়ে আমার কাজের হিসাব নেবেন/(বাকি কাজের দাবী করবেন)?"

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

আমি বোকার মত জিজ্ঞাসা করলাম। কিন্তু ধৈর্য প্রতিরোধ করল

That murmur, soon replies,. "God doth not need

আমার চাপা ভাবনা কে, ধৈর্য আমায় উত্তর দিল, "ইশ্বরের প্রয়োজন নেই

Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best

মানুষের কাজের অথবা তাঁর প্রদত্ত প্রতিভা/ উপহার। যে মানুষ সবচেয়ে ভালো ভাবে

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

বহন করবে ইশ্বরের হালকা জোয়াল, তারাই হল ইশ্বরের সবচেয়ে বড় সেবক। ঈশ্বরের অবস্থান

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed,.

রাজার মত; তাঁর হাজার হাজার দুত/ এঙ্গেল তাঁর আদেশে দ্রুত

And post o'er land and ocean without rest;

ছোটে স্থলভাগে এবং জলভাগে বিশ্রামহীন ভাবে;

They also serve who only stand and wait.

কিন্তু যারা শুধুমাত্র দাঁড়িয়ে থাকে এবং ভগবানের আদেশের অপেক্ষা করে তারাও ভগবানের সেবক।

Questions and Answers 

SHORT QUESTIONS  F.M-2

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.



Full marks-10

1.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 My true account, lest he returning chide"-  Explain 

OR

What are the Biblical allusions mentioned in the sonnet "On His Blindness" by John Milton?

Answer:.    Poet John Milton became completely blind in 1655 and after three years, he composed this autobiographical Sonnet. Getting blind he became very sad and unhappy. Now becoming blind, the world seemed to him totally dark and wide. Through the phase "one talent which is death to hide" the poet gave an allusion of Bible. There in "The Parable of Talents", a Lord gave his three servants equal talents i.e. money before going out for a trip. Two of them used money in business and gained profit for their Lord. But the third servant did not use the money. When the Lord returned he became happy with the first two of them and got furious with the third servant and put him into the mouth of death. Here the poet compares 'talents' to the 'money' of the lord mentioned in the Bible.  He thought that God would chide him for not using his talents when he would present himself in front of God after His returning. And so to get rid of this problem, he wished to serve God from his soul with his stored talent within himself. He did not want to get cast into the darkness that might be more fearful and painful than the suffering of his blindness.



2. Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"---Explain.


Answer: This line occurs in the sonnet "On His Blindness" by John Milton. Before half of his age, the poet has become blind. Before his blindness, he had not utilised his God-gifted talent properly. Now after losing the light of eyes, the poet sadly laments that his eyesight has gone waste without doing anything worthy. He repents that he has done injustice to his talents gifted by the God and expresses his doubts whether God will demand or charge from him the due work or duties. The poet also fears that like the third servant whom his Lord put to death due to not utilising his money (Matthew 25), God may also charge a huge penalty from the poet that is more fearful, troublesome, painful to him than his blindness.

3. Describe the role of Patience. 

OR

How does patience rescue the poet from his conflict of mind?

Answer: These lines occur in John Milton's Sonnet: 19. Here Patients has been personified. Patients has come to solve the foolish doubts of poet if God will demand from the poet the due work or duties that he has not performed when he had eyesight. Actually the poet does not know that God is infinite. Patience consoles the poet saying that our duties, offerings to god are insignificant. Also God does not want his gifts back from us. Like us, God has countless Angels, servants who also run everywhere without rest only to obey the order of God. According to the Patience, the man who bears God's order, is the best servant of God. Here the world 'yoke' is compared to the duties given by the God to us.

4. They also serve who only stand and wait"-- Explain the line.

Answer : In Sonnet 19 written by John Milton, the poet laments for losing his eyesight without performing any worthy work when he had eyesight. He expresses his doubt if god will claim from him his due duties now. He knows that it is impossible for him to fulfill it if God demands so as he is blind. Then patients approaches and consoles the poet saying that the poet needs not to be worried. god is infinite and he has countless servants to perform restless duties all over the world. So God will not demand from the poet anything regarding his negligence. Patience assures the poet that they are also the real servant of God who have not done anything for god yet and just waiting to perform duties as soon as God will direct them like the men who always restlessly perform and obey God's order. Both type of men will get equal favour of God.

5. Central Idea Of “On His Blindness”
Answer:-
Through “On His Blindness” Milton attempts to spread a spiritual message among the readers that mankind is helpless before the will of God. They ought to embrace/ accepts the order or will of their creator/ sustainer.

They must accept whole heartedly all the conditions (ups and downs) in which God desires to put them in. God’s kingdom is princely where million of millions angel offer their service voluntarily and continuously.He does not need any kinds of help of his creature. He simply accepts the true gratitude of us which is the best service of God.


6. Justify the poem as a sonnet.

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