‘Milton dictating Paradise Lost to his Daughters’, painted in about 1826 by French artist Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863). Had Milton scaled the heights of a political career, as he once hoped, his legacy would have been little more than complicity in Oliver Cromwell’s appalling parliamentary dictatorship. As it was, when he died in 1674 Milton had a great deal more to show for his investment of God’s gifts to him. He had championed noble principles of liberty, and had bequeathed such masterpieces as Paradise Lost and At a Solemn Musick. It is for these things that he is remembered. “Thou hast been faithful over a few things” says their master to his two obedient servants in the parable of the talents: “enter thou into the joy of thy lord”.
Introduction
In 1649, John Milton (1608-74) was appointed Latin Secretary to the Council of State, a Parliamentary role accountable to Oliver Cromwell, the country’s military ruler following the execution of King Charles I that year. By 1655, Milton was losing his sight, and as his condition worsened he was tempted to complain that God was robbing him of any chance to continue serving him.
WHEN I consider how my light is spent
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent1 which is death to hide,2
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker,3 and present
My true account, lest he, returning, chide;4
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”5
I fondly6 ask: but patience, to prevent
That soon replies: “God doth not need
Either man’s work, or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke,7 they serve him best: his state
Is kingly;8 thousands at his bidding speed,
And post9 o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”10
From ‘The Complete Poems of John Milton’ Volume IV by John Milton (1608-74), edited (1895) for the Harvard Classics Series by Charles W. Eliot.
1 This sonnet, composed in 1655, assumes the reader knows the Parable of the Talents: see Matthew 25:14-30 or read The Parable of the Talents. A talent was a large sum of money in the ancient world. The story is about a servant who is commissioned by his employer to invest some money for him, but buries it instead, for which his master severely rebukes him. For Milton, his eyesight was his one talent.
2 In the parable, the wicked servant buried (hid) the money (the sum of one talent, or 6,000 Roman denarii) instead of investing it as instructed. His punishment was to be cast out of his master’s household.
3 Milton has lost his talent (eyesight), but unlike the wicked servant he actually wants to invest it, i.e. put it to good use for God’s sake.
4 In the parable, the master left his three servants some money to invest while he went away on a trip. When he returned, he found one servant had not done as he was told, and chided him (scolded him, rebuked him) severely. Milton is worried that when the account of his life is reckoned up, he too will be rebuked for failing to do enough in God’s service.
5 That is, Milton feels he is expected to do work for which God will not give him the necessary tools.
6 Here, ‘fondly’ means naively, foolishly.
7 See Matthew 11:28-30.
8 That is, God is a mighty king, who has thousands of servants; as Milton goes on to explain, some of these servants God despatches on warlike errands, but being lord of so many servants he can afford to keep others around himself in more ceremonial roles. The soldier ordered to stand guard, prompt and ready beside his king, feels honoured even if he sees no action on distant battlefields.
9 Here, ‘post’ means ‘travel very quickly’, a now obsolete use of the word.
10 ‘Waiting upon the Lord’ is a recurrent theme in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. See for example Psalm 27:14, Psalm 59:9, Psalm 62:5 and Psalm 130:5, and also Isaiah 40:31, Lamentations 3:25 and Hosea 12:6. To stand and wait ready by God’s throne is a characteristic of angels: see Psalm 103:20, 2 Esdras 8:21.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
In 1655, John Milton was losing his eyesight. In a Sonnet, he admitted to feeling as if God was forcing him to be like the unprofitable servant in the parable, who buried his only talent. But Milton reminded himself that God does not need our worldly labour, and can afford to keep servants whose duty is to wait on him. (60 / 60 words)
In 1655, John Milton was losing his eyesight. In a Sonnet, he admitted to feeling as if God was forcing him to be like the unprofitable servant in the parable, who buried his only talent. But Milton reminded himself that God does not need our worldly labour, and can afford to keep servants whose duty is to wait on him.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, just, may, ought, since, unless, until, whether.
Archive
Word Games
1Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Good. Only. Speed.
2 Dark. Half. Own.
3 Death. God. Man.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
2Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Ask.
2.
Bent.
3.
Best.
4.
Dark.
5.
Lit.
6.
Man.
7.
Most.
8.
Restless.
9.
True.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding dis-.
3Homophones Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Knead.
Need.
2.
Sole.
Soul.
3.
Wait.
Weight.
4.
Yolk.
Yoke.
5.
Boar.
Bore.
6.
Bare.
Bear.
7.
Use.
Yews.
Ewes.
8.
Won.
One.
9.
Rest.
Wrest.
4Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
spn (6+1)
span. spin. spine. spoon. spun. supine.
aspen.
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