John Milton's poetry and literary significance

John Milton's poem, "When I Consider How My Light is Spent," is an excursion into doubt, with one's self and one's God. The poem is one man's attempt to reconcile his relationship with God since he feels his service to God has been hindered as a result of blindness. This paper will explore the notion of how Milton struggled with feelings of worthiness and justification and how he reconciled these feelings through his faith.

According to Abrahms, Milton's blindness represents a "severe test" which proves to be a challenge difficult to accept at times (Abrahms 1443). However difficult the blindness proved to be at times and however his faith might have wavered, Milton was still able to write, which, according to the poem, was Milton's single talent. Lionel Trilling observed that even though Milton's blindness presented an understandable challenge, his greatest works were "performed under discountenance, and in blindness" (Trilling 121).

Most critics agree that Milton is referring to his blindness when he refers to "light" in the first line as well as "half my days in the dark world" in the second line. Some speculate that "When I Consider How My Light is Spent" was the first poem Milton wrote after his blindness (Univ. Toronto). If this is to be true, it gives the reader more insight into what might have been Milton's frame of mind when he wrote the poem.

Nevertheless, Milton is working through his blindness with God. This is evident in the third line of the poem, when he refers to "that one talent which is death to hide." As it did in Puritans minds, the parable of the talents loomed large in Milton's mind as well. (Abrahms 1443) and critics have been in complete agreement that 'one talent' represents Milton's literary endowment" (Bloom 48). Because Milton understands his talent to be his gift of writing, he feels as though his service to God is now diminished as a result of being blind. (Nubla) In the fourth line of the poem, this sentiment is evident as Milton refers to his one talent as "useless." This wasted talent is a negative thing when seen through the grid of Matthew 25:30, which says to "throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness..." For someone who held his beliefs so seriously, it can be understood how a sense of worthlessness could be overwhelming and almost terrifying.

Another interesting aspect of his struggle is noted by Gladys Nubla in her article on the subject. She states that the fifth and sixth lines of the poem indicate that Milton might be feeling that God is a strict master and "The narrator knows, because the parable is a lesson, he should not feel this way about God, but he cannot help it" (Nubla) A closer inspection reveals that Milton wants his writing, as every part of his life, to exist as concrete proof to God (and himself as well) that he has done his best to serve him, almost as if "he doesn't trust that God will know to be fair to him on that day of judgment" (Nubla).

Paul Goodman also adds to interpretations of the poem by noting that it "is a motion of thinking" or "reflection on a problem" and the reflection can only be understood, Goodman states, if "we consider the feeling accompanying it" (Bloom 49). He asserts that the reflection is an argument on "justification by works" (Bloom 49).

Because of how the poem is divided, Goodman explains, the reader can understand the first section representing the "correct argument with regard to man's justification: 'Who best/Bear him mild yoke, they serve Him best'" (Bloom 49), which leads to further reflection, although it is "extraneous in the argument of justification" (Bloom 49).

Goodman considers the rising of the poem, however, which leads him to believe that Milton is not only feeling anxious about feeling justified, but also about not being able to play his role to its fullest capacity and is even more in despair at the "deprivation and inaction mounting to almost anger and insolence in line 7" (Bloom 49).

Goodman also observes that the mood of this poem is not at all in the feeling of a "humble reflection on justification" but rather the poem is resolved with the ending "stand and wait" (Bloom 49). This type of conclusion might not be what the reader expects nor could it be what Milton himself was the most comfortable with, considering his angst concerning his worthiness in God's eyes.

Nublas believed that the conflict seemed even more oppressive when taken into consideration the fact that Milton is struggling not only with his faith and his worthiness, but also with himself since "both the question and the answer come from within him" (UCLA). She brings to attention how the reader, through Milton's sincere thoughtfulness, is able to understand more clearly how the crisis affects Milton's religious beliefs. She continues by adding that this crisis is only fueled by the conflicting doctrines, which cannot be resolved by a simple understanding of God. She concludes by stating that the irony is that Milton's "blindness provoked him to doubt God, for contentment can perhaps be found only through blind faith in the truth of God's word." (UCLA)