On his Blindness

                           On his blindness

                               John Milton

Poem

 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-labour, 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."

Analysis

In On His Blindness, Milton is struggling to understand what God expects of him now that he is losing his sight. He's upset about wasting

        'that one Talent which is death to hide',

 which is a biblical reference to the parable of the talents, in which two people invest their talents (in the story, 'talents' are money), while another just hides his talent in a hole and is punished. Milton feels that God expects him to use his talent for writing poetry in a way that honors Him.

Milton is frustrated that his lack of sight is preventing him from serving God when he wants to so badly:
      
                ...Though my Soul more bent
               To serve therewith my Maker, and present
                  My true account... (lines 4-6)

Milton's 'true account' refers to his religious poetry. Much of his poetry was concerned with God's relationship to mankind and he considered it a serious duty to write poetry that simultaneously made God's mysterious ways more clear to people and honored God with its craft.

At line 7, Milton wonders if God still expects him to keep writing without his sight, then decides that God is more forgiving than he was giving him credit for, Surely, knowing of his condition and strong desire to please Him, God wouldn't expect anything that he couldn't possibly accomplish, nor would he punish him.
The last half of the poem has a calmer tone. It's almost like Milton realizes that while he's writing that people can serve God in many different ways. It's the intent and the grace with which one deals with hardship that counts:
Who best '

Bear his milde yoak, they serve him best.
Within 14 lines, Milton has depicted a wavering, then regaining of faith.



Cited:
www.shmoop.com/consider-light-spent-bliACndness/poem-text.html

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=chicago&client=ubuntu&hs=pEU&channel=fs&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjg-vaP0-HSAhUZSY8KHbpODwoQ_AUICSgC&biw=1319&bih=673#channel=fs&tbm=isch&q=blind+old+man&*&imgrc=a7nJWKeUhB6AaM: