A Prose Analysis Of Sonnet Xix Essay
, Research Paper
A Prose Analysis on & # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ;
John Milton, a poet who was wholly blind in 1651 wrote & # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ; in 1652 ; this sonnet is his response to his loss of sight. The subject of the sonnet is the loss and regain of primacy of experience. Milton offers his philosophical position on animism and God. Furthermore, & # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ; explores Milton & # 8217 ; s religion and relationship with God. & # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ; suggests that adult male was created to work and non rest. The supportive inside informations, construction, signifier, and profusion of context embodies the subject. The sonnet goes through two stages: the first stage is Milton & # 8217 ; s inquiry addressed to God, & # 8220 ; Why me? & # 8221 ; he asked. Then, the 2nd stage offers a declaration to Milton & # 8217 ; s quandary. Furthermore, the sonnet acts as a self-poem to Milton, himself.
In the beginning of the sonnet, Milton suggests that his primacy of experience have been deferred when he became blind. The words, & # 8220 ; dark & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; decease & # 8221 ; , and & # 8220 ; useless & # 8221 ; ( lines 2-4 ) depict the emotional province of Milton. His sightlessness created a shrouded lucidity within his head. Line three, & # 8220 ; And that one endowment which is decease to conceal & # 8221 ; is an allusion to the scriptural context of the bible. Line three refers to the narrative of Matthew XXV, 14-30 where a retainer of the Godhead buried his individual endowment alternatively of puting it. At the Godhead & # 8217 ; s return, he cast the retainer into the & # 8220 ; outer darkness & # 8221 ; and deprived all he had. Hence, Milton devoted his life in authorship ; nevertheless, his sightlessness raped his God & # 8217 ; s endow off. A enormous cloud casted over him and darkened his world of life and the universe. Like the retainer, Milton was flung into the darkness.
Line seven, & # 8220 ; Doth God exact day-labor, visible radiation denied? & # 8221 ; describes the restrictions and loads of a individual who has lost his sense of topographic point in life. Obviously, Milton is doing a mention to his sightlessness in relation to line seven. Line seven implies that one time the utility of a adult male has diminished, so is adult male doomed to blowing the remainder of his staying yearss. In other words, has Milton & # 8217 ; s disability made him into an disused machine? The quotation mark & # 8220 ; To be or non to be, ? & # 8221 ; , ( Hamlet, Act 3, Scene1 ) runs through Milton & # 8217 ; s head. Shall he struggle and battle in the webs of darkness, or shall he accept licking. A sense of & # 8220 ; dark lucidity & # 8221 ; & # 8211 ; a sinister paradox occupies Milton & # 8217 ; s head. His encephalon was one time clear, set, and on undertaking ; but now, it is clouded, unorganised, and fragmented.
However, in the darkness, a new signifier of lucidity arises. & # 8220 ; That mutter. Soon answers, God doth non necessitate Either adult male & # 8217 ; s work or his ain gifts ; & # 8221 ; ( lines 9-10 ) suggests that the willingness to seek is good plenty to fulfill God. Milton & # 8217 ; s realisation of the demands of God from adult male bought him to a higher enlightenment. Therefore, the & # 8220 ; dark lucidity & # 8221 ; renewed Milton & # 8217 ; s primacy of experience. Like, Kenneth Rexroth, Milton broke off from the & # 8220 ; beaten way & # 8221 ; and take his ain.
Possibly, the battle within the darkness guides the truth out of the abysm. For illustration, if a individual listens to Bach or Mozart, the musical experience is different when the hearer & # 8217 ; s eyes are closed. When the outer oculus is shut from the physical universe, so the inner oculus ( the head ) works in the dark. In the darkness, the seeds of imaginativeness grow ; hence, the seeds give the hearer a new ex
perience. Again, the primacy of experience is found within the dark. Hence, the mind’s eyes see a whole new universe otherwise than the universe we live. If the truth shall put a individual free, hence truth is derived from the basicss of darkness.
Albert Einstein said, & # 8220 ; Imagination is more of import than cognition, for cognition is limited, whereas imaginativeness embraces the full universe? exciting advancement, or giving birth to evolution. & # 8221 ; In other words, imaginativeness is the fundamental of darkness. In the head & # 8217 ; s eyes, a sense of truth rises from the inky and bottomless pool. Therefore, the pool is the salvation of Milton & # 8217 ; s psyche. There is a coexistence between light and dark. Line 14, & # 8220 ; They besides serve who stand and wait. & # 8221 ; implies that the people who are patient, focussed, and determined will be able to see the visible radiation. The word & # 8220 ; they & # 8221 ; is referred to the virtuousnesss of truth.
& # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ; contains the undermentioned features: it is alone in manner, rich in context, and carries a melodious temper and tone. The manner of the sonnet was derived from the Baroque Period. The elements of written work during the Baroque period consisted of crisp contrast, scriptural context, and alteration in temper. Furthermore, the Baroque manner has a strong accent on making balance. Throughout Milton & # 8217 ; s sonnet, there were many contrasts made between light and dark. The use of & # 8220 ; light & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; dark & # 8221 ; creates a sense of balance in the sonnet. Paired words such as: & # 8220 ; light & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; dark & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; decease & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; soul & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; useless & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; work & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; denied & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; function & # 8221 ; are antonyms of each other. These words create an ambiance of temper and balance.
& # 8220 ; Sonnet XIX & # 8221 ; is written in Petrachan signifier. Milton & # 8217 ; s pick of signifier and form of terminal frosts intensifies the deepness and penetration of the sonnet. The construction of the terminal frost consists of two signifiers. From lines one to eight, the terminal frost form is abba? abba. The last six lines end with an terminal frost form of rudiment? rudiment. The effectivity of the sonnet is enhanced by the melodious sentence construction of each line. The jumping form of terminal frosts provide a dramatic temper and tone to the sonnet.
Milton & # 8217 ; s sonnet is an illustration of researching human behaviour and the unfamiliar to understand the rational universe. Milton suggests that God & # 8217 ; s satisfaction is to see adult male at work and non his achievements. From lines one to eight, the tone of Milton & # 8217 ; s emotions was dark and expressed anthropocentric feelings. Basically, Milton & # 8217 ; s province of head was confusion and bitterly anguished over his sightlessness. On line four, Milton describes his psyche set out of the physical universe. He believed that without exerting his gift, he would be doomed till the twenty-four hours of his decease. He sits in darkness.
However in the darkness, Milton came to understand that God does non necessitate him to exert the gift. From Voltaire & # 8217 ; s short narrative, & # 8220 ; Candide & # 8221 ; Pangloss said, & # 8220 ; for adult male was put in the Garden of Eden, he was put at that place ut operaretur eum, to work ; which proves that adult male was non born for rest. & # 8221 ; In other words, the work and attempt is more of import than the gift from God. Like Candide, Milton suffered and endured his ain adversities and battles before he realized his topographic point in life. In decision, Milton learned to cultivate his garden as to rear to his kid.
