Monday, June 11, 2007
Sonnet XIX When i consider how my light is spent
I found this poem very confusing to read and understand at first and it took me a few readings to somewhat understand it to the point where I got the general message. I think it is harder to read because of the lack of punctuation which makes the first half of the poem seem like it's rambling on. I think that the author is trying to explain that he is questioning his purpose in life and wheather or not he is serving God in the right way in the right amount. It seems to me that he has this dark talent but feels guilty about exploiting it and feels that he should be more dutiful to God. He ask's God if labour is the right way to serve him and God responds by saying that this is not the most important thing to him and that his best "disciple's" are not those who labor but rather those who carry his modest message of fatih and salvation with them every day and present themselves as examples of Christ's power to everyone they meet. These are the people who serve him best. Patience is a very important thing also and this is what allows someone to truly become a man of God. If they can wait with the other thousands to send God's message across the land or to simply recieve God's message whather it be thorughout a lifetime or thorughout a single day.
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7 comments:
I agree with Kerth. I think the author is in the denial phase, which I'm sure every religious person goes through at least once in his/her life. He starts to question God because he is upset that he has his disability because it interferes with his talent that God has given him. Like Laz said in class, patience helps prevent the despair he is feeling because he finally realizes that God doesn't need him. He shouldn't waste his time complaining, so in the end he finally realizes that his problems are way too small compared to everything out there.
So today in class we discussed what you guys menioned, about how he is denying to believe in God and really what all religion in those times was founded upon. But on the contrary I thought that Milton was suprisingly easy to understand. I think the lack of punctuation allowed for more leeway, in the interpertation. However I think the interpretation is fairly clear cut. Milton, I think, is probably one of my favorite authors yet. And altough I have to read the footnotes, I love the way he worked so many different refrences to history and events into his poem. It worked out for a very good read.
I agree with what Hannah said. In class we talked about the problem in the poem is he is questioning God. If you begin to question God then that means you are losing faith. The next thing I want to say I have no idea if I have come to the right conclusion. It's just an idea. Because it talks about ones talent, and we kknow Milton's talent is writting poetry, it makes you think God purposely made him blind just to test his faith in God and also to test his talent. God if pushing him to see how far he is willing to go with what he has. It was mentioned in class that talent also meant something about making use of that which you have. God is forcing Milton to make use of what he has in an uncnventional way because he is blind.
Heather Brooks
I think Milton is just trying to say that whatever accomplishments or achievements that a person may earn during a life. Does not give them higher status in the eyes of God. All God needs is someone who stands by him to serve him. But at the same time God gives everyone a certain gift whatever it may be. In Milton's case poetry was beocoming his gift but Milton was going blind. Now for some people the loss of vision totally changes a person's life for the worst but Milton was being tested and dictated the rest of his works.
MATTHEW NEAL-MINK
In the poem Milton questions God. I thought he was suppose to be some sort of prophet. Prophets don't question God and what he has planned. Even though he blames God he still ends up writing one of the best literary works in history.
-YA DIGG
I liked this poem and I thought it was easy to understand which made me very happy haha. Milton said that God gave him a great talent, the talent to write, but then made his talent useless by making him blind. Because Milton was able to write this poem as well as other poems after this, it shows that even though God challenged Milton by making him blind, he was able to overcome his disability not by getting rid of it but doing what he does best and write poetry. Even if he did not physically write the poetry himself and had secretaries to write it down for him.
-ERICA SPAIN!
Milton does do a good job of almost showing one he believes his suggestion that god is wrong for doing this to him, or to let one feel his loss of faith. When the reader sees this point, that god has been cruel, and can almost sympathize, Milton shows his prophetic nature in truly making people think about the fact that they are really not needed by god. This really makes one think how best to spend their life. Milton concludes he must be patient, and work through this small problem to be truly a religious person.
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