John Milton resolved early in his life to be a great poet. His parents always encourage his love for poetry because later in his life he might write something that would live on forever. Unfortunately Milton went blind in his middle age and some of his poems had to be dictated. He went to Cambridge collage and after that he spent eight years self-educating him self. He believed that a poet must be a person of learning, history, language, and literatures. That is why more than half of his writings are in Latin, Greek, and Italian. Milton also believed he was the Shakespeare of the time.
The first poem is called "On the Blindness"�. He influences on this poem are his blindness and asking God why he did this to him. In this poem Milton is the speaker and the situation is he is wondering why God has taken away his sight.
POETRY SOCIETY POSTCARD
From http://www.lib.utexas.edu, in the public doma...
PoetryWhat he is talking about is that even though he has lost his eyesight he knows that there is one true purpose. He is also asking God why has he turned out the lights, but there is no answer so he repeats it. Then he says that God doesn't need any gifts that a human has but that his "yoke"� Will serve him best. In other words he can do with out all that man has to offer. The tone of this poem is very negative towards God. He is very mad at that his eyesight is taken away.
The next poem is called "Shakespeare"�. Milton wrote this poem for Shakespeare's book of all his poems. Many people have found connections between Shakespeare and Milton. Milton is talking in this poem the situation is he is praising his idol. This poem talks about how much Shakespeare has made his mark in history and how his work will never die. Also the poem talks how moving his works were to many people including Milton, who thought he was Shakespeare. He should this by the way he wrote his poems. The tone of this poem is very positive in that he gave great praise to his idol.
The next poem is called "The Lord general Cromwell"�. In this poem and as in miny of his poems Milton is the speaker. This poem is about how Cromwell is a superior general and how is straight well take him far in life. Also it tells use how the beheading of Charles I is odious God's trophies are memorials of victories in Gods cause.
At the end of the poem Milton has condemned the priest hoods of all Christian religions saying there like wolfs and hirelings. The tone of this poem is very negative and praising to Cormwell.
In all of Milton's writing there is a since of negativity. I guess he was mad at the world for losing his eyesight. However, he was a good poet and should be remember like that.
John Milton
John Milton (1608-1674). Milton wrote many of his ...
English: Portrait of John Milton in National Portr...