Page 37 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit

“On His Blindness”
by John Milton, pages 14-15

Vocabulary
lodged – stuck
chide – reprimand, scold
yoke – burden

1. What is the speaker of this poem bothered by when he considers his state of blindness?

He wonders whether he will be able to effectively do “day labour, light denied.” In other
words, he wonders whether he will be able to do the Lord’s work without the ability to see.

2. Before he thinks to ask the Lord whether he is still a worthy servant, he answers the
question himself. What is his answer?

The speaker recalls that God does not need men to work for Him or give Him gifts. God
wants most of all for man to “Bear his mild yoke.” He realizes that thousands of people are
ready to answer God’s call. Within those thousands are people who can see, and so
accomplish difficult tasks, but there are also those who “only stand and wait.”

3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? What type of poem is it?

The poem is written in the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet form of A/B/B/A A/B/B/A C/D/E
C/D/E.

4. What does Patience offer as a reply to the speaker’s questioning?

Patience describes God as one who understands and rewards those who use the gifts they
have to serve. Patience also refers to a belief that is the quality of talent, not the talent
itself, that is most important in the eyes of God.

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