NON-AFRICAN POETRY What is the poet's attitude to affliction in "On His Blindness"?

Answer Details

John Milton's sonnet "On His Blindness" ("When I Consider How My Light Is Spent") records the poet's response to the affliction of going blind in middle life. His attitude moves from anxious complaint to patient, faithful acceptance, and the poem traces that spiritual journey.

Initial distress and doubt. At first the persona is troubled and even resentful. He considers how his "light is spent" before "half my days" are over, and laments that his "one talent which is death to hide" now lies "lodged with me useless." The affliction of blindness feels like a cruel obstacle to serving God, and he is tempted to question the justice of a God who would "exact day-labour, light denied." This is the voice of a gifted man who fears his purpose has been taken from him.

The turn to submission. The sonnet's turn (volta) comes when "Patience," personified, answers his murmuring before it is fully spoken. Patience corrects his complaint by reminding him that God does not depend on human works or gifts: "God doth not need / Either man's work or his own gifts." What God values is not achievement but the humble, willing spirit that bears "his mild yoke."

Acceptance and faith. By the close the persona's attitude has changed from protest to serene resignation. He learns that service can take many forms and that submission to God's will is itself service. The famous final line, "They also serve who only stand and wait," expresses his mature acceptance: even in helpless blindness, patient faith and readiness to obey are pleasing to God.

Conclusion. Milton's attitude to affliction is therefore ultimately one of Christian patience and trust. He does not pretend the loss is painless, he begins in distress, but he overcomes bitterness through faith, concluding that God is best served by those who endure their trials with humble, waiting devotion. The poem thus offers affliction not as a defeat but as an occasion for spiritual growth.