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    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)"
    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)"
    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)"
    Ebook40 pages30 minutes

    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)"

    By Gale and Cengage

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    About this ebook

    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Poetry for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Poetry for Students for all of your research needs.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCengage Learning - Gale
    Release dateSep 2, 2016
    ISBN9781535842747
    A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)"

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      A Study Guide for John Milton's "When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)" - Gale

      11

      When I Consider (Sonnet XIX)

      John Milton

      C. 1652

      Introduction

      John Milton's poem, When I Consider, also known variously as Sonnet XIX and On His Blindness, is thought to have been written in the early 1650s. Most scholars select 1652 as probable, since Milton was completely blind by this date. Other scholars favor 1655, basing this choice on a chronological sequencing of Milton's sonnets. When I Consider is a fourteen-line Italian sonnet. Milton adapts the form of the sonnet by employing an enjambment technique to carry his thoughts through multiple lines while retaining the traditional rhyme scheme. When I Consider is Milton's first reference in his poetry to his blindness. In the opening lines he questions God, while the concluding lines introduce a new voice that counsels patience. Although the loss of his sight is a blow, the poet finds solace in being reminded that the future is not empty of God's promise: his talents are not lost with his sight. As a result, When I Consider should be read as a testament to the poet's faith.

      When I Consider was first published in a compilation of Milton's poetry, Poems, published in 1673. In this collection, the poem is listed as Sonnet XVI. However, When I Consider is generally titled as Sonnet XIX, based on an earlier numbering system used by Milton. This poem is one of Milton's most famous works and is reprinted in many anthologies of British literature, as well as in all collections of Milton's poetry. When I Consider can be found in John Milton: Complete Poems and Major Prose, edited by Merritt Y. Hughes (1957). Additional sources include John Milton: The Major Works, reissued by Oxford in 2008, and The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1, 8th edition, published by W. W. Norton in 2006.

      Author Biography

      Milton was born in London, England, on December 9, 1608, one of three children born to John Milton Sr. and Sara Jeffrey Milton. His father was a scrivener (worked as a notary and performed secretarial/administrative duties for the government) who also earned money through short-term loans and by buying and selling real estate. The family was wealthy enough that Milton was initially taught at home by private tutors. In 1620, when he was twelve years old, Milton was enrolled at St. Paul's School in London, which he attended for the next four years. In 1625 Milton was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge, but he was suspended a year later after an argument

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