On His Blindness

Milton lost his eyesight when he was forty-four years old. The wide world became dark for him. In this
sonnet, Milton reviews his predicament as a poet after his blindness. He says that god has gifted him one
talent. It was the talent of writing poetry but he had become blind even before he had spent half his life on
the earth. So his poetic talent was now lying useless in him.
Milton wanted to make full use of his poetic talent. He wanted to give a true account of it to god. His spirit
yearned to serve his maker through his poetic gift. But now he was unable to do so because of his
blindness.
A big question arises in the poets mind. He asks himself a foolish question. He says that god expect work
from a blind man. Nor does god demand from man an account of his own gift. But soon his patient stops
his murmur and tells him that god doesnt need anybodys active service or anything in return for his gift.
The people who bear burden of life humbly are his best servants.
The poet says that gods state is like the state of king. He has numberless angels at his command. These
angels at his command. The angels go over it and sea without rest. They carry out gods command most
speedily. Those who do not work but only stand and wait for the orders of god are also his best servants.
God doesnt demand from man anything in return for his gift. Thus Milton learns the lesson of patience

The Retreat
In this poem, the poet recalls the early days of his childhood. He was still a shining infant. He calls it
angelic infancy because he had then the innocence and purity of an angel. At that time, he did not know
anything about the work. After his first life in heaven, god had fixed the place for his second life. Their
vision of heaven has not yet been sullied and spoiled by the material world.
The poet says that his soul was then not more than miles or two from heaven, from
that little distance; he could still have a vision of heavens celestial beauty and glory. He could still see the
bright face of god from that short distance. His souled would keep looking at the beautiful cloud and flower
in which he could see the reflection of heavenly glory. He would keep grazing at a cloud or flower for hour.
The poet calls the cloud and flower as weaker glories because they belong to the earth. The poet says that in
this childhood, his soul was free from any sins. His tongue had not got leant to utter the sinful sound. He
felt speaks of the divine all through his body. But now all that is past. The poet no longer has any vision of
heaven. He longs to regain that state once again. The poet says that if he is also to regain that state, his
spirit will shed all its black art. It will become enlightened. However, the poet is fully aware that such a
return is not possible. His soul has become drunk with too much stay in the material world. It staggers in
the way. It is not in a position to travel back to where the poet wants. Now the only course left for the poet
is to wait for his death. Death will reduce his body to ashes. The soul will then be liberated from the bonds
of the body. It will go to heaven from where it had come. It will then regain its original glory.

Shadwell
Dryden and Shadwell were contemporary poets. There was a deep bitterness between them. Shadwell once
wrote an abusive poem on Dryden. It provoked Dryden. He hit back in the same manner. The Shadwell is
an extract from his poem. The poet moralizes on human life. He says that all human life. He says that all
human beings are to die one day. They have to obey the order fate or death. Even kings and monarchs have
to go at the call of fate. This truth was realized by Flecknoe when he became old. He had been ruling over
his empire for a very long time, like the great Roman king, Augustus, he was also called to rule in his
young age. He governed over the kingdom of nonsense for a long time. Poet says that Mac Flecknoe was
famous for writing prose and poetry for the foolish people. He ruled over the kingdom of stupidity for a
long time. He was flourishing in peace and produced many children. This business made him old and tired.
So, he thought of finding a suitable successor for his kingdom of nonsense. After a deep thought, his choice
falls on Shadwell. In this poem, Dryden describes why Flecknoe preferred Shadwell to his other sons.
Flecknoe says that all of his sons, Shadwell done bears his perfect image.
He is nature in dullness from his very early years. Now he stands confirmed in full
stupidity. He says that his other sons may sometimes show some sense, but Shadwell will never do
anything sensible even by mistake. It will not allow any ray of wisdom pass through his mind. The fogs of
stupidity go on rising and overshadow any light of reason or wisdom. Dryden mocks at shadwells fat body.
He says that his fat body at once at tracts anybodys attention. And such a fat body seems to have made for
a royal figure having no knowledge or understanding. Then Dryden compares shadwells body to a huge
oak. An oak can grow to 100 feet in height and 13 feet round the trunk. But it is a useless tree and its wood
serves no food purpose. Shadwell, too was like a huge oak. This Dryden paints Shadwell as a dull, lazy and
useless bulk.

Know then thyself

This poem is an extract from popes famous poem, essay on man. In this extract, the poet tries to make a
study of man.
The poet says that one should not try to sit on judgement on hods work. It is beyond the scope of human
intellect to explore the mysteries of god. Instead of trying to scan god, man should try to know himself. The
people study of mankind is man himself. Analysing human character, the poet says that man is a curious
paradox. God has placed him on the is thmus between divinity and animality. Man is mixture of opposites.
He is wise as well as ignorant. In fact, he is such a riddle which is not easy to solve.
The poet says that man is full of knowledge, yet he remains in doubt about a number of things. He hangs in
doubt whether he should read a life of action or one of ease. He is so weak that nobody can call him a stoic.
He doesnt know whether he should think himself a good or beast. This man is a strange paradox that cant
be described by any single name. There is a lot of difference between his thinking and doing. He doesnt
know which of the two is more important. His logic is ignorant. Man is a mere choas of thought and
passion. He remains confused all the time. He is always being abused and disabused by himself. He is

created half to rise and half to fall. In other words, man is half animal and half divine. Man is the great load
of all things. He has mastered all maternal things, yet he always fall a prey to these very things. Sometime
his work becomes a matter of pride and at other times a matter of shame. That is why the poet calls man the
glory, jest and riddle of the world.

The little black boy

This poem gives the message of universal love and brotherhood. He gives this message by telling the story
of a little black boy. The black boy says that his mother gave him birth in the forest of Africa. He is black in
his body, but his soul is white and pure. He says that the colour of the English boys body is white like an
angle while he is as black coal. It seems to him as if all light has been taken away from his body. So he
feels himself inferior to the white boy.
One day, the little black boys mother was sitting under a tree. The sun had not yet become very hot. She
took her little son on her lap and kissed him. The mother consoles his black son that he should not think
himself inferior to the white boy because God gives his love equally to all. She says that just as the sun
throws light at everything, similarly God gives his light and heat to everyone. Every object of this universe
like flowers, trees, beasts and men get the love of God equally. They get comfort in the morning and joy at
noon.
The little black boys mother consoles her son saying that god has given them a small space in this world.
so, we should bear the beams of light of God in our souls. She tells the black boy that their black bodies
and sun burnt faces are not of much importance. These are only like a cloud or a shady grove that hides
the light of sun for a short time.
She says that our bodies are just like a cloud that hides from us the light of sun. When our souls have learnt
to bear the warmth of love, the clouds of our black bodies will disappear. In other word, we shall no longer
remain conscious of our black bodies. Then we shall be able to hear Gods voice.
Thus the little black boy learnt the lesson of love from his mother. Now he tells the same thing to his little
English friend. He tells him that when they free themselves from the clouds of bodies, they shall be like
Gods lambs and play round his tent joyfully.
In the last stanza of the poem, the poet describes the heightened awareness of the black boy. He says that in
heaven he will save the white boy from heat. He will learn to lean with joy before God who is our father.
He will stroke the silvery hair of the white boy.