John Miltons Sonnet 16 Essay -- John Milton Sonnet 16 Essays

John Miltons Sonnet 16In his sonnets, John Milton tackles a number of subjects which he addresses at well greater length in his other verse and prose. These subjects range from spiritual to political, and r atomic number 18ly is any star piece of writing limited to one or the other of those fields. While his Sonnet 16 begins with a altercate to familiar biblical passages, Milton ultimately uses it to offer a critique of the most ubiquitous comparison between the king and perfection. The sonnet features two motifs that impart throughout the first seven lines. Both ar biblical, and both are introduced in the first line. The one that seems to be the most signifi squirtt is the smartness and dark imagery. In the first line, it sounds like a reference to Miltons blindness (this is more or less plausible depending on which visualise of publication you accept). As this language continues to crop up, it appears that Miltons darkness has a larger importance. In the s econd line, he refers to the world as dark, and in line seven, he uses the lack of light to pose a frustrate question to God. By using this vocabulary to describe his fears, Milton creates a continuative with two passages from the Bible that use the same language to explain the leave of God and the way of the world. In Matthew 25 1-13, a brightly twinkle lantern symbolizes a persons preparedness for Gods coming, and in John 94, Christ refers to the limited time he (and each man) has to do Gods work on earth beforehand the night cometh, when no man can work (King James Bible). Milton engages with these passages, so that when he reaches the height of his dilemma, Doth God exact day-labour, light denied,/I fondly ask he is issuing a read challenge to a statement made b... ... God has a tireless band of angels as well as his followers among men who have learned to rophy aside all else and worship him. In this sonnet, Milton manages to turn his personal accusation i nto not one but two of his favorite things praise of God, and penetrative criticism of the king. By focusing on the parable of the talents and its ties to both the temporal and the spiritual, Milton calls God and King into relief. He is then able to use God and His eternal, abiding goodness to highlight the Kings small-minded, self-centered tyranny. This direct comparison gives readers a sense of Miltons belief that earthly confidence is corrupt, and should never be a part of religion. God and the King are so vastly far apart that to bring them together, whether in poetry or in a church hierarchy, is offensive to God and can only bring out the weaknesses of the King.