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OnHisBlindnessJohnMilton1WhenIconsiderhowmylightisspent2Erehalfmydaysinthisdarkworldandwide,3Andthatonetalentwhichisdeathtohide4Lodg’dwithmeuseless,thoughmysoulmorebentspent:usedup,exhaustedhowmylightisspent:Thisclausepresentsadoublemeaning:(a)howIspendmydays,(b)howitisthatmysightisusedup.Ere:(prep.)beforebent:devoted,boundWhatkindofpoeticdeviceisusedinthissentence,daysinthisdarkworldandwide?Alliterationusingalliterationandcontrasttogiveunderstandingtohisaffliction.Howdoyouunderstand“Erehalfmydaysinthisdarkworldandwide”?Halfofthebiblicallypromisedlifespan(seventyyears)wouldbethirty-five.Miltonwasforty-twoyearsoldin1651whenhebecametotallyblind.Sincehisfatherlivedtobeatleasteighty-fourwhenhecouldreadwithoutspectacles,ErehalfmydaysmaybeareferencetoMilton’sageascomparedwithhisfather’s.Whatisthespeaker’smeaninginlines1-2?Heislamentinghowhislife/hissightisusedupinthisdarkandwideworldbeforehereacheshalfofhislifespanWhattwomeaningsdoestalenthave?Naturalaptitudeandskill.Inbiblicaltimes,“talent”alsomeantamonetaryunit:asilvercoinusedbytheancientRomansandGreeks.Talentsignifiesanintellectualgift(hereMilton’spoeticgift)aswellasthesilvercoin,atalent,inthebiblicalparableofthetalents.Theparableofthetalents.InChapter25oftheGospelofMatthew,verses14to30Gospel:oneofthefourbooksintheBibleaboutthelifeandteachingofJesus.Parable:ashortstorythatteachesamoralorspirituallesson,especiallyoneofthosetoldbyJesusasrecordedintheBible.(寓言故事)Intheparable,themaster,beforedepartingonajourney,distributesfive-,two-andone-talentcoinstothreeservantsaccordingtotheirrespectiveabilities.Uponreturningandaskingforanaccount,heispleasedwiththetwoservantswhohaveputouttheirmoneytouseandhavedoubledit,butrebukedandcastsouttheservantwho,havinghiddenitintheearth,returnsonlythesingletalent,whichhehasnotputtouse.Whathappensifthetalentishidden,accordingtoline3?Whatdoesthespeakerwanttodowiththetalent?Useless:notemployedandalsonotputtouse,i.e.,tousuryforprofit.3AndthatonetalentwhichisdeathtohideTheparableofthetalents(Matthew25)loomedlargeinPuritanminds,andparticularlyinMilton’s.Theservantswhoputtheirmaster’smoney(talentsofsilver)outtoearninterestwhilehewasawaywerecalled“goodandfaithful;”whileonewhosimplyreturnedwhathehadbeengivenwasdeprivedofeverythingandcastintootherdarkness.Usury,whichunderCatholictheologyhadbeenadeadlysin,changeditsmeaningforthePuritans;itbecameametaphor,andsometimesmorethanametaphor,for“workingoutone’ssalvation.”5ToservetherewithmyMaker,andpresent6Mytrueaccount,lesthereturningchide,7“DothGodexactday-labour,lightdenied?”8Ifondlyask.ButPatience,topreventPresent:bring/showtoGod[verb]lest:withtheintentionofpreventingsomethingundesirable;toavoidtheriskof(Subjectivemood:eg.Shewasworryinglesthebeattacked)Chide:scold,rebukefondly:foolishlyWhatdoesthespeakeraskinline7?DoesGodexpectmetostillworkwhenHedeprivesmeofmyeyesight?ItislikeGodaskssomeonetoworkwhileitisnotdaytime.Jesusremarksonthenecessitytoworkwhileitisdaysincethenightcomeswhennomanmaywork.Thispoemstartswiththespeaker,Milton,reflectinguponhisblindnessandhowGodexpectshimtomakefulluseofhisabilityasawriter,ifhecannotevenseethepaperonwhichhewrites.Thetalentofthe“poetisuselessnowthatheislosinghissight,”eventhoughhewishestoserveGodwithhiswritingnowmorethanever.Afterstatingthefactthatheisblindnow,hewondersifGodwantshimtodosmallertaskssincehecanonlongerseelightorusehistalent.Whatisthespeaker’smoodinlines1-8?Whenexpressingthis,thespeakerexpressesitinatoneofdepressionandfrustration.9Thatmurmur,soonreplies:“Goddothnotneed10Eitherman’swordorhisowngifts:whobest11BearHismildyoke,theyserveHimbest.HisstateSeeMatt:myyokeiseasyandmyburdenislight.PersonificationMiltonpersonifiespatience,capitalizingitandhavingitspeak.WhatdoesPatiencesayGodasksfor?Milton’sownpatienceanswershisquestionasfoolish:thatGoddoesnotneedmantodoworkforHimandthoseobedienttoHimbearhismildyoke.12Iskingly:thousandsatHisbiddingspeed,13Andposto’erlandandoceanwithoutrest;14Theyalsoservewhoonlystandandwait.”thousands:thatis,thousandsofangels.post:hasten,hurryHeywood’sTheHierarchieoftheblessedAngels(1635)describesboththeorderoftheangelsandtheiractivitiesinservicetoGod.ThelowerordersexecuteGod’scommands,whilethehigherordersstandclosertoGod,offeringpraise.Whatarethetwokindsofactivitypicturedinlines9-14?Inwhatcategorydoesthespeakerplacehimself?OnebusyhimselfinservingGod.OnestandsstillandservesGod.PatiencecontinuestotellMiltonthatGodisbeingcontinuouslyservedbythousandsofpeopleandthenaturalworld.Doesthespeakerfindconsolation?Explain.Yes.MostimportantlyMiltonunderstandsthatwaitingcanbeitsownkindofservice.GodjudgeshumansonwhethertheylaborforHimtothebestoftheirability.Forexample,ifonecarpentercanmakeonlytwochairsadayandanothercarpentercanmakefive,theybothserveGodequallywellifthefirstcarpentermakeshistwochairsandthesecondmakeshisfive.Ifonecarpenterbecomesseverelydisabledandcannotmakeevenasinglechair,heremainsworthyinthesightofGod.For,asMiltonsaysinthelastlineofthepoem,theyalsoservewhoonlystan
本文标题:On His Blindness 赏析
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