FREE ESSAY ON JOHN MILTON - UNDERSTANDING

JOHN MILTON - UNDERSTANDING

Understanding and Enjoying the Poetry of John Milton
Though he is a difficult poet to understand, John Milton can be enjoyable once he is
understood. After multiple readings of his sonnets, the meanings of each become much
clearer. If one cannot understand Milton, one cannot enjoy him. There is a definite
connection between understanding Milton and enjoying him. After reading a few of his
sonnets a couple of times, I was able to better appreciate their meaning. I will focus
specifically on Sonnets VII and XV.
In Sonnet VII, "How Soon Hath Time," Milton conveys his feeling that time is "…the
subtle thief of youth…"(1). I enjoyed this work the most, as it makes much sense
and is still applicable to life almost four hundred years after it was written. This
sonnet also focuses on Milton's understanding that at twenty-three years of age he has
not reached manhood, though it may seem so by his appearance. Milton sees this point in
his life as the season of spring. This makes much sense if comparing life to the seasons
of the year. It may be said that one is born in the winter and the earlier stages of
one's life are parallel to the progression of these cold months. As one reaches maturity
they are progressing into spring. This is where Milton seems to take issue with the
notion that at twenty-three years old, in the "spring" of his life, he should be entering
his manhood.
"But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th"(4). Though he should be mature as he
enters the "spring" of his life, he does not feel as though he is ready for this, though
time does. 
"Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven…"(13). Here Milton knows that
time will inevitably lead him to Heaven. One cannot escape the passing of time nor death.
Milton shows a great understanding of time and mortality in this line. After reading this
a handful of times, I was able to better understand what Milton was trying to convey to
his readers and enjoy his message.
The next sonnet that I found enjoyable after reading and understanding, was Sonnet XV,
"On the Lord General Fairfax at the Siege of Colchester. In this work, Milton has an
ironic or maybe better, a sarcastic tone towards General Fairfax. 
Fairfax, whose name in arms through Europe rings,
Filling each mouth with envy or with praise,
And all her jealous monarchs with amaze,
And rumors loud that daunt remotest kings…(lines 1-4)
In this passage, Milton is showing the power, fear, awe and jealousy that the name,
General Fairfax evoked in many. Fairfax must have been a warrior that conquered peoples
and nations throughout Europe. The sarcasm arrives in lines 9-10 when Milton says, "O yet
a nobler task awaits thy hand;/For what can war but endless war still breed…"(lines
9-10). What is sarcastic here is that though so many revered General Fairfax, his
conquests had done nothing but create more war. He is not so great or heroic as many in
Europe believed him to be. 
"In vain doth valor bleed…"(line 13). Here, I think Milton does a great job
summarizing his sentiments about Fairfax and his insight into the seemingly endless cycle
of war that Fairfax was feeding. As chivalrous as he may have seemed through his journeys
and triumphs, his efforts were in vain, for they were only creating more blood and war.
I greatly enjoyed this work after understanding it due its lyrical value. Milton said a
lot here about the power Europe had during his life and Europe's feelings that they could
rule the world with conquests like those of General Fairfax, but what would that do,
except create an air of hostility, war and bloodshed.
I do still find Milton difficult to understand, I do enjoy the sonnets that I have
written about here. His, Paradise Lost was at times confusing and I did not find it
terribly interesting and his Samson Agonistes, I was unable to get through the first few
pages without wondering what I had just read. Milton's longer, later works are the ones
that seem more complex and more incomprehensible. The earlier sonnets are the works of
Milton that I found to be the easiest to understand and the most enjoyable. For one to
enjoy these works though, one must understand them. It took many readings and much time
to extract what I was able to. I am sure other people have entirely different
interpretations of what was met in his writings, but that is part of the enjoyment of
poetry; its' ability to have many different meanings, to different people.