Poems by Milton Summary and Line by Line Explanation
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 2 – Poems by Milton Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Kaleidoscope Book Poetry
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CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 2- Poems by Milton
John Milton (1608-1674)
John Milton’s poems lesson comprises two poems: ‘On Time’ and ‘On Shakespear’. ‘On Time’ is a poem on how humans can achieve eternal life on Earth only if time no longer exists in their lives and they can throw away their negative aspects. ‘On Shakespear’ is an epitaph honoring Shakespeare and his works, which live forever in the memory and the heart of the readers.
- Poems by Milton Summary
- Poems by Milton Summary in Hindi
- Poems by Milton Theme
- Poems by Milton Explanation
- Poems by Milton Poetic Devices
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Poems by Milton Summary
On Time
The speaker addresses Time as if it were a conscious entity endowed with supreme abilities, conveying a deeply pessimistic viewpoint towards its nature. The use of negative adjectives highlights the speaker’s disdain, portraying Time as ‘envious’ of human beings who possess an enduring essence, while Time itself is destined to end.
In poignant imagery, the speaker tells Time to hasten its pace to the point where it ultimately outruns itself in a futile race. He laments the lethargic hours that weigh heavily, akin to the burden of lead, hindering Time’s swift passage. This limitation underscores the speaker’s belief that Time is confined within the narrow boundaries of hours, while humans have the potential for eternal existence.
The speaker calls for Time to consume beyond its inherent limits, urging it to devour all that it can, including the negative traits that boast arrogance among humans. Qualities like anxiety, fear, and jealousy are viewed as a waste of existence, ultimately worthless. The speaker provocatively suggests that these negative emotions have long been entombed within Time, leaving it with nothing left to consume but itself in a desperate attempt to satisfy its insatiable greed.
This act of self-consumption would liberate humanity, making the way for a reality where individuals are greeted with a kiss from eternity and can revel in happiness on Earth. Free from the tyranny of Time, humans would no longer be restrained by insatiable desires or the relentless pressure for material wealth. Instead, the absence of Time would allow joy to surge through their lives like an uncontrollable flood.
As Time and its burdens disappear, only the constructive aspects of life like loyalty, trust, happiness, and helpfulness would remain, transforming Earth into a sacred place. In this newfound state of existence, humans could connect with God on a deeply spiritual level, enjoying the brilliance of truth, peace, and love that now spread over their surroundings.
Such divine connections would be the source of boundless joy and cherished moments. Ultimately, as humanity embraces these heavenly qualities, Earth will shed its negative emotions, allowing individuals to feel eternally adorned with the radiance of stars, triumphing over love, chance, and the constraints once imposed by Time.
On Shakespear
The poem starts with a question about the necessity of a stone memorial for Shakespeare’s sacred bones, which have taken a lifetime to establish. Milton views Shakespeare’s remains as honorable and queries why they should be interred in piled stones crafted by laborers over the years. He also wonders whether Shakespeare’s remains should be concealed beneath a pyramid-like structure that reaches toward the heavens. For Milton, the act of constructing a memorial is a questionable endeavor. He feels that Shakespeare would not desire his remains to be treated in this manner, as he valued his creations more than his physical remains.
Milton describes Shakespeare’s works as the children of his memory and the true heirs to his legacy, as he continues to be celebrated for his literary achievements. He ponders the need for a tomb, a ‘weak witness’ to his name, since the tomb would ultimately decay over time. Shakespeare’s creations have captivated people to such an extent that he lives on in the hearts of his readers.
The poets from Shakespeare’s era strive to imitate his genius but often fall short, as his artistry effortlessly resonates with people. He characterizes them as creators of ‘slow endeavoring art.’ Compared to Shakespeare’s flowing poetry, he perceives their work as slow and uninspiring. Some of Shakespeare’s pieces have moved readers so profoundly that they might even tear out pages from his invaluable works. His writings are likened to Apollo, the god of poetry, whose oracle offers profound insights, making a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of readers. Shakespeare evokes a longing in readers as they mourn for their imagination.
He then discloses the nature of the tomb that Shakespeare possesses. Shakespeare’s true tomb consists of his readers, where his works and memories reside with enduring pride. The readers serve as his everlasting tomb. Every monarch would envy the opportunity to rest in a tomb like Shakespeare’s, as it would not fade away, ensuring that his legacy is transmitted to audiences for generations.
Summary of the Poems by Milton in Hindi
समय पर
वक्ता टाइम को ऐसे संबोधित करता है जैसे कि यह सर्वोच्च क्षमताओं से संपन्न एक सचेत इकाई हो, जो अपनी प्रकृति के प्रति एक गहरे निराशावादी दृष्टिकोण को व्यक्त करती है। नकारात्मक विशेषणों का उपयोग वक्ता के तिरस्कार को उजागर करता है, समय को उन मनुष्यों के लिए ‘ईर्ष्या’ के रूप में चित्रित करता है जिनके पास एक स्थायी सार है, जबकि समय स्वयं समाप्त होने के लिए नियत है।
मर्मस्पर्शी कल्पना में, वक्ता ने टाइम को अपनी गति को उस बिंदु तक तेज करने के लिए कहा जहां यह अंततः एक व्यर्थ दौड़ में खुद को पछाड़ देता है। वे सुस्त घंटों पर विलाप करते हैं जो सीसे के बोझ के समान भारी होते हैं, जो समय के तेजी से गुजरने में बाधा डालते हैं। यह सीमा वक्ता के इस विश्वास को रेखांकित करती है कि समय घंटों की संकीर्ण सीमाओं के भीतर सीमित है, जबकि मनुष्यों में शाश्वत अस्तित्व की क्षमता है।
वक्ता समय को अपनी अंतर्निहित सीमाओं से परे उपभोग करने का आह्वान करते हैं, और उससे आग्रह करते हैं कि वह मनुष्यों के बीच अहंकार का दावा करने वाले नकारात्मक लक्षणों सहित जो कुछ भी कर सकता है उसे खा ले। चिंता, भय, ईर्ष्या जैसे गुणों को अस्तित्व की बर्बादी के रूप में देखा जाता है, अंततः बेकार। वक्ता उत्तेजक रूप से सुझाव देते हैं कि इन नकारात्मक भावनाओं को लंबे समय से समय के भीतर समाहित कर दिया गया है, जिससे इसे उपभोग करने के लिए कुछ भी नहीं बचा है, लेकिन इसके अतृप्त लालच को संतुष्ट करने के एक हताश प्रयास में।
आत्म-उपभोग का यह कार्य मानवता को मुक्त करेगा, एक वास्तविकता का मार्ग बनाएगा जहां व्यक्तियों को अनंत काल से एक चुंबन के साथ स्वागत किया जाता है और पृथ्वी पर खुशी का आनंद ले सकते हैं। समय के अत्याचार से मुक्त, मनुष्य अब अतृप्त इच्छाओं या भौतिक धन के लिए अथक दबाव से नियंत्रित नहीं होंगे। इसके बजाय, समय की अनुपस्थिति उनके जीवन में आनंद को एक अनियंत्रित बाढ़ की तरह बढ़ने देगी।
जैसे-जैसे समय और उसके बोझ गायब होते जाएंगे, जीवन के केवल वफादारी, विश्वास, खुशी और सहायता जैसे रचनात्मक पहलू ही रहेंगे, जो पृथ्वी को एक पवित्र स्थान में बदल देंगे। अस्तित्व की इस नई स्थिति में, मनुष्य गहराई से आध्यात्मिक स्तर पर भगवान के साथ जुड़ने में सक्षम होंगे, सच्चाई, शांति और प्रेम की प्रतिभा का आनंद लेंगे जो अब उनके आसपास फैल गई है।
इस तरह के दिव्य संबंध असीम आनंद और पोषित क्षणों का स्रोत होंगे। अंततः, जैसे-जैसे मानवता इन स्वर्गीय गुणों को अपनाती है, पृथ्वी अपनी नकारात्मक भावनाओं को छोड़ देगी, जिससे व्यक्ति प्रेम, संयोग और समय द्वारा लगाए गए प्रतिबंधों पर विजय प्राप्त करते हुए सितारों की चमक से हमेशा के लिए अलंकृत महसूस कर सकेंगे।
शेक्सपियर पर
कविता की शुरुआत शेक्सपियर की पवित्र हड्डियों के लिए एक पत्थर के स्मारक की आवश्यकता के बारे में एक सवाल के साथ होती है, जिन्हें स्थापित करने में जीवन भर का समय लगा है। मिल्टन शेक्सपियर के अवशेषों को सम्मानजनक मानते हैं और सवाल करते हैं कि उन्हें वर्षों से मजदूरों द्वारा बनाए गए ढेरों पत्थरों में क्यों दफनाया जाना चाहिए। वह यह भी सोचता है कि क्या शेक्सपियर के अवशेषों को एक पिरामिड जैसी संरचना के नीचे छिपाया जाना चाहिए जो स्वर्ग की ओर पहुँचती है। मिल्टन के लिए, एक स्मारक के निर्माण का कार्य एक संदिग्ध प्रयास है। उन्हें लगता है कि शेक्सपियर नहीं चाहेंगे कि उनके अवशेषों के साथ इस तरह का व्यवहार किया जाए, क्योंकि वे अपनी रचनाओं को अपने भौतिक अवशेषों से अधिक महत्व देते थे।
मिल्टन ने शेक्सपियर की रचनाओं को उनकी स्मृति की संतान और उनकी विरासत के सच्चे उत्तराधिकारी के रूप में वर्णित किया है, क्योंकि उन्हें उनकी साहित्यिक उपलब्धियों के लिए जाना जाता है। वह एक मकबरे की आवश्यकता पर विचार करता है, जो उसके नाम का एक ‘कमजोर गवाह’ है, क्योंकि मकबरा अंततः समय के साथ क्षय हो जाएगा। शेक्सपियर की रचनाओं ने लोगों को इस हद तक आकर्षित किया है कि वे अपने पाठकों के दिलों में जीवित रहते हैं।
शेक्सपियर के युग के कवि उनकी प्रतिभा की नकल करने का प्रयास करते हैं, लेकिन अक्सर विफल हो जाते हैं, क्योंकि उनकी कलात्मकता आसानी से लोगों के साथ प्रतिध्वनित होती है। वह उन्हें ‘धीमी गति से प्रयास करने वाली कला’ के रचनाकारों के रूप में वर्णित करते हैं। शेक्सपियर की बहती कविता की तुलना में, वह उनके काम को धीमा और प्रेरणादायक नहीं मानते हैं। शेक्सपियर की कुछ कृतियों ने पाठकों को इतना प्रभावित किया है कि वे उनकी अमूल्य कृतियों के पृष्ठों को भी फाड़ सकते हैं। उनके लेखन की तुलना कविता के देवता अपोलो से की जाती है, जिनकी कविता गहरी अंतर्दृष्टि प्रदान करती है, जो पाठकों के दिल और दिमाग पर स्थायी प्रभाव डालती है। शेक्सपियर पाठकों में लालसा की भावना पैदा करता है क्योंकि वे अपनी कल्पना के लिए शोक मनाते हैं।
फिर वह उस मकबरे की प्रकृति का खुलासा करता है जो शेक्सपियर के पास है। शेक्सपियर की सच्ची कब्र में उनके पाठक शामिल हैं, जहाँ उनकी कृतियाँ और यादें स्थायी गर्व के साथ निवास करती हैं। पाठक उनकी चिरस्थायी कब्र के रूप में कार्य करते हैं। प्रत्येक सम्राट शेक्सपियर की तरह एक मकबरे में आराम करने के अवसर से ईर्ष्या करेगा, क्योंकि यह दूर नहीं होगा, यह सुनिश्चित करते हुए कि उनकी विरासत पीढ़ियों तक दर्शकों को प्रेषित की जाए।
Themes of the Poems by Milton
On Time
Transience of Time
Time might be a demonic force running at a fast pace that can devour everything around it. Still, it is transient in comparison to the eternal divinity that could only be achieved after giving away all the negative aspects from their life.
Eternal Goodness Over Materialistic Things
Time can only devour materialistic things and the negative aspects related to them. Yet, the positive aspects like truth, peace, loyalty, trust and happiness are things that are eternal and can’t be devoured by Time. Eternal Goodness can connect humans with God.
On Shakespear
The Immortality of Art
Shakespeare’s works make him live in the memory and heart of his readers. No tomb or Pyramid can keep him as non-perishable as his readers. His works have been passed on through generations. For him, the readers are the tomb for Shakespeare, where he rests with pride.
Poems by Milton: Poem Explanation
I
On Time
Stanza:
Fly envious Time, till thou run out thy race,
Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,
Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace;
And glut thy self with what thy womb devours,
Which is no more than what is false and vain,
And merely mortal dross;
So little is our loss,
So little is thy gain.
Word meaning
envious: jealous
call on: make use of
leaden-stepping: moving slowly and heavily, like lead.
thou: you
thy: your
merely: only
mortal: perishable
plummet pace: to fall or drop very quickly and suddenly
leaden: dull, heavy, or slow
dross: worthless
glut: an excessively abundant supply of something.
devour: eat hungrily
vain: useless
mortal dross: things that are temporal, base, or vain, and therefore not worth much
Explanation of the above stanza— The speaker is addressing ‘Time’ as a person with supreme abilities. The negative adjectives used to describe time show that the speaker has a pessimistic viewpoint towards it. The speaker calls time ‘envious’ of human beings as it is bound to end, unlike humans who live eternally. Milton has alluded to ‘envious Time’ to the Greek mythological God of Time, Cronus, who was jealous that his kids would overthrow him, as has been mentioned in the Delphic Oracle. In the end, he swallows each kid, but Zeus, as his mother hid him from Cronos, and wrapped a stone instead of Zeus, to give it to Cronos to eat. In the same way, Milton’s ‘Time’ is envious of humans, and swallows everything it could. The speaker asks time to run as fast as it could, until it outran itself in its race and also takes away his lazy, slow-paced hours, whose speed is slow as if a heavy weight like lead has been put on them, which has reduced time’s fast movements. The speaker emphasises that time’s movement is limited by hours and bound to end, while humans can exist eternally. He wants time to consume beyond its capacity, everything it can swallow, since everything that has negative aspects and adds to our arrogance is worthless. It’s a little gain for time and little loss for humans, as these aspects are worthless for them.
Stanza:
For when as each thing bad thou hast entomb’d,
And last of all, thy greedy self consum’d,
Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss
With an individual kiss;
And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,
When everything that is sincerely good
And perfectly divine,
With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine
About the supreme Throne
Of him, t’whose happy-making sight alone,
When once our heav’nly guided soul shall clime,
Then all this Earthy grossnes quit,
Attir’d with Stars, we shall for ever sit,
Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.
Word meaning
entomb’d: bury
individual kiss: every individual will be blessed with happiness
sincerely: genuinely
supreme Throne: God
long Eternity: humans living with positive aspects on Earth
divine: connection with god
heav’nly guided soul: humans with positive aspects
t’whose: that
Overtake: go past something
eternity: unending time
hast: have
clime: climate
grossnes: offensive and disgusting
Attir’d: dressed
Triumphing: winning
Explanation of the above stanza—The speaker tells that when everything bad, like anxiety, fears, jealousy and so on, has been buried inside time, there is nothing left to eat but to consume itself to fulfill its greed. The speaker wants time to end itself. After this, every human will be welcomed with an individual kiss from eternity and live with happiness on Earth. Without time, the human will not be bound by wants and pressure to accomplish materialistic things. Once the earth is no longer in control of time, the joy will overtake humans like floods. Everything with positive aspects like loyalty, trust, happiness, helpfulness and so on, will be there, as all the worthless materialistic things are consumed by time. Everything that is left behind is positive, leading Earth to be a divine place, now humans can connect with God on a spiritual level. Truth, peace, and love will outshine everything around humans. When humans connect to God, that’s the sight that would bring more joy and happy moments. When humans experience the heavenly aspects, then our Earth leaves out negative emotions and will feel like they are forever adorned with stars, winning over death, chance, and time, as they don’t bother them anymore.
NOTES
Envious Time: According to ancient mythology, Cronos devoured each of his children at birth.
Plummets: A lead weight whose slow mechanism activates the ticking mechanism in a clock.
II
On Shakespear.* 1630
What needs my Shakespear for his honour’d Bones,
The labour of an age in piled Stones,
Or that his hallow’d reliques should be hid
Under a Star-ypointing Pyramid?
Dear son of memory, great heir of Fame,
What need’st thou such weak witness of thy name?
Thou in our wonder and astonishment
Hast built thy self a live-long Monument.
Word meaning
honour’d: public praise
labour of an age: lifetime of work by labourers
piled: placed one on top of the other.
hallow’d reliques: holy remains
Star-ypointing: Pointing towards heaven
Pyramid: monumental structure with a square or triangular base and sloping sides that meet in a point at the top, especially one built of stone as a royal tomb in ancient Egypt.
son of memory: Shakespeare’s work
heir of Fame: Shakespeare’s work
need’st: need
thou: you
weak witness: tomb
wonder: admiration
astonishment: surprise
Hast: have
thy self: yourself
live-long Monument: Shakespeare’s work
Explanation of the above stanza—The poem is about the poet, William Shakespeare, written in 1630. This poem is a tribute to Shakespeare. His work has affected Milton’s writings and according to him, no one can write like him. He begins the poem by asking why he would need a memorial of stones for his sacred bones that have taken a lifetime to build. For Milton, Shakespeare’s bones are honourable. He asks the readers why Shakespeare’s bones should be kept like a pile of stones, which have been made by labourers through the years (graves) or why should Shakespeare’s bones be hidden under the y-like Pyramid whose pointing star seems to reach the heaven. For him, building a memorial is a questionable enterprise. Milton believes that Shakespeare doesn’t want his bones to be treated like this. He considered his works to be the true monument and his bones are nothing in comparison to his work. He refers to William Shakespeare’s works as the offspring of his memory and the one who inherits his fame because he is still remembered by the people for his famous work. He questions why he would need to build a Tomb, the ‘weak witness’ for his name, as it would perish with time. His work has left the people with so much wonder and surprise, that he lives within the heart of his readers.
Stanza:
For whilst to th’shame of slow endeavouring art,
Thy easie numbers flow, and that each heart
Hath from the leaves of thy unvalu’d Book,
Those Delphic lines with deep impression took,
Then thou our fancy of it self bereaving
Dost make us Marble with too much conceaving;
And so Sepulcher’d in such pomp dost lie,
That Kings for such a Tomb would wish to die.
Word meaning
endeavouring: try
whilst: while
thy: your
thou: you
th’shame: the shame
Hath: have
slow endeavouring art: slow, uninspiring and forceful imitations by the poets of Shakespeare’s era
easie numbers flow: Poetic meter
delphic lines: an allusion to the God of Poetry, Apollo. Shakespeare’s work has been compared to the Delphic oracle by the god of poetry, Apollo. It is a prediction which gives a glimpse of truth from the god, leaving a deep impression on the reader’s mind and heart.
Marble: readers
fancy: imagination
unvalu’d: invaluable
Pomp: splendours
Self-bereaving: process of acknowledging and mourning the pain of past hurts or losses.
conceaving: forming an idea in the mind
dost: do
Sepulcher’d: tomb or a place of burial
Explanation of the above stanza—The poets of Shakespeare’s age are trying hard to write like he did, though they are failing, as his art is inbuilt and touches the heart of the people easily. He considers them as the creator of ‘slow endeavouring art’. He believes their poetry to be slow and uninspiring, in comparison to Shakespeare’s art. In contrast to their poetry, Shakespeare’s words are in poetic flow, which comes easily to him.
Some of his work has touched the hearts of the readers so much that they would take off the pages of his priceless work. Shakespeare’s work has been compared to that of the god of poetry, Apollo, whose Delphic oracle gives a glimpse of truth from the god, leaving a deep impression on the reader’s mind and heart. Shakespeare makes the readers mourn for their imagination. He then reveals what kind of tomb Shakespeare has. Shakespeare’s readers are his real tomb, where his works and memories are living with pride. The readers have become his tomb in which he rests forever. Every king would love to die and rest in a tomb like Shakespeare’s, as then he wouldn’t perish and his legacy would be passed on to the readers for ages.
*Notice the spelling of ‘Shakespeare’ and of the words ‘easie’, ‘conceaving’.
Poems by Milton: Poetic Devices
Alliteration
In alliteration, consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables are repeated to grasp the reader’s attention, making them focus on a particular line or section. Milton, in his poem ‘On Time’ has used alliteration to add rhythm and emphasis to the poem. Some of the instances are ‘Time, till thou’, ‘merely mortal’, ‘lazy leaden’, ‘Plummets pace’ and ‘with what thy womb’. Milton in his poem ‘On Shakespear’ has used alliteration like ‘shame of slow’, ‘weak witness’ and ‘live-long’ to add rhythm.
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech that is used to attribute human characteristics to something that is not human. Milton in his poem ‘On Time’ has personified Time as a monster that swallows everything negative around it. He personified Time with all the negative aspects like ‘envious Time’, ‘glut thy self with what thy womb devours’ and ‘Plummets pace’. The way Milton’s speaker told Time to do things like ‘fly’, ‘call on’ and ‘glut’ also adds to the Personification aspects. Milton has also personified hour as a human being as he quotes it as a ‘lazy leaden-stepping’ and Joy as it overtakes the human race. In his second poem, ‘On Shakespear’, Shakespeare’s works have been personified as humans in the line ‘Dear son of memory, great heir of Fame’, as it lives with them forever.
Imagery
Imagery is a literary device that uses figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or to paint a picture for the reader with words. In Milton’s poem ‘On Time’, he has used imagery like ‘till thou run out thy race’, ‘lazy leaden-stepping hours’, ‘glut thy self with what thy womb devours’, ‘With an individual kiss’ and‘Attir’d with Stars, we shall for ever sit’ to describe Time, hours and humans. In Milton’s poem ‘On Shakespear’, he has used imagery like ‘Under a Star-ypointing Pyramid’ and ‘Hath from the leaves of thy unvalu’d Book’.
Anaphora
Anaphora is a rhetorical device that involves repeating words or phrases at the beginning of multiple sentences or clauses. In Milton’s ‘On Time’, the Anaphora of the lines ‘So little is our loss,/So little is thy gain’, emphasises that human loss after Time devours all the negative aspects from earth is less.
Consonance
Consonance is the use of words with similar consonant sounds in a sentence or a particular context. Milton has used consonance throughout the poem to add rhythm, mood and flow to the lyrical poem. Some of the instances in Milton’s poem ‘On Time’ are the repetition of ‘t’ and ‘h’ in the line ‘glut thy self with what thy womb’, the repetition of the letter ‘h’ in the line ‘For when as each thing bad thou hast’ and repetition of letter ‘t’ in the line ‘thee O Time’. In Milton’s poem ‘On Shakespear’, the instances of consonance are the repetition of letter ‘h’ and ‘s’ in the line ‘What needs my Shakespear for his honour’d Bones’ and the repetition of letter ‘h’ in the lines ‘that his hallow’d reliques should be hid’.
Assonance
Assonance is a figure of speech that is characterised by the use of words having similar vowel sounds consecutively. John Donne has used Assonance throughout his poetry to add rhythm to the lyric poetry. In Milton’s poem ‘On Time’, some of the instances of assonance are the repetition vowel ‘e’ in the line ‘the supreme Throne’, the repetition of vowel ‘o’ in the line ‘So little is our loss’, the repetition of vowel ‘i’ in the line ‘So little is thy gain’ and the repetition of vowel ‘i’ in the lines ‘With an individual kiss’. Some of the instances in the Milton’s ‘On Shakespear’ are the repetition of vowel ‘o’ in lines ‘son of memory’, the repetition of the vowel ‘e’ in the line ‘great heir of Fame’ and the repetition of the vowel ‘a’ in the line ‘labour of an age’.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device that uses one thing to represent another. In Milton’s poem ‘On Time’, he has used ‘Supreme Throne’ to symbolize God, ‘mortal dross’ symbolises negative aspects in humans and ‘heav’nly guided soul’ symbolises humans with positive aspects. In Milton’s ‘On Shakespear’, he has used ‘son of memory, great heir of Fame’ to symbolise Shakespeare’s work, ‘Marbles’ symbolises the readers, ‘easie numbers flow’ symbolises poetic meter and ‘weak witness’ used to symbolise Tomb.
Metaphor
Metaphor is a word or phrase used to describe somebody/something else, in a way that is different from its normal use, to show that the two things have the same qualities and to make the description more powerful. In Milton’s poem ‘On Time’, ‘Time’ is a metaphor for demonic force, ‘Joy’ is a metaphor for happiness after Time has been consumed and ‘long Eternity’ is a metaphor for living a long life on Earth without any negative aspects around humans. In Milton’s ‘On Shakespear’, ‘live-long Monument’ is a metaphor for the Shakespeare readers where Shakespeare rests. The ‘slow endeavouring art’ means the slow inspiring and forced poetic art of the poets from Shakespeare’s era. The ‘Delphic lines’ means that Shakespeare’s work has been compared to the god of poetry, Apollo, whose oracle gives a glimpse of truth from the god, leaving a deep impression on the reader’s mind and heart.
Allusion
Allusion is a figure of speech that references someone or something by name, without explaining how it relates to the given context, so the audience must realize the connection in their minds. Milton has alluded to ‘envious Time’ to the Greek mythological God of Time, Cronus, who was jealous that his kids would overthrow him, as said in the Delphic oracle. In the end, he swallows each kid, but Zeus, as his mother hid him from Cronos, and wrapped a stone instead of Zeus, to give it to Cronos to eat. In the same way, Milton’s ‘Time’ is envious of humans, and swallows everything it could.
Conclusion:
The poems ‘On Time’ and ‘On Shakespear’ by John Milton gives a profound moral lessons about the tyrannical nature of time and an epitaph on Shakespeare, respectively. Students can take help from the post to understand the lesson and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp of the story. This lesson includes the summary of ‘On Time’ and ‘On Shakespear’ from the Kaleidoscope book, which will help students of class 12 to get a quick recap of the story.