8 Must-Read John Milton Poems

John Milton is considered to be one of the greatest English poets of all time. He also served as a civil servant under Oliver Cromwell. His greatest work is Paradise Lost, an epic poem about Satan’s fall from Heaven and attempted rebellion against God.

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Lycidas

In ‘Lycidas,’ Milton employs the pastoral elegy to memorialize the death of his friend, Edward King. As he transforms King’s life into an allegory, Milton interrogates Christian ideology and the form of epic poetry.

This poem is one of Milton's most famous poems. It is an excellent representation of his complex verse and masterful ability to weave different allusions and images. The poem was written in memory of his friend Edward King, who drowned while crossing the Irish Sea. It is a pastoral elegy, a subtype of elegiac poetry that uses pastoral elements – such as shepherds and rural settings – to frame their mourning.

Yet once more, O ye laurels, and once more

Ye myrtles brown, with ivy never sere,

I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude,

And with forc'd fingers rude

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Nationality: English

Topics: Art, Life

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On Shakespeare. 1630

‘On Shakespeare.1630’ by John Milton describes inappropriate monuments to the life of William Shakespeare and what the only true sepulchre consists of.

Written to accompany a new Shakespeare folio in 1630, this poem intends to celebrate the life and literary accomplishments of England's greatest writer. In doing so, Milton helped enshrine his status as one of them. The attention paid to Shakespeare's form, as the poem resembles a sonnet, for which The Bard was famous, adds an additional layer to this superb tribute. It undoubtedly ranks among Milton's best and most accessible poems.

What needs my Shakespeare for his honoured bones,

The labor of an age in pilèd stones,

Or that his hallowed relics should be hid

Under a star-ypointing pyramid?

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Sonnet 19 – When I Consider How My Light Is Spent

Milton’s ‘On His Blindness’ reflects on loss and faith, concluding that solace is in serving God by patiently bearing life’s burdens.

The latter decades of John Milton's life were marked by a physical decline that somehow also produced an immense creative output. In this deeply personal poem, the speaker voices some of the poet's anxieties and beliefs surrounding their blindness, using their introspective questions to espouse the Protestant estimation of faith as superior to works. The resulting sonnet rouses the poet from their despondency and attributes their religious piety as being a source of strength for their future poetic accomplishments.

When I consider how my light is spent,

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

And that one Talent which is death to hide

Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent

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Sonnet 23: Methought I saw my late espoused saint

‘Sonnet 23: Methought I saw my late espoused saint’ shares a beatific but ultimately bittersweet vision of a widower’s late wife.

In this melancholic autobiographical poem, John Milton entangles a terrible personal loss with the hope offered by religious salvation. Relying on Greek and Judeo-Christian allusions, the poet equates love to the redemptive power of faith, envisioning their wife as a divine source of "love, sweetness, goodness," whose absence has left them in perpetual darkness. As a result, the sonnet is a poignant illustration of both hope and grief.

Methought I saw my late espoused saint

Brought to me, like Alcestis, from the grave,

Whom Jove's great son to her glad husband gave,

Rescu'd from death by force, though pale and faint.

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On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity

Milton’s early masterpiece, ‘On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity,’ celebrates Jesus’s birth and the poet’s own passage into adulthood.

'On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity' exemplifies his poetic style, characterized by grand themes and rich imagery. The poem reflects his deep theological beliefs and mastery of language, capturing the contrast between divine light and earthly darkness. Through intricate metaphors and a sense of awe, it embodies Milton's commitment to exploring profound spiritual and moral concepts in his work.

This is the month, and this the happy morn,

Wherein the Son of Heaven’s eternal King,

Of wedded maid and Virgin Mother born,

Our great redemption from above did bring;

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Hymn on the Morning of Christ’s Nativity

‘Hymn on the Morning of Christ’s Nativity’ by John Milton masterfully unveils divine serenity amid earthly chaos, fusing theology with poetic brilliance.

This poem is a quintessential representation of John Milton's poetry. It showcases his mastery of language, profound theological insights, and ability to blend rich imagery with deep philosophical themes. Its intricate structure, imagery, and exploration of spiritual concepts are characteristic of his style, making it a prime example of his poetic prowess.

This is the month, and this the happy morn,

Wherein the Son of Heav'n's eternal King,

Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born,

Our great redemption from above did bring;

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Nationality: English

Theme: Love

Topics: Earth, God, Life, Peace, Time

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On Time

‘On Time’ by John Milton describes the one element of human existence which must be extinguished for a truly utopian world to exist.

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,

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Sonnet 7: How Soon Hath Time

John Milton’s infamous literary classic, ‘How Soon Hath Time’ explores various aspects, reflecting on his mood, conflicts with beliefs, and personal shortcomings, and most of all, the expediency of time.

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,

Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!

My hasting days fly on with full career,

But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.

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