John Milton was born on December 9, 1608. He graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge University. After graduating, Milton became a great supporter of Oliver Cromwell, a man opposed to the power of the monarchy. Milton worked diligently to write and print pamphlets for Cromwell. He was warned that all this work would damage his already poor eyesight, but he did not listen and in 1651, at the age of 44, Milton went blind. In his later years he lived in the countryside and wrote poetry. His poem Paradise Lost is considered one of the most important poems written in English. The theme of “On His Blindness” is the loss of sight and the poets’ frustration about it. He is frustrated because his blindness prevents him from using his ability to write poetry. He calls his ability to write "that one talent", which suggests that he doesn't feel very good at anything else and that no other talents really matter to him. John Milton wrote "On His Blindness" to express his irritation at his loss of sight and inability to continue writing poetry. Milton sees poetry as a way of celebrating...