The Internal Conflict

In Milton's sonnet he strongly conveys his introspective nature. Through this personal battle of physical ineptness verses pleasing God, only one solution is to be discovered. Milton uses the metaphor light to give the reader a visual image of the nature of light. When any light is spent it is useless. The same uselessness of a burnt-out light is what Milton conveys himself as being without eyesight. In lines 2,3 Milton uses the word talent to subtly hint at the parable described in the bible. In this parable a talent is a form of currency, and to be unproductive with it is displeasing to God. Another reference to the parable appears in line 3, "which is death to hide" implies that not being productive will result in God's unprejudiced judgment. …