Question

What occasion leads Milton to the thoughts in the poem?

Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth Related Poem Content Details
BY JOHN MILTON
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.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:
All is, if I have grace to use it so
As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.

Answer 1

The occasion prompting Milton's thoughts in 'Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth' is his reflection on turning twenty-three and contemplating his life achievements in the face of time's swift passage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The occasion that leads John Milton to the thoughts in his poem Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth is the reflection on his age and the passage of time as he turns twenty-three years old. Milton expresses concern over his progress in life and his poetic achievements, contrasting his own sense of unfulfilled potential with the seemingly more successful lives of others. Despite these worries, Milton concludes with a resolve to trust in divine providence and to use his time and talents in service to his 'great Task-Master'.

While the themes of time, aging, and the urgency of life run through much early modern poetry, including works by William Shakespeare, the way Milton addresses these themes is deeply personal and reflective of his religious convictions and his ambitions as a poet. Other poets such as Andrew Marvell and William Wordsworth also grapple with the concept of time, youth, and the transient nature of life. Each poet brings their own perspective to the universal human experience of growing older and confronting one's mortality.

Answer 2

The occasion that led Milton to write this was that he was graduating from university and he didn't know what to do with his life. There were pressures to both become an Anglican priest and to go to a school of fine arts. In the end he chose the second which turned out to be the best move he made in his life since he is after all one of the greatest poets in the history of the world.