Final answer:
John Milton had become completely blind by the time he composed 'Paradise Lost'. His blindness influenced his work, leading to a rich tapestry of auditory description that compensated for his lack of physical sight. Milton's dedication to his art persisted through his reliance on dictation to create his epic poem.
Step-by-step explanation:
When John Milton wrote Paradise Lost, he had already lost his physical sight. Milton's blindness did not diminish his literary prowess; rather, it necessitated that he compose his epic poem through dictation.
The loss of sight, a profound physical change for any individual, especially a writer, may have influenced the depth and texture of the imagery in his seminal work.
It's believed that the heightened awareness and sensitivity of his remaining senses might have enriched his descriptions, enabling him to see the world in a unique way through his mind's eye. The act of composing such a complex work as Paradise Lost while blind showcases Milton's remarkable intellectual vigor and dedication to his craft.
Despite this adversity, Milton's commitment to the textual expression of his ideas remained unshaken. He continued to explore themes of divine providence, human will, and the struggle between good and evil in his poetry.
Thus, the physical limitations imposed upon him resulted in a shift to a more auditory and conceptual realm of composition, where the spoken word became his primary tool for creation.