This sonnet by Milton came up at church last week because of the last line. The whole sonnet is moving, certainly, and teaches the important lesson that our talents are not something that God needs to complete His work, as he has many who he could call upon. They are gifts to us, allowing us to share in the work.
The last line can fit many other circumstances where one is just standing around, waiting, such as for a spouse to finish a conversation or workmen to complete a task, giving such dead time an air of higher purpose. Asimov has Henry the waiter for the Black Widower Society use the line at the close of one of those short stories.
On His Blindness
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
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
“Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies: “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts: who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed
And post o’er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
4 comments:
Contrast standing and waiting, with Satan’s call to Pandemonium of the fallen angels, where they are described as like bees:
Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees,
In spring-time when the sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive770
In clusters; they, among fresh dews and flowers,
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
The suburb of their straw-built citadel,
New rubbed with balm, expatiate and confer
Their state-affairs: so thick the aery crowd
Swarmed and were straitened; till, the signal given,
Behold a wonder! They but now who seemed
In bigness to surpass earth's giant-sons,
Now less than smallest dwarfs in narrow room
Throng numberless,
Milton precedes Zombie movies, and had the words to limn SuperBowl Philadelphia rioters
Hmmm. Perhaps the prev should have gone to the latest offering from Orthosphere, on your sideboard (which was not read before earlier reply to you)
But, fools and cowards are more dangerous than the determinedly wicked - an advancement from Mr Orthosphere's interesting point, perhaps
Off-topic: AVI, wanted to send you email but can't find a contact mail address here.
wymanhome at Comcast dot net
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