ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -The cause of John Milton’s blindness has been widely discussed, based on his own account of his symptoms and a wide range of suppositions. No clear consensus has emerged. Candidates include glaucoma, retinal detachment, possibly in association with myopia, and a craniopharyngioma.

Detailed explanation-2: -John Milton (1608-1674) has often been regarded as the greatest poet of his time, yet he did not compose his most famous work, Paradise Lost, until after he had become blind in both eyes. On the basis of clues in Milton’s writings, several possible diagnoses have been advanced to explain his loss of vision.

Detailed explanation-3: -At this time Brail hadn’t even been invented but Milton still wrote. (How impressive.) Of course he had help from aids, most notably Andrew Marvell. Many of his greatest pieces were published after his blindness, including Paradise Lost.

Detailed explanation-4: -The year 1652 was not a good one for Milton. By March or April, at the age of 43 years, he was completely blind in both eyes; in May, his wife died 3 days after giving birth to their fourth child; and 6 weeks later, his third child and only son, John, also died.