John Milton's sonnet XIX, known as “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent” is a poem that considers one's disabling affliction in light of a timeless truth that the Apostle Paul writes of: all things work together for the good of those who love God and thus one learns to be content with all things. Milton's disabling disease was blindness, and by most interpretive accounts he was blind when he wrote Sonnet XIX. Under God's providence Milton "considers" his dark infirmity and writes (says?) in the light of it. In this darkness and in this light I will consider Milton's Sonnet. The first thing to consider is that the poem used in the Norton Anthology of English Literature is an edited version from The Complete Poetry and Major Prose of Milton, edited by Merritt Y. Hughes. The poem we will consider here is the 1673 text printed in The Riverside Milton, edited by Roy Flannagan. Riverside's decision was not to intervene in the text, but to leave it as it was written. Hughes' edits insert punctuation, capitalization, and spelling to bring it up to date for a modern audience. By modernizing the poem, Hughes actually changed the meaning to what he had in mind as the editor. Milton wanted good readers, readers who read deeper meanings than superficial ones and by changing the text Milton's word art is compromised as the poem was designed to confuse the reader. Milton as a lyricist is preparing the reader for a spiritual confusion that leads to a question. Hughes' editing reinforces the binary aspects of the poem which has a speaker in the octave and a speaker in the sestet, the problem in the octave and then the solution in the sestet, if you prefer. If you leave out the editorial changes, the octave speaker and the sextet speaker are deleted... middle of paper... it is required of all humanity. In Milton's patient voice the voice of lament has been drowned out, and no matter how much time we spend working or what affliction afflicts us, God is generous and graciously provides for all through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The works of the Holy Spirit come from faith and by this spirit he works within us for the glory, purpose and will of God. This is the will of a holy God who sends his messengers to God with speed in giving good success for carry out his purpose in the talent or gift that he distributes by the power of the same Spirit. Milton acknowledges obedience to this one God to whom he makes himself available, and in all this Milton "accused [not] God foolishly" (Job 1:22 KJV). John Milton's darkness will one day remain in eternal unspent light as he waits to consider the words "enter into a good and faithful servant".”