Hello and welcome to the Daily Poem. I'm Heidi White, filling in for David Kern, and today is Wednesday, December 9th.

Today is John Milton's birthday. He was born on December 9th, 1608. Milton was an English poet and an intellectual.

He's widely regarded as one of the greatest poets ever to write in the English language.

He was also a politician.

He served as a civil servant during the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, which means he participated in some really important and exciting events in English history.

Today, he is best remembered for being the author of Paradise Lost, but Milton

wrote much more extensively. He wrote essays on politics, religion, and literary matters. He's known as

a master of the English sonnets. I'm going to read a sonnet today. Milton was educated in the classics.

He wrote not only in English, but also in

Greek and Latin. Later in life, Milton suffered from blindness. In fact, he composed much of

Paradise Lost while completely blind, dictating its blank verse to a secretary, a remarkable achievement. But like I said, today I'm going to

read for you a sonnet called On His Deceased Wife, who was composed in 1658, and this is how it goes.

Me thought I saw my late espoused saint, brought to me like Alcestis from the grave,

whom Jove's great son to her glad husband gave, rescued from death by force, though pale and faint.

Mine, as whom washed from spot of childbed taint, purification in the old law did save, and such as yet once more,

I trust to have full sight of her in heaven without restraint.

Came vested all in white, pure as her mind. Her face was veiled, yet to my fancied sight,

love, sweetness, goodness in her person shined, so clear as in no face

with more delight. But oh, as to embrace me she inclined, I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night.

This poem refers to Milton's second wife.

And we know from the historical record that he considered her his great love, but they

weren't married long.

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