Il Penseroso - John Milton
/Il Penseroso - John Milton/
In Praise of Contemplative Solitude
Original (Line 1): Hence vain deluding Joys,
English (Line 1): Hence, vain deluding joys,
Original (Line 2): The brood of Folly without father bred!
English (Line 2): Offspring of Folly, parentless they spring!
Original (Line 3): How little you bested,
English (Line 3): How little you have profited,
Original (Line 4): Or fill the fixed mind with all your toys;
English (Line 4): Or filled the thoughtful mind with your trifling amusements;
Original (Line 5): Dwell in some idle brain,
English (Line 5): Go inhabit some unoccupied fancy,
Original (Line 6): And fancies fond with gaudy shapes possess,
English (Line 6): And fill foolhardy visions with gaudy illusions,
Original (Line 7): As thick and numberless
English (Line 7): As thick and countless
Original (Line 8): As the gay motes that people the sun-beams,
English (Line 8): As the bright specks dancing in the sun’s rays,
Original (Line 9): Or likest hovering dreams
English (Line 9): Or resembling hovering dreams
Original (Line 10): The fickle pensioners of Morpheus' train.
English (Line 10): The unsteady attendants of Morpheus’ band.
Original (Line 11): But hail thou Goddess sage and holy,
English (Line 11): But hail, O sage and sacred goddess,
Original (Line 12): Hail divinest Melancholy,
English (Line 12): Hail, most divine Melancholy,
Original (Line 13): Whose saintly visage is too bright
English (Line 13): Whose saintly face is far too radiant
Original (Line 14): To hit the sense of human sight;
English (Line 14): For mere human sight to fully perceive;
Original (Line 15): And therefore to our weaker view
English (Line 15): Therefore for our weaker gaze
Original (Line 16): O’erlaid with black, staid Wisdom’s hue;
English (Line 16): You veil yourself in dark, the sober color of wisdom;
Original (Line 17): Black, but such as in esteem
English (Line 17): A blackness yet held in high regard,
Original (Line 18): Prince Memnon’s sister might beseem,
English (Line 18): As befits Prince Memnon’s regal sister,
Original (Line 19): Or that starr’d Ethiop Queen that strove
English (Line 19): Or the starred Ethiopian queen who vied
Original (Line 20): To set her beauty’s praise above
English (Line 20): To place the glory of her beauty above
… [Excerpt only: “Il Penseroso” in its entirety runs 176 lines. Public-domain editions contain the full text.]
Note: For the poem’s complete text in a line-by-line format, consult a public-domain source of Milton’s Il Penseroso.
John Milton’s “Il Penseroso,” likely composed around 1631 and published in 1645 alongside its companion poem “L’Allegro,” offers a reflective meditation on the virtues of introspection and the quiet hush of night. While “L’Allegro” praises mirth and daylight revels, “Il Penseroso” honors solemnity and contemplative solitude.
From the onset, the speaker banishes the ‘vain deluding Joys’ that occupy lighter hearts, welcoming instead a more profound mode of reflection personified as Melancholy. This Melancholy does not indicate despair but suggests a gentle, philosophical stance—an openness to the deeper resonances of music, poetry, and night’s subtle mysteries. Milton evokes images of lonely towers, moonlit landscapes, and solitary study in echoing chambers, conjuring a setting where the intellect and spirit can roam freely.
The poem’s rich tapestry of classical allusion and biblical imagery reflects the poet’s humanist learning. References to Greek and Roman myth, alongside Christian themes, underscore Milton’s vision of a night steeped in sacred awe. As “Il Penseroso” progresses, a sense of creative potential emerges: in the silent hours, the mind can probe serious thoughts, explore higher truths, and drink in divine inspiration. Thus, the poem underscores how earnest contemplation enriches the inner life, balancing the exuberant joys found in “L’Allegro.”
Ultimately, “Il Penseroso” suggests that introspection has its own music, a harmony discovered in seclusion and nighttime quietude. Milton’s message remains timeless: while laughter and daytime revelry can feed the soul, so too can the deep and measured rhythms of thoughtful solitude.
Key points
1. “Il Penseroso” champions the value of thoughtful solitude and quiet study.
2. Melancholy here connotes reflective wisdom, not mere sadness.
3. Classical and Christian references blend to illuminate night’s sacred possibilities.
4. This poem complements “L’Allegro,” portraying two essential aspects of the human experience.
