On Time by John Milton Question Answer
Very Short Answer Questions
Who is the author of the poem “On Time”?
John Milton.
What is the central theme of the poem “On Time”?
The central theme of the poem is the concept of time and its impact on human life.
How does the speaker in the poem view time?
The speaker views time as an entity that is troubling for humans.
What does the speaker wish for time to do?
The speaker wishes for time to speed up, consume all the negativity in the world, and then destroy itself.
What does the speaker believe will happen once time has consumed itself?
The speaker believes that once time has consumed itself, the human race would finally be happy.
What is the structure of the poem “On Time”?
The poem is a twenty-two-line, single-stanza poem which follows a consistent pattern of alternating groups of four lines.
What is the rhyming pattern of the poem “On Time”?
The rhyming pattern of the poem is ABABCDDCEEFFGGHHIIJKKJ.
What does the speaker believe will happen when time is extinguished?
The speaker believes that when time is extinguished, a truly utopian world will exist.
What does the speaker believe will happen when humans conquer “Death,” “Time,” and “Chance”?
The speaker believes that when humans conquer “Death,” “Time,” and “Chance,” they will be living as if God had come to Earth.
What does the speaker mean by “Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss With an individual kiss”?
The speaker means that when time ends, humans will enter a state of eternal happiness.
What is the speaker’s attitude towards time in the poem?
The speaker’s attitude towards time is one of contempt and challenge.
How does the speaker personify time in the poem?
The speaker personifies time as an envious entity that can fly or run away.
What does the speaker suggest about the nature of time?
The speaker suggests that time is a precious commodity that should be used wisely.
What does the speaker mean by “And glut thy self with what thy womb devours”?
The speaker is suggesting that time consumes everything, even itself.
What does the speaker mean by “So little is our loss, So little is thy gain”?
The speaker is suggesting that what time takes from us is insignificant, and what it gains is also insignificant.
What does the speaker mean by “Then all this Earthy grosnes quit, Attir’d with Stars, we shall for ever sit”?
The speaker is suggesting that when time ends, humans will leave behind all earthly concerns and will exist in a heavenly state.
What does the speaker mean by “Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time”?
The speaker is suggesting that in the end, humans will triumph over death, chance, and time.
What is the speaker’s view of eternity in the poem?
The speaker views eternity as a state of bliss and joy, where truth, peace, and love shine.
What does the speaker mean by “When every thing that is sincerely good And perfectly divine, With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine”?
The speaker is suggesting that in the state of eternity, everything that is good and divine, along with truth, peace, and love, will shine forever.
What is the speaker’s view of the relationship between humans and time?
The speaker views the relationship between humans and time as one of struggle, with humans ultimately triumphing over time.
Short Answer Questions
1. Why has the poet pitted the flight of Time against the ‘lazy leaden-stepping hours’ and ‘the heavy Plummets pace’?
The poet, John Milton, uses the phrase ‘lazy leaden-stepping hours’ and ‘the heavy Plummets pace’ to depict the slow and relentless passage of time. This contrast between the flight of Time and the slow pace of hours serves to emphasize the inexorable and unyielding nature of time. It’s a metaphorical way to express how time seems to move slowly yet is unstoppable.
2. What are the things associated with the temporal and what are associated with the eternal?
In the poem “On Time”, the things associated with the temporal include the ‘leaden-stepping hours’, ‘heavy Plummets pace’, and the ‘womb’ that devours all, which are all symbols of the fleeting and transient nature of earthly life. On the other hand, the eternal is associated with ‘long Eternity’, ‘Truth’, ‘Peace’, ‘Love’, the ‘supreme Throne’, and the ‘heav’nly-guided soul’. These represent the everlasting and divine aspects of existence.
3. What guides human souls towards divinity? Who is the final winner in the race against Time?
According to the poem, it is the ‘heav’nly-guided soul’ that guides human souls towards divinity. The final winner in the race against Time, as per the poem, is the human soul. The poem concludes with the lines ‘Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time’, indicating that it is the human soul, guided towards divinity and eternity, that ultimately triumphs over Time.
