John Milton Quotes


God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o'er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.


Citations

Milton, John. "Sonnet XIX." Poems, &c. Upon Several Occasions, Printed for Tho. Dring, 1673, p. 61.

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John Milton
John Milton
  • Born: December 9, 1608
  • Died: November 8, 1674
  • Nationality: English
  • Profession: Poet, Intellectual, Civil Servant

John Milton was an English poet and intellectual who served as a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious shifts and political instability, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667). Written in blank verse, Paradise Lost is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written.