John Milton's "Sonnet XIX: When I consider how my light is spent" uses the literary techniques of metaphorical representations, irony and of satire to convey its themes of religion, particularly concerning the use of God-given talents, and the issue of disability and individual religion to an audience in a political climate that is experiencing a drastic change in structure and values ​​in a cultural revolution that valorized people through their measure as a poet through their authorial work, but still remains significant to audiences today through satirical interpretation. In true Milton style, what the poem says and what the poem intends to convey are two entirely different things. The initial meaning of the poem during this time period would most likely have been interpreted in a literal sense focusing on the actual written context rather than the underlying one now believed as the interpretation by audiences at the time would have been based on the religious context of the poetry, relating to the presence of strong religious values ​​within society, and the poet's new blind status, which would have attracted attention given the poet's highly transparent place in Cromwell's regime. At first glance, the poem refers to Milton's recent loss of sight; “When I consider how my light is spent / Before half my days in this dark and wide world,” and progresses to how poetic talent is now “Stayed with me useless” and how now the former poet must wait patiently his time to come as he cannot "exactly do the day's work" in his "light denied" visual state. "Sonnet XIX: When I consider how my light is spent" was written during the time period of 1652 to 1656, a date debated by l......middle of paper......thought by its readers through irony. Once an author publishes their work, the meaning of that piece is out of their control. It ceases to contain the connotations with which it was constructed as each generation adds and interprets its material differently. Today, unlike in the past, the message from Milton's "Sonnet XIX: When I consider how my light is spent" is more likely a satirical interpretation on how individuals can overcome any obstacle they face and must continue to persevere in your life. . The religious aspect is interpreted in different ways today due to the debate over the intent with which the poem was written. This delightful controversy remains a major reason why the poem is still read, discussed, and analyzed in academia today as a result of Milton's mastery of the sonnet form and impeccable use of imagery and satire..