Milton's 23rd Sonnet by Sarah Phillips

Milton’s 23^rd Sonnet uses a mixture of Greek mythology and Christian biblical references to somewhat eulogize his second wife, Katherine Woodcock. The rhyme scheme is abba abba cdcdcd which means that this is a Petrarchen sonnet. The author refers to his late wife as if he has met her in a dream throughout the poem. Milton thought that he saw his wife, who had died from complications from childbirth, brought back to him from the grave. He had full view of Katherine dressed in all white in heaven. However, when he goes to embrace her she leaves and he wakes up. The volta of this sonnet comes in around line 9 and transitions from Milton comparing his wife’s return to that of Alcestis to the great qualities of his wife that he misses and how she has been taken from him once again after he wakes up from the dream. This is the general summary of Milton’s 23^rd sonnet, however after closer inspection we learn more through paying close attention to the biblical and mythological references.

The story of Alcestis is used as an analogy to the way that Milton’s wife was in a way brought back from the dead. Line 2 in which Milton says “Brought to me like Alcestis from the grave,” he is referring to the story of Alcestis who, according to the myth, sacrificed herself to save her husband, Admetus. Through this analogy Milton is praising his late wife’s selfless love, and it is only the first time of many in the poem that he praises her character. In the third line Milton writes “Whom Jove’s great son to her Husband gave,” he is referring to how “Jove’s great son,” Hercules, rescued Alcestis from the underworld and returned her to her husband. Starting at line 5, however, Milton does a complete 180 and turns from Greek mythology to Old Testament rituals.

Milton’s late wife Katherine gave birth to their only daughter who was also named Katherine on October 19, 1657. As previously mentioned it is believed that Milton’s wife died of complications from childbirth and this is because he died only a few months after giving birth on February 3, 1658 and baby Katherine died only five weeks after her mother passed. It is evident in this poem that Milton is grieving, but it is also evident to the reader that Milton’s faith seemed to get him through both of these losses. His faith shows through the reference to bible verses that related to child birth and cleansing rituals. In line 5 Milton refers to his wife being “washt from spot of child-bed taint,” which refers to an old testament belief that is best described through Leviticus 12. “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.” The “Purification in the old Law,” that is referred to in line 6 is speaking of the biblical requirements that call for sacrifices. Leviticus 12:6-8 tell us that it was required that “When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.” Milton is also open about his faith when he mentions seeing his wife in heaven and that she was “vested all in white,” which describes her purity and blessedness. This is reflected in Revelation 7:14 “I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ Then he told me, ‘These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.’” And in Revelation 19:8 which says “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” However, his wife’s purity is not the only quality that he praises about her. He also admires her love, sweetness, and goodness.