CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION............................................................................................3 II CHAPTER I THE POET'S PERSONAL STRUGGLE 1.1 Milton's Acknowledgment of Talent...............................................................6 1.2 Talent and the Fear of Wasting It...................................................................11 1.3 The Struggle with Feeling Inadequate............................................................13 III CHAPTER II THE RESOLUTION AND ACCEPTANCE 2.1 Divine Purpose and the Use of Talent.............................................................17 2.2 The Notion of "Patience".................................................................................21 2.3 The Vision of Faith..........................................................................................23 VI CONCLUSION................................................................................................28 V REFERENCES..................................................................................................31