Summary and Theme of the Poem Sonnet 8
Sonnet 8 is poem written by John Milton. It is written in sonnet form. Sonnet is a poem of 14 lines. The poem is about war poets who wrote in favor of war.
The speaker is requesting people to protect the life of poets. Poets can glorify and write heroic deeds of war heroes if they survived. So, the poem is a request of the poets to save them. During Milton’s time, many poets were fearing from military attack. Many poets posted a request note on their door to protect themselves from war. The poem brings the theme of terror created by war.
The setting of the poem is the Civil war of 16th century in Britain. The war was between Charles I and the parliament. The speaker is making request to military of the king to protect them from any harm. The speaker claims that poets can increase the fame of the armies by writing poems on their bravery. As a result, the armies will be world famous. The armies will be immortal because of the poets’ praise in history. The poet gives the example of some poets. The poet brings the reference of poet Pindarus and Euripides. They were protected during the war for their poetry. The poet wants to show us the power of poets more than sword.
