John Milton's Sonnet XIX, known as "When I consider how my light is spent" is a poem considering everyone's crippling affliction to light of a timeless truth that the Apostle Paul wrote: “All things work together for good to those who love God and thus we learn to be content with all things.” Milton's crippling affliction was blindness, and by most interpretations he was blind when he wrote Sonnet XIX. Under God's providence, Milton "considers" his dark infirmity and writes (dictates?) in light of it. In this darkness and in this light I will consider Milton's Sonnet. First of all, it must be considered that the poem used in The Norton Anthology of English Literature is an edited version of The Complete Poetry and Major Prose of Milton, edited by Merritt Y. Hughes. The poem that will be considered here is the 1673 text printed in The Riverside Milton, edited by Roy Flannagan. Riverside's decision was not to interfere with the text, but to leave it as written. Hughes' edits insert punctuation, capitalization, and spelling to update it for a modern audience. By modernizing the poem, Hughes effectively changed the meaning of what he had in mind as an editor. Milton wanted good readers, readers who read deeper meanings than superficial ones and by changing the text, Milton's wordcraft is compromised because the poem was designed to confuse the reader. Milton, as a wordsmith, prepares the reader for a spiritual confusion that leads him to a question. Hughes' editing reinforces the binary aspects of the poem which places a speaker in the octave and a speaker in the sestet, the problem in the octave then the solution in the sestet, if you will. Leaving aside the editorial changes, the octave speaker and the seset speaker are erased...... middle of paper ...... is required of all humanity. In Milton's voice of patience the voice of complaint has been silenced and whatever time we spend at work or whatever affliction befalls us, God is generous and graciously provides for it all through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The works of the Holy Spirit flow from each person's faith, and through that spirit work in each person for the glory, purpose, and will of God. This will of a holy God who sends his messengers to God quickly to successfully advance his purpose in the talent or gift that he distributes through the operation of the same Spirit. Milton recognizes his obedience to this one God to whom he makes himself available, and in all this, Milton “did not accuse God foolishly” (Job 1:22 KJV). John Milton's darkness will one day find itself in the unspent eternal light as he waits to consider the words "enter as a good and faithful servant »..”