On the Late Massacre in Piedmont

The poem, hereinafter referred to as “Sonnet 18,” is urgent in tone, as established by the directness of the title. Its speaker—identified with the poet—immediately set forth the premise. The setting too is captured precisely in the first two lines, “bones” (Line 1) and “mountains cold” (Line 2) conjuring bleak, harsh terrains, both physical and metaphysical. Echoing the setting, the speaker’s voice is angry, economical, and sharp: There are neither words nor time to be wasted here, and the message must be delivered at once.

The very first word of the poem—“Avenge” (Line 1)—is an imperative, all the more striking because it is a petition couched as an order to God. The poem’s subject is uncharacteristic for its time for the sonnet form, even by Milton’s standards. Milton used traditional sonnets to explore political and spiritual themes, rather than matters of love and courtship. “Sonnet 18” strides an interesting space between a personal poem and a political one, and it indicates the unique nature of Milton’s personality.

The speaker asks God to avenge his “slaughter’d saints” (Line 1), the repeated “s” sounds (