John Milton was the second eldest child born to the union of John Milton senior and Sara Jeffrey. He was born on December 9, 1608 in London. Milton lived with his family in a house located very close to Saint Paul's Cathedral. John Milton Sr. was able to afford a private tutor for John because he gained some wealth through his work as a legal secretary. Milton's father prepared and notarized legal documents, was a loan officer and a real estate broker. Milton Sr.'s income allowed him to provide Milton with an education in the classical languages ​​(Joiken). Milton was taught at home until the age of twelve. He was admitted to a Cambridge college five years later, where he was suspended after a year for an altercation with his tutor (Joiken). Milton spent the next six years at home completing a self-taught postgraduate course (Kermode 1206). It was during this period and his absence from Cambridge that he began to write poetry. Milton received his bachelor's degree from Christ's College (Kermode). He finally received his master's degree from Cambridge in 1632 (Joiken). Milton married Mary Powell in 1642 and was separated after only three months of marriage. She returned three years later, but died during childbirth. Their marriage lasted ten years (Kermode 1207). Milton later married Katherine Woodcock four years after the death of his first wife. They remained married for two years until his death four months after the death of their baby daughter, Katherine. In 1663, Milton married his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull. They remained married until his death (Shawcross x-xi). To support the family, Milton opened a school in London to provide private lessons. Initially, he only had two students who were his nephews (Kermode 1207). Listening to Milton...... middle of paper ......ons. Lines 11-14 strongly suggest that Milton has tired his eyes and used all his power to write his literary works, but reminds us that he is "glad, though blind," to follow God's will. Works Cited Hollander, John and Kermode, Franc. Literature of the English Renaissance. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. Joiken, Anniina. “Life of John Milton.” Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. June 21, 2006. .Kermode, Frank and John Hollander, eds., eds. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature. The Middle Ages in the 18th century. Flight. 1. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. 2 vols. McDonnell, Helen et al. ENGLAND in literature. Medallion ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1982. Shawcross, John T. The Complete Poetry of John Milton. New York: Double day, 1963.