John Milton (1608–74) wrote the sonnet "When I Consider How My Light Is Spent." The poem is about the poet's blindness: he went blind in his early forties in the early 1650s, and this sonnet is his response to his loss of sight and the repercussions for his life. Milton's blindness prevented him from taking part in the English civil war, but it also forced him to think deeply about religion and politics. Milton's father was a wealthy landowner who supported the parliamentary side in the civil war. But when Charles I executed his cousin Edward Milton in 1649, the young John Milton refused to take up arms on behalf of the king. He did serve in a militia unit under the command of Oliver Cromwell but was discharged after only three months because of illness. After the execution of King Charles I in 1649 and the establishment of the English republic, many people felt that they had to make a choice between the government-in-exile in France and the new republican regime in England. Those who remained loyal to the king were called "crown supporters" or "crownists," while those who fought against them were called "rebels" or "parliamentarians." Milton became one of the most important poets of the English language during the 17th century. His poems are still read today for their quality rather than their length! See also note on rhyme scheme below.