Interpret (a) In "Blind," what does the speaker mean by "He told her that the soul can transcend earthly life / If freed from the retina" in lines 10-11? (b) What does the speaker mean by "And ignorance is / A lost paradise" in lines 20-21?

In lines 10-11 the speaker is referring to the importance of interpreting what is being read. On lines 20-21, the speaker shows that reading interpretation promotes knowledge and that knowledge is often a handicap for the soul.

Explanation:

In lines 10-11 the speaker is referring to the need that people have to interpret and understand what is being read, this is because if a person just reads, he is stuck with earthly life, he is limited to an environment, contained. However, the interpretation of reading makes the individual see beyond words and let go of this limitation.

However, once the reading has been interpreted, the individual gains knowledge, becomes detached from ignorance and is able to see things he did not see before. The problem is that this is often a disadvantage, showing that ignorance was a paradise, which was lost with the arrival of knowledge. This can be seen on lines 20-21.