Strong Roots
Asleep in the Valley
Asleep in the Valley-----Arthur Rimbaud(a Sonnet)
1. What is the subject matter of the poem?
is the futility of war.
2. How does the stream flow through the valley ?
>slowly
3. In what verse is the poem written?
>in free verse.
4. What kind of grass is found on the banks of the stream?
>bright grass
5. What happens on the grass as the stream flows on it?
>The stream leaves a silvery layer on the bright grass.
6. From where do the sun rays fall on the valley ?
>The sunrays come streaming down on the valley from the mountain top.
7. What are the sun rays compared with?
>…a softly flowing stream.
8. What happens when the sun rays come down into the valley?
>fills the valley with a lot of light.
9. Who is lying asleep in the valley?
>A very young soldier is lying asleep in the valley.
10. What are the two adjectives the poet use to describe the valley?
>’ small’ and ‘green’
11. What is serving as the bed of the sleeping soldier?
>A dense undergrowth (plentiful growth of bush) soaked with warm sun rays is serving as the bed of the sleeping soldier.
12. What is serving as the pillow of the sleeping soldier?
>Ferns are serving as the pillow of the sleeper.
13. How does the pillow of the sleeping soldier feel and look?
>The so-called bed of the sleeping soldier looks green and it feels warm because it is soaked with sunrays.
14. What has nature given to the feet of the soldier in his last sleep ?
>Nature has offered some wildflowers to the feet of…
15. How does the poet describe the soldier’s smile?
>…to that of an infant, because it is gentle and innocent.
16. Why does the poet ask nature to keep the sleeper warm?
>…because he is afraid that the young soldier may catch a cold in the open air.
17. What does the poet expect from nature besides keeping the soldier warm?
>The poet wants that besides keeping the soldier warm, Nature should also save him from the disturbance of the humming insects.
18. How does the soldier sleep?
>The soldier is sleeping peacefully, open-mouthed, in the sunlight, and has kept one hand on his breast.
19. How is the dead soldier shown respect by the nature?
>Nature has shown respect to the soldier by providing flower at his feet.
20. How can you say that the poem is an anti-war poem?
>as its ending evokes out pity at the ultimate and unfortunate death of a young soldier.
21. What do two red holes indicate?
>The two red holes imply that the soldier has been killed in the war with two rifle-shots in his side. It indicated that the soldier will never wake up again.
22. How did you know that the valley is rich in its flora and fauna?
>…as there is a different kind of flower, plants and insects.
23. What does the concluding line of the poem reveal?
>…a rude shock that the soldier is the victim of war.
What is the role of nature in Arthur Rimbaud‘s poem, Asleep in the Valley‘?
O, Explain the title of the poem.
ANS.: In Arthur Rimbaud’s poem ‘Asleep In The Valley’, the soldier is lying in the soft green valley on soft grass putting his hand on his chest and an innocent smile in his face. Nature plays a significant role in Arthur Rimbaud‘s poem ‗Asleep in the Valley‘. The death of a young soldier becomes poignant in tragedy against the sunny backdrop of Nature. The sunlit green valley with a slow small river flowing through it creates an atmosphere of peace and silence, as if, to facilitate the eternal sleep of the soldier. The valley provides the soldier with a pillow of fern and a warm, green, sun-soaked bed to help him sleep in peace. Such a backdrop of Nature also serves to highlight the tragic irony of a soldier who is fated to be expired unsung, unsolved and uncared. (The politicians and the diplomats, who send them to the battlefield, gloating over their exploits, do not care a fig for his death.) The title of the poem contradicts between the beautiful scenery of the valley and the harsh reality. Hence the title is appropriate and ironical.
The Place of Art in Education
