ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY

 ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY

 

“In his side there are two red holes”. What do
the two red holes depict? How is the ‘pity of
war’ reflected in the line? What are the
themes suggested in the poem?

Ans. ‘The two red holes’ mentioned in the last line of the poem are actually bullet wounds. 
These fatal wounds received in the war front are the cause of his untimely and unfortunate death.

> The line reveals the pity of war. In warfare, the youth become the inevitable victims.
Therefore, the soldier who sleeps peacefully in the valley in a picturesque setting is presented to bring out the sense of pity in the readers because he is actually dead. 
The two bullet wounds have ended his life.

> The theme of the poem is undoubtedly the futility of war. 
The tragic lives of the soldiers, the grim inevitability of death in war or the contrast between the beauty of nature and the horror of warfare are other themes suggested in the poem.

What are the elements of nature in the poem

‘Asleep in the Valley’? What specimens of

plants and insects do you find in the poem?

ANS. The poem has a beautiful natural setting, There is a beautiful valley, and there are high mountains, silvery stream, abundance of vegetation and varieties of flowers. Insects hum around the place to gather honey from these flowers. Nature with its beauty and variety is presented in the poem.

> The poet refers to green grasses, ferns, varieties of flowers and humming insects. These species of flora and fauna provide a beautiful resting place for the soldier. The insects hum a melodious tune and the plants and herbs prepare his bed and pillow so that he
can take a peaceful rest.

“They fill the hollow full of light”. What is the
‘hollow’ referred to in the line? How does the
hollow look? Who is lying in the hollow? How
is he lying there?

ANS. The hollow in the line refers to the beautiful green valley.

> The valley is small yet green. It is surrounded by high mountains. A stream flows softly through
it. As the sun shines from the top of the mountain, the sun rays fill the valley with their brightness
The flowers and insects increase the beauty of the valley. In fact, everything in the valley except the soldier is full of life and energy.

> A young soldier, appears to be lying asleep in the valley.

> He lies open mouthed with an innocent smile on his face. His head is supported by a pillow made of ferns. The green grass of the valley serves as his bed. It appears that he is sleeping. In reality, he is lying dead with two bullet wounds in his side.

The poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ rests on two
contrasting pictures— Discuss the use of two
contrasting pictures in the poem.

ANS. The poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ presents two pictures. The beautiful hollow of the valley is
contrasted with the two deep holes in the soldier's body. In the peaceful ambience of the valley the soldier seems to sleep deeply. But such a beautiful picture is contrasted with the shocking close-up picture of the soldier at the end. There are two bloody holes in the side of his body which are actually bullet wounds. The peaceful atmosphere is therefore marred by the horrors of war. The warmth of the sun and the abundance of vegetation found in the valley are contrasted with the coldness of death. Such contrasting pictures however evoke a sense of pity in the mind of the readers for the
helpless victims of warfare.

What is the occasion of the poem ‘Asleep in
the Valley’? Give a simile used by the poet in
the poem. Are there other comparisons in
the poem?

Ans. As a poem it recalls Rimbaud’s first hand experiences about the horror of war as he
describes the dead soldier, enjoying his endless sleep after the troubles and tiredness of battle.

© The poet has used a simile in the poem that arouses our pity. The smile of the soldier, who is
sleeping, is compared with the smile of an infant. The comparison is ironical as the soldier is already dead after being shot in the battlefield.

©) There are other comparisons like the rays of the sun flowing like a stream or the abundant
growth of fern supporting the soldier's head like a pillow. The hollow is compared to the holes in the
soldier's side.

How does the poet Arthur Rimbaud look
upon war?

ANS. The French poet Arthur Rimbaud is critical in his view of war in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’. The poet suggests the futility of war as it is an organised butchery of young boys. The young
soldier described in the poem appears to be sleeping in a valley. The landscape is beautiful and
picturesque and everything is serene and peaceful. But soon bullet wounds are found in the
body of the soldier. This brings the readers to the reality of war. The innocence of the soldier is in
sharp contrast with the horrors of war. The beauty of nature, the soothing sun rays, cannot revive the
dead soldier. The poet is therefore sarcastic in his view of war.

How does the soldier lie in ‘Asleep in the
Valley"? 

ANS. The soldier who is quite young, lies peacefully in the midst of a beautiful valley. The
warm sun rays make the atmosphere pleasant. The soldier is lying relaxed in this valley. The heavy
undergrowth of the valley has prepared a soft bed for the soldier. The ferns make a pillow for the
fatigued soldier. Flowers serve as a cushion for his tired feet. The rhythmic hum of the insects lull him to sleep. The soldier seems to enjoy his rest as he has one hand on his breast, a posture of peace.
But the red holes in the side of the soldier belies his blissful state. Readers realize that the soldier is
a casualty of war and the images of peace and
happiness are ironically used.

Summarize the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’

by Arthur Rimbaud.

Octave Part: its a green valley surrounded by high Mountains. A stream flows softly as if it spreads silver ribbons on the grass. As the sun shines from the top of the mountain, the sun rays fill up the valley with its brightness. A young soldier Sleeps open-mouthed with a pillow made of ferns. He appears to be taking a nap and the bushes and plants of the valley prepare his green bed which
has absorbed the energy of the sun.

Sestet Part: The feet of the soldier are among the flowers, which grow abundantly in the valley. In his
sleep he appears pale. ~~ but smiling innocently like a child. Nature lovingly cradles _ him and provides the necessary heat to keep him warm and protect him from the cold. The buzzing
sound of insects does not affect his sleep. He appears to be sleeping peacefully with his one
hand on his chest. However, when viewed closely, it is seen that there are two deep bullet wounds in
the side of his body.

What picture of war do you get in the poem
‘Asleep in the Valley’?

ANS. The poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley’, written by the French poet Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud, reveals the horror of modern warfare. The poem opens with a beautiful view of a valley where a
soldier is found sleeping. However, at the end of the poem a closer look reveals that the soldier has two bullet-wounds on his body. He is a casualty of war. The poem implies the suffering of the soldier that he was forced to endure in the battlefield. His rest or sleep is in
exact opposition to his previous activity, as it is a perpetual sleep. Grim death is the inevitability of war and the poem ironically
presents the monstrous destruction that a soldier has to experience in a warfare.

Give a description of the valley as found in
Rimbaud’s poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

ANS. Arthur Rimbaud in his poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley’, gives a beautiful picture of a valley. The vegetation of the valley is nourished by the sunlight and the sparkling waters of the silvery stream that moves softly at its will beautifies the valley. The whole
valley looks bright and lovely as the sunlight fills up the place. Ferns grow in plenty and the soldier, sleeping in the valley, has a pillow of ferns underneath his head. There is also a wide variety of flowers of different colours.Besides, there are also various species
of insects. They sweetly hum near the soldier. The landscape is so beautiful that the reader receives a rude shock when he comes to
know that the soldier is actually dead.

 Write a note on the images used by Rimbaud -
in the poem.

ANS. The poet Rimbaud uses different images to describe the beauties of nature in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’. The valley is, as it were, a green hollow. The stream flows through the valley
like a long silvery ribbon. The sunlight comes down like a stream. The grass covered area where the soldier is lying is called his bed. Ferns form a pillow for the soldier to rest his head. The
humming of insects fails to awaken the soldier from his eternal sleep. The young soldier's smile is called guileless and
compared with that of an innocent child. But a terribly shocking image is presented at the end of the poem. The bullet wounds that the soldier has received are compared to red holes. Thus the
images lend beauty to the poem as well as drive home the theme of the poem.

“His smile is like an infant's"-Whose smile is
referred here? Why is his smile compared
with that of an infant? How does nature treat
him?

ANS. The smile of the soldier, sleeping in the valley, is referred here.

  The soldier, sleeping peacefully in the valley, has a beautiful smile on his face. His face has no guile. It appears that after tiring labour in the battlefield, he has got a chance to rest his weary limbs. The peace the soldier is enjoying during his sleep, makes his smile as innocent as that of a child.

  The sufferings of the soldier seem to be removed by the comforts provided by the Nature. Nature provides a sun-soaked bed for the
tired soldier and supports his head on a pillow made of ferns. Moreover, Nature places flowers at his feet to show her respect for the dead soldier.

“A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed”.

What is the perspective of the poem? Who is

the soldier? How is he sleeping? How is the

place where he sleeps?

ANS. The poet, Arthur Rimbaud was a soldier himself. His first-hand experience has impelled him to depict the futility of warfare in this poem.

  The soldier is a victim of war and lies dead in
a beautiful valley.

  The soldier is sleeping peacefully in a sunlite valley. His bed is warm after soaking the sunlight that protects the soldier from the cold. He is sleeping with a pillow of ferns under his head. His
feet are among the flowers that grow in the valley. He lies open-mouthed with an innocent child like smile on his face and one hand on his breast.

  The valley where the soldier sleeps is attractive because of its greenery. The place surrounded by mountains is warm as it receives
abundant sun rays. Insects hum around the place full of flowers.

“In his side there are two red holes”. What do
the two red holes depict? How is the ‘pity of
war’ reflected in the line? What are the
themes suggested in the poem?

ANS. ‘The two red holes’ mentioned in the last line of the poem are actually bullet wounds. These: fatal wounds received in the war front are the cause of his untimely and unfortunate death.

  The line reveals the pity of war. In warfare, the youth become the inevitable victims. Therefore, the soldier who sleeps peacefully in the valley in a picturesque setting is presented to bring out the sense of pity in the readers because he is actually dead. The two bullet wounds have ended his life.

  The theme of the poem is undoubtedly the futility of war. The tragic lives of the soldiers, the grim inevitability of death in war or the contrast between the beauty of nature and the horror of warfare
are other themes suggested in the poem.

Discuss the central idea of the poem ‘Asleep
in the Valley’.

The poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is a translation of the verse ‘Le Dormeur du Val’ which Rimbaud wrote either in 1870 or in 1877. The poem belongs to the genre of anti-war poems. A soldier is found asleep in a valley covered with grass. The sun shines brightly. The young soldier is lying open-mouthed under the sky. He looks pale but has an innocent smile on his face while he appears to sleep. However, the soldier is actually dead and two red holes are seen in his side. This unfortunate death of the soldier comes as a rude shock The valley, filled with light and bubbling with life, is seen in sharp contrast with the dead soldier. He is one of the victims of war and the picture of him lying dead in the lap of nature causes a sharp pain and gives rise to anger among the readers. The calm scene of the valley and the feeling of despair at the unfortunate and untimely death of the soldier are most prominent . They show that even nature cannot protect people from the harmful effects of war. The dead soldier sleeps well after the hardships that he had to undergo during the war. His sleep
can never be broken. The grim inevitability of war shows a sense of anxiety that is experienced  by the poet, who had a first hand acquaintance with war.