Bring out the pathos in the poem Asleep in the Valley. /OR/ Bring out the central idea of the poem Asleep in the Valley.

ANSWER: The poet Arthur Rimbaud announces his future avant-garde poems in the poem Asleep in the Valley. This poem is a war poem in partially classic form. Though the poet starts this poem in a tranquil tone and presents a blissful scenery of valley, but actually he shows the very tragic truth and the futility of war. While describing the nature and the sleeping soldier, suddenly the poet changes his tone and lets us know that that soldier is already dead. The poet informs us that his death is caused by the bullets of war. Here the real irony of life lies as the soldier’s life is nipped in bud in the battlefield. Actually the poet indirectly mocks at the war-mongers. He wants to give us a message that the very purpose of the life is defeated if the war is not abolished from the world.