SHORT QUESTIONS ON ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY BY ARTHUR RIMBAUD.

SHORT QUESTIONS

ON

ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY

BY

ARTHUR RIMBAUD

1. What was the original name of the poem? In which language was it written?

 The original name of the poem was “Le Dormeur du Val”. It was written in French.

2. What was the nationality of the poet Arthur Rimbaud?

 Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet.

3. Who translated the poem into English?

 Paul Schmidt translated the poem into English.

4. When was this poem written?

 This poem was written in October, 1870 during France-Russia war.

5. How was the valley?

 The valley was small and was full of greenery.

6. How does the stream flow through the valley?

 The stream flows slowly through the valley making long silvery strands on its both sides.

7. What makes long silvery strands and where?

 The slow stream makes long silvery strands on bright grass of both banks.

8. What is meant by ‘hollow’?

 Here ‘hollow’ means the vacant place in the valley.

9. What fills the hollow?

 Sunlight fills the hollow with light.

10. Where does the stream flow?

 The stream flows through the small green valley.

11. From where do the sun rays come?

 The sun rays come from the mountaintop.

12. “They fill the hollow”--Who are ‘they’?

 Here ‘they’ refers to the sunlight.

13. What comes from the mountaintop?

 Sunrays come from the mountaintop.

14. Describe the soldier?

 The soldier presented in this poem was very young. He was lying death and his mouth was open.

15. What was under the soldier’s head?

 There was a pillow made of fern beneath the soldier’s head.

16. What was his pillow made of?

 His pillow was made of fern.

17. Where was the soldier sleeping?

 The soldier was sleeping in the heavy undergrowth in the green small valley.

18. How was the bed of the soldier?

 The bed of the soldier was warm, green and sun-soaked.

19. How did the soldier look while sleeping?

 During his sleeping, the soldier looked pale. His mouth was open as if he was smiling.

20. Where was the head of the soldier?

 The head of the soldier was on a natural pillow made of fern.

21. What is meant by ‘heavy undergrowth’?

 ‘Heavy undergrowth’ means heavy bushes.

22. What was the colour of the soldier’s bed?

 The colour of soldier’s bed was green.

23. Where were the feet of the soldier?

 The feet of the soldier were among the flowers.

24. How was the smile of the soldier?

 The smile of the soldier was like the smile of an infant and the smile was gentle and.

25. What is the soldier’s smile compared to?

 The soldier’s smile is compared to the innocent smile of an infant.

26. “Ah, Nature, keep him warm; he may catch cold”—What do the words ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ signify?

 Here the word ‘warm’ signifies the life and the word ‘cold’ signifies death.

27. Why does the poet urge to the nature to give the soldier warm i.e. life?

 The poet urges the nature to give back the life of soldier because nature is the source of life of every living being and so only nature knows the key of life.

28. What does the phrase “without guile” mean?

 The phrase ‘without guile’ means innocent.

29. Why will the soldier catch cold?

 The soldier will catch cold i.e. death because he is the casualty of war.

30. Whom does the poet request to keep the soldier warm?

 The poet requests the Nature to keep the soldier warm.

31. “The humming insects don’t disturb his rest”—Why?

 The humming insects are unable to disturb the rest of the soldier because the soldier is already dead.

32. “In his side there are two red holes”—What do the two red holes signify?

 Here the two red holes signify the blood-marked wounds of bullets of war.

33. What type of poem is it?

 It is a Petrarchan sonnet as well as a war poem in satirical style.

34. What theme does this poem reflect?

 This poem reflects the pity and futility of war.

35. What was the setting of the poem?

 The setting of the poem was 1870s Europe.