Asleep in the valley’s most wanted questions
1. His smiles/ Is like an infant’s” – – Whose’smile’ is being discussed here? Why is his smile being compared to that of a baby? How does nature look after him?
His grins are like an infant’s………” – Whose’smile’ is being discussed here? Why is his smile being compared to that of a baby? How does nature look after him? [6 = 1+3+2] [2019 – H.S.]
Ans. The young soldier’s smile from Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “Asleep in the Valley” is referenced here.
Because the soldier’s smile was pure, genuine, sweet, and without deceit, it was compared to that of a newborn. The soldier was in his early twenties. The poet was really devoted towards him and murmured such lines when he was asleep because of his pleasant face. The poet’s sorrow for the young soldier is evident.
Nature takes the best possible care of him when he sleeps. He is soothed by the fern pillow he has beneath his chin. The cozy bed is made of the verdant, sun-drenched undergrowth. Sunrays from the peaks of the mountains kept him warm.
2) “The humming insects don’t bother him when he sleeps” – Who sleeps and where do they sleep? Why are the insects not bothering him when he sleeps? [6 = 1+2+3] [High School – 2020]
Ans. In Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “Asleep in the Valley,” a young soldier sleeps.
He is happily resting in the middle of a little green valley surrounded by mountains. He is lying in the thick foliage, which provides as a comfy bed for him.
Because he is in his everlasting repose, the soldier is not bothered by the humming of insects. Two bullets were used to kill him. His life was taken by the war.
3) “A young soldier lies open-mouthed,” – Who is the soldier in question? Describe the soldier’s situation in the valley in your own words. [2+4=6] [2+4=6] [2+4=6] [2016 – H.S.]
Ans. In Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “Asleep in the Valley,” the soldier is the war’s casualty. In 1876, the soldier was most likely a member of the Dutch Colonial Army.
In the valley, the soldier lay open-mouthed. His head lay on a fern-filled pillow. He was lying in the dense foliage, which provided a comfortable surface. His feet were planted in the middle of the flowers. His grin was compared to that of a child’s benign smile. The buzzing insects were attempting to wake the soldier, but he was soundly sleeping in the open sky under the sun, one hand on his breast.
4) “There are two red holes in his side” – What is the name of the individual mentioned here? What exactly do the ‘two red holes’ mean? What is the poet’s attitude about war in this context? [6 = 1+2+3] [2017 – H.S.]
Ans. In the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley,’ the individual in question is a dead soldier.
‘The two red holes’ refers to the two gunshot wounds he received on the battlefield. The sleep that appears to be tranquil is actually sleep that lasts forever. He is a war victim.
The poet’s anti-war stance is expressed here. Arthur Rimbaud displays his profound opposition to war’s brutality and crimes. It’s a pointless slaughter of children. Their aspirations and dreams are shattered. As a result, war is a matter of absolute futility rather than joy and glory.