ABOU BEN ADHEM : QUESTION AND ANSWERS

 

 

Read the lines in stanza 1 and answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Explain with reference to context.
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us that one night Abou Ben Adhem awoke from a peaceful dream and saw an angel in his room. The room was bright with moonlight and the angel look like a Lily in full bloom. The room was more brightened by the presence of the angel. The angel was writing something in a book of gold. Abou was much delighted and asked the angel what he wrote.
Question 2.
Name the poet of the given lines.
Answer:
These lines are from the poem Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt.

Question 3.
What was the angel doing when Abou bin Adhem saw him within the moonlight in his room?
Answer:
He was writing in a book of gold..

Question 4.
What did Ben Adhem sec one night in his room, when he was awakened?
Answer:
One night, when Ben Adhem was awakened from a deep dream of peace he saw that his room was filled with moonlight, making it appear rich (bright) like a lily in bloom. He also saw an angel writing something in a book of gold.

Question 5.
What does the poet mean when he says “may his tribe increase”?
Answer:
The poet means that the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem should increase in this selfish and wicked world.

Question 6.
What was Abou dreaming about?
Answer:
Abou was dreaming about peace in the world.

 

STANZA 2

Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come -again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us how Abou spoke to the angel. As there was too much peace Abou was not afraid. He became bold and asked the angel what he wrote. The angel raised his head and looked at Abou in a friendly way. He replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God.

Question 2.
What did Abou Adhem ask the angel?
Answer:
He asked the angel, “What are your writing?”

Question 3.
What did the angel tell Abou bin Adhem?
Answer:
The Angel told Abou Ben Adhem, “I am writing the names of those who love God.”

Question 4.
Why was Abou not afraid?
Answer:
He was not afraid because he was a pious and holy man who believed in God. The peace he felt in the presence of the vision made him bold enough to ask the question.

 

STANZA 3

Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed, Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.
In these lines the poet tells us that Abou asked the angel if his name was written in the list. The angel replied that his name was not in the list. Abou did not loose heart and asked the angel in a low but cheerful voice to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen.

Question 2.
What did Adhem ask the angel again when the angel told Adhem that he was “writing the names of those who love the Lord?”
Answer:
He requested the angel to write his name among those who love His fellow men.

Question 3.
What did the angel tell Adhem?
Answer:
The angel told Adhem that his name was not among the names of those who loved the Lord.

 

Stanza 4
Answer:
These lines have been taken from Abou Ben Adhem written by Leigh Hunt. In this poem the poet has describe the spiritual experience of Abou who was a pious man. One night Abou awoke from a deep dream of peace. He saw an angel writing something in a golden book. He asked the angel what he wrote. The angel replied that he was writing the names of those who loved God, but Abou’s name was not there. Abou requested the angel to write his name in the list of those who loved their fellowmen. The next night the angel come again and showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was written on top.

In these lines the poet tells us that Abou asked the angel if his name was written in the list. The angel replied that his name was not in the list. Abou did not loose heart and asked the angel in a low but cheerful voice to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen.
In these lines the poet tells us that when Abou requested the angel to write his name among those who loved His fellowmen, the angel wrote something in the book and disappeared. The angel came again to Abou’s room next night. The angel showed Abou the names of those whom God had blessed. Abou was surprised to see that his name was on the top of the list. It means that Abou was nearer to God because he loved His fellowmen.

Question 2.
What did Adhem beg the angel to write about him?
Answer:
He begged the angel to write his name as lover of the human beings.

Question 3.
Did the angel appear again?
Answer:
Yes, the angel appeared again the next night.

Question 4.
Where was Abou’s name written amongst those who loved God?
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem’s name was at the top of the list.

Question 5.
Mention two other words used by the poet to refer to the angel.
Answer:
The two other words used by the poet to refer to the angel are ‘the vision’ and ‘the presence’.

 

Question 1.
What lesson do you learn from this poem?
Answer:
From this poem I learn that devotion to God is directly related to one’s love for his fellow beings. One cannot hate his fellowmen whom he has seen and love God whom he has not seen. God resides in the core of every human being.

Question 2.
What does the poem “Abou Ben Adhem” convey?
Answer:
The poem, written by Leigh Hunt, tells of a conversation between an angel and Abou.The angel, seen writing in a golden book, lists the names of all the people who love God. When Abou hears he is not on the list, he prays that the angel add his name to the list of people who love their fellow man. The following night the angel returns and tells Abou that not only has he made the list, he “led all the rest.” Hunt uses the language of the poem to convey the idea that loving your fellow man is the way one loves the Lord and is what allows an individual to become truly alive. He uses the simile “a lily in bloom” to convey flowering of the human spirit that occurs when men look beyond themselves. The poem’s message explains the best way man loves God is to love others, which brings God’s blessing. The “book of gold” symbolizes the richness a man encounters when he loves the Lord, a richness of spirit that transcends this life

Question 3.
Identify the figures of speech in the following lines from the poem.
(a) Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace.
(b) Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom.
Answer:
In the first line alliteration is used where the ‘d’ sound is used to convey sound and peaceful sleep. In the second line the poet has used simile to make comparison.

Question 4.
Write a short note on Abou bin Adhem.
Answer:
In this poem the poet describes an even in the life of Abu Ben Adhem. He was a pious man and the leader of a tribe. He had a meeting with an angel who was writing the names of those people who loved God. Abou’s name was not in it. Abou requested the angel to write his name as one who loved his fellowmen. The angel did so and vanished. The next night the angel came again into his room and showed him the names of those who had been blessed by God’s love. Abou bin Adhem’s name was at the top of the list. It means if you want to get God’s love, you should love your fellow beings.

Question 5.
Explain briefly how Abou Ben Adhem demonstrated his love for God.
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem, a pious man, demonstrated his love for God by expressing his love for mankind. He believed that to love god you need to love your fellow-beings first.

Question 6.
What is the message of the poem?
Answer:
The poem tries to convey the idea to us that a man cannot have the love of God unless he loves his fellowmen. It means that to love god we must first learn to love our and serve our fellow beings. Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living. The poem’s message explains the best way man loves God is to love others, which brings God’s blessing.

Question 1.
Explain ‘may his tribe increase.’
Answer:
The phrase, ‘may his tribe increase,’ means that may the number of good people like Abou Ben Adhem increase in this selfish and wicked world.

Question 2.
What kind of person was Abou Ben Adhem?
Answer:
Abou Ben Adhem was a pious man who believed in loving God by serving his fellow men.

Question 3.
Which poetic device is used in the line: ‘Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,’
Answer:
The poet has used a simile to compare the pure white light emanating from the angel to a white lily. The poet uses the simile “a lily in bloom” to convey flowering of the human spirit that occurs when men look beyond themselves.

Question 4.
Describe the angel. How did he look at Abou?
Answer:
The angel was emanating peace and looked pure in the white light around him. He looked at Abou in acceptance and willingly told him that he was writing a list of those who loved God.

Question 5.
What does the book of gold symbolize?
Answer:
The “book of gold” symbolizes the richness a man encounters when he loves the Lord, a richness of spirit that transcends this life.

Question 6.
What surprises Abou the next night? What message has the poet conveyed to all of us?
Answer:
The next night the angel came again into his room and showed him the names of those who had been blessed by God’s love. Abou bin Adhem’s name was at the top of the list. The message the poet conveys to us is that if you want to get God’s love, you should love your fellow beings.