ASLEEP IN THE VALLEY: ARTHUR RIMBAUD \ POEM \ W B B H S E \ CLASS 12

  

Original French    :  Le Dormeur du Val

C'est un trou de verdure où chante une rivière
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent ; où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit : c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.

Un soldat jeune, lèvre bouche ouverte, tête nue,
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort ; il est étendu dans l'herbe sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumière pleut.

Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort. Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme :
Nature, berce-le chaudement : il a froid.

Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine ;
Il dort dans le soleil, la main sur sa poitrine,
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit. 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

A small green valley where a slow stream flows

And leaves long strands of silver on the bright

Grass; from the mountaintop stream the Sun's

Rays; they fill the hollow full of light.

A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed,

A pillow made of fern beneath his head,

Asleep; stretched in the heavy undergrowth,

Pale in his warm, green, sun-soaked bed.

His feet among the flowers, he sleeps. His smile

Is like an infant's - gentle, without guile.

Ah, Nature, keep him warm; he may catch cold.

The humming insects don't disturb his rest;

He sleeps in sunlight, one hand on his breast;

At peace. In his side there are two red holes.

POET:Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet. He was also popularly known as ‘boy poet’. He expressed his literary excellence between the age of sixteen and twenty. Then he stopped writing poetry. Rimbaud was known to have been a libertine and a restless soul; He accepted that the universal life existed at the hearty of all matter. He won renown in the Symbolist movement and markedly influenced modern poetry. Rimbaud’s visionary ideals also proved attractive. He had also influenced Surrealism and Dadaism and recognized as the founding father of Modernism.

Popular Poems : A Winter Dream  : After The Flood  : Anguish  :  Antique  : Asleep In The Valley ;    Barbarian  : Being Beauteous  : Biography  : Blackcurrant River  : Bottom  : Brussels  : Childhood  : Cities Vagabonds

A symbol is literary device that contains several layers of meaning. It often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbol is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

This poem is most probably written in the October of 1877 but was published in the collection called, Anthologie  Lemerre in 1888.He was a member of Dutch Colonial Army.

 [The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the German states of the North German]

 The Setting:

 The poem is set in a war ravaged valley. More or less the  mood of the poem is melancholic. Besides, it has a tone of  appreciation of life and acceptance of death. But in the last line, there is a rude  shock when we find the soldier is actually dead and not asleep as previously described.

 SUBSTANCE:

Asleep in the Valley is a poem by the Symbolist, Arthur Rimbaud. It is an English rendering of ‘Le Dormeur du Val’.
The poem starts with ecstatic scenery. We witness a small green valley where a slow stream flowing and leaves long strands of silver on the bright grass. The mountain top stream, the Sun's rays and the hollow full of light is mesmerizing. As if he is inviting into the beautifully descriptive valley. Moreover, inner eye captures the sound of river chanting, the sights of the sunlight and the silvery sparkling of the river.                                                                                                                                             In the second stanza, a young soldier is being introduced. He is lying with his mouth open. All are curious of, what is the soldier doing in warm, green, sun-soaked bed. Here rises a question, why the soldier is being described as pale.                                                                                                                         

 In the third paragraph, the poet gives a description of the soldier . He is sleeping and has an innocent smile in his face which remind us of infant’s smile with no cares.                                                                                                 

In the fourth stanza ,cruel and  the cold reality is exposed. "The humming insects couldn't disturb his rest; it is the first hint. He sleeps in sunlight, one hand on his breast, it is the second hint and finally, it is said that,” In his side there are two red holes." Thus we came to know the young soldier met an untimely death. War, ruthlessly abbreviated his life. 

        Rhyme Scheme:

     The poem is in sonnet form but it is a perfect lyric. The octave(a set or group of eight  lines of verse rhyming together)    is divided into two quatrains (a set or group of four  lines of verse rhyming together)  and the sestet (a set or group of six  lines of verse rhyming together)   into two tercets (a set or group of three lines of verse rhyming together) . The quatrains follow the abcb rhyme scheme, and the tercets aab.

 CRITICAL APPRECIATION:

TITLE:

Irony refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence or word is actually different from the literal meaning or suggest the stark contrast of the literal meaning being put forth.

 According to the definition of Irony, the sonnet Asleep in the Valley is Ironical. The poem starts with ecstatic scenery. We witness a small green valley where a slow stream flowing and leaves long strands of silver on the bright grass. The mountain top stream, the Sun's rays and the hollow full of light is mesmerizing. As if he is inviting into the beautifully descriptive valley. But then we witness the young soldier, the victim of cruel war. His life is abbreviated untimely in war. Now, he has his eternal repose on the lap of Nature with an innocent smile on his leap. As if it is as safe, secured and lovely as mother’s lap. The octave and the sestet of the sonnet pivot round the themes ‘who is asleep in the valley?’, ‘how is he asleep? ‘and ‘is he really asleep? ’However, in the end, the futility of war is as a clear as day light. The young soldier was compelled to have an eternal sleep in the valley. So, the title is apt and appropriate.[210 words]

 HOW DOES THE POET DESCRIBE THE SOLDIER?

 Arthur Rebaud, the poet of the poem Asleep in the valley reveals the horror of modern war fare. Here we witness a young soldier is sleeping in the valley with an innocent smile on his face. The sleep seems peaceful as if he is enjoying rest of his weary limbs. Being concern of his tiredness, Nature provides him a sun soaked bed, a yellow pillow of fern, flowers at his feet and so on.He is in so deep sleep that humming insects fail to wake him up. So, such a sleep and rest probably illuminates his face with an innocent smile of an child – so natural and nothing artificial in it.But, there is an irony in the ‘sleep’ and ‘smile’. Here, ‘sleep’ means eternal sleep or death that the young soldier met in the war front; and the ‘smile’ says of the inevitable death of a soldier who are cannon fodder.[151words]

THEME:

Arthur Rimbaud in his inimitable assertiveness discusses different themes. He attempts to look into the universal life force. Here, the beauty of nature, futility of war, tragic and untimely abbreviation of the life of young soldier and compulsion of death due to war - are all treated with due importance. The beauty of nature and horrible death underline the themes. Many antithetical pictures and imageries are skillfully used to bring out the themes. Amidst the carnival of nature, the dead soldier declares that war is nothing but sheer wastage of human life and property. Promises are destroyed. Nature remains with its beauty, but mankind losses a lot. [107 words]

MESSAGE: 

The poet Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud is very critical about war fare in his poem Asleep in the Valley.Here, he draws a grave and grim picture of a untimely death of a young soldier. To him soldiers are nothing but cannon fodders. Though they are full of life and promise ,the ghastly war abbreviated every thing. Nothing in the Nature and his surrounding cease,only the breath of an invaluable youth is ceased by two bullets. Unfortunately, war is nothing but sheer wastage of human life and property.

CENTRAL IDEA:

The central idea of the poem is the death of a young soldier as a result of the war. The body of the soldier is lying amidst carnival of nature. Unfortunately life surrounds the dead young soldier.  This tells us of the truth that life is precious but death is inevitable. Death in this poem is represented as sleep; a sleep that is peaceful and never ending and is safe from all further harm.

But, the way death came to the young soldier boldly declares the futility of war. War has no glory, but life has much glory and splendor. War is the symbol of death and destruction.[108 words]

 ANTI  WAR POEM:

In spite of the beautiful imagery of the poem, it is a poem about war and its futility. The protagonist of the poem, a young soldier whose life is abbreviated in war. This untimely death is a rude shock. His grim death is inevitable. They are cannon fodder. The ‘humming insects’ is representative of the flies and insects that hover around corpses in the battlefield. Amidst the carnival of Nature in a beautiful valley, we can see the victim and destruction wrought by war. The poem is a bold irony against the sacrifice of thousands of lives for the sake of war. There is no glory in war. However, there is glory in life. It focuses more on life than death. War is the symbol of death and destruction And that is why war is futile.[136 words]

BRING OUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD ‘ASLEEP’.

The poem asleep in the valley  is ironically titled. The irony is in the word ‘Asleep’. The  word  Asleep usually means a  state of of resting or or relaxing.  Here, initially  we witnessed kind nature like a mother provides a young soldier a comfortable resting place. Significantly,   nature provides him a natural bed, pillow and  warmth.  But to our great surprise we realise that the life of the young soldier  is abbreviated by two bullets in cruel and ghastly  war.  The  soldier is not lying in the valley for  any  enjoyment, entertainment and healing.  Unfortunately, he finds his  shelter  for eternal sleep - Death. Thus,  the word  asleep  evokes  the inevitable untimely death for  a precious young lad in  war.

HOW IS THE BODY KEPT WARM?

 A soldier  is found at sleep in a valley with an innocent smile on his face.   He is in deep sleep which is eternal. He is  dead. Rimbaud , here takes the help of the Nature.  Nature provides Sun soaked bed off grasses and enough sunlight to keep the body warm.  The warmth of sun is enough to protect the body of the the young lad and no cold would be able  to touch or harm it.

Discuss the use of two contrasting pictures found in the poem Asleep in the Valley.

The poem asleep in the valley skillfully represent contrasting picture.

The beautiful and   vibrant  hollow green valley is contrasted with the 

two dip holes of bullets  in  the side of the young soldier. 

The valley in the poem isfull of life and beauty. 

There are flowers of bushes, humming of insects, smiling sun rays

and gently flowing stream.  All these enriches the beauty  and the colour

of the valley.  But when we understood that the war has abbreviated an

invaluable life of the young soldier we are shocked, in spite of the festival

of Nature.  His death marred the life and beauty  of the valley .

  It evokes horror of pitiless War.  the warmth of the Sun and  the abundance

of natural aspects is just contract to the the coldness of death.  Such

contrasting picture convince the readers of the the Futility of War

Description of the valley.

The poet Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud in his poem Asleep in the valley gives a beautiful and likely pen picture oh baby  with it flora brightly lit  in  smiling sun rays. the the softly flowing stream in the valley is decorated with parking Stars by the sun rays. the first, flowers, the bushes are in plenty there. filled with the the buzzing of insects around a young kid Soldier who is found Amit the in this festival of nature. GIF dead soldiers  is really e a shop; but accept it it is full love life and beauty.  unfortunately, the Carnival of nature has a a shortcoming which is is also to be noted. 

What are the elements of Nature found in the poem?

Arthur Rimbaud, the ‘marvelous boy of French poetry’ here skillfully

discusses and deals with  the Nature, Natural aspects and its Beauty

gainst the grim inevitability  of death in cruel warfare. The natural backdrop

is mesmerizing. the heart is related to see the valley. The high mountain

declares the pride of nature. The silvery stream and allures ourr romantic

feelings. Plenty  of vegetation and flowers are really added charm.  Even,

the green grasses and  ferns do not forget  to decorate the setting. The lap

of the Nature is  no less warm than mother's lap. The melodious tune of the

humming of the insects cannot be ignored. So, it is a carnival of nature.

Q. His smiles/ Is like an infant’s…………” – Whose ‘smile’ is referred to here? Why is his smile compared to the smile of an infant?

The smile of the young soldier seems sleeping in the valley in Arthur Rimbaud’s poem ‘Asleep in the valley’ is being referred to here.

The smile of the young soldier is compared to an infant. His smile was innocent, pure, gentle, and without guile. As he was sleeping, his face  made the poet mind oozing  affection for the untimely death and said  such words. It shows that the poet  is badly shocked. Though Nature takes the utmost care of his rest but mankind took away the precious life.

Q. “The humming insects don’t disturb his rest” – Who rests and where? Why is his rest not disturbed by the insects?

 A young soldier seems sleeping in the valley  in Arthur Rimbaud’s poem ‘Asleep in the valley’ rests.

He rests peacefully amidst a small green valley surrounded by mountains and Nature takes the utmost care of his rest.  The rest of the soldier cannot be disturbed by the humming of insects because he is in his eternal sleep. His  life  is taken away by two bullets. War abbreviated this precious  life untimely.

Q. “A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed,” – Who is the soldier referred to here? Explain precisely in your own words how the soldier lies in the valley?

The soldier is the victim of the futile war in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ by  Arthur Rimbaud.

He lay open-mouthed in the valley. Resting his head  on a pillow made of fern. He was sleeping in the heavy undergrowth  servingas a soft bed. His feet were placed among the flowers. His smiling face is compared with the innocent smile of an infant. The humming insects were trying to awake the soldier but he was sleeping peacefully under the open sky in the bright sunlight keeping one hand on his breast as he is in his eternal sleep.

Q. “In his side, there are two red holes” – Who is referred to here? What do the ‘two red holes’ signify? What attitude of the poet here?

The person referred to here is a dead  young soldier whose life is abbreviated by futile war, in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

‘The two red holes’ says of  the two bullet wounds which pierced him. The apparent peaceful sleep is nothing but his eternal sleep. He is a victim of futile war.

So, the way death came to the young soldier boldly declares the futility of war. War has no glory, but life has much glory and splendor. War is the symbol of death and destructionIt is a strong protest against the cruelties and atrocities of war. They are the cannon fodders. War just  slaughters the precious human life.

 

QUESTIONS:

1.     What picture of war do you get in the poem Asleep in the Valley?/ Anti- war poem.

2.     Give the description of the valley.

3.     Discuss the images used in Asleep in the Valley.

4.     Give the central idea of the poem.

5.     Significance of the title.

6.     His smile
Is like an infant's – Whose smile is referred here? Why is his smile compared with that of an infant ?How does the nature treat him?

7.     The title is ironical. Discuss.

8.     A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed,- Who is the soldier? What is the perspective of the poem? How is he sleeping? How is the place where he sleeps?

9.     In his side there are two red holes- What do the two red holes mean ?How is ‘the pity of the war’ reflected in the poem ? What are the themes suggested in the poem?

10.  Give the critical estimate of the poem.

11.  What is the structure of the poem?

12.  Give the summary of the poem Asleep in the Valley.

13.  What are the elements of Nature in the poem Asleep in the Valley. What specimen of plants and insects do you find in the poem?

14.  Bring out the contrast present in the poem.

15.  they fill the hollow full of light  - What is the “hollow” referred in the poem ?How does the hollow look like ? Who is lying in the hollow? How is he lying there?

16.  The humming insects don't disturb his rest; - Who is not disturbed by the insects? How is the body kept warm?  What is the actual state?

17.  What is the occasion of the poem?

18.  Give the simile used by the poet? Give the other comparisons used in the poem. 

19.  He sleeps in sunlight…….” Who is ‘he’? Where does he sleep and how? What does the word ‘sleep’ indicate?

20.  Show how the use of imagery has assisted to bring out the theme of the poem?

21.   “Ah, Nature, keep him warm; he may catch cold.” Who is ‘he’? Why may he catch cold? Why does the pet ask the Nature to keep him warm?

22.  “At peace.” Is it really peace restore to the world after the death the death of the soldier?  Give the description of the valley.