VPM’s IAM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (ICSE), AIROLI

NAME STD SUBJECT DATE TOPIC

Abou Ben Adhem : Notes

X English II 4.09.2022

1. Choose the correct answers to the questions from the given options.
1. Abou Ben Adhem was a ……………………………. man.
(a)sick (b) religious (c) irreligious (d) atheist

2. Whom did Abou Ben Adhem see writing in a book of gold?

(a)An applicant (b) An architect (c) An artist (d) An angel

3. How was the moonlight in the room making it in the poem?

(a)dark (b) rich (c) frightening (d) cool

4. How did Abou Ben Adhem speak to the angel?

(a)with humility (b) rudely (c) proudly (d) he didn’t speak at all

5. Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem ………..

(a)coward (b) bold (c) sensitive (d) sad

6. What was the angel doing when Abou Ben Adhem saw?
(a)reading a holy book (b) sitting quietly (c) praying to God (d) writing in a book of
gold

7. “Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom” Here ‘rich’ means

(a)full of wealth (b) fragrant (c) colourful (d) bright

8. Which of the following words would best describe Abou Ben Adhem?
(a)bold and fresh (b) devout and compassionate (c) prayerful and anxious (d)
dreamy and peaceful
Passage -1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold:—
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

i) He could have peace because he loved his fellow men and so was able to live a
happy and stress-free life.Who was Abou Ben Adhem? What is meant by ‘may his
tribe increase’? What is theattitude of the narrator to Abou Ben Adhem?

Abou Ben Adham was a ruler of Balkh. He lived a noble life. He dedicated his life to the
service of humanity. By 'may his tribe increase' the poet prays to God that may there be
more men like Abou Ben Adhem .The narrator holds Abou in high esteem.

ii) Explain the meaning of: “deep dream of peace”. How could Abou have peace?

Abou was a man of clean conscience. He had no enemies. He had no worries. He was a
saintly man, and so he always had a peaceful, and undisturbed sleep.

iii) Describe the effect of moonlight on Abou’s room. How could Abou have peace?

Abou's room looked bright in the moonlight night. The angel looked like a lily that was
going to bloom because in the moonlight the radiant angel looked brighter and more
beautiful.He could have peace because he loved his fellow men and so was able to live a happy
and stressful life.

iv) What does Abou Ben Adhem encounter upon awakening? Give the significance of the
book of gold.

Abou saw an angel in his room. The angel was writing in a golden book. The book of gold
refers to heavenly book in which good deeds of mortals are recorded.

v) Briefly describe the second vision of Abou Ben Adhem. How does it reflect on the theme
of the poem?

When Abou Ben Adhem encountered the angel in his second vision it came with great
wakening light which awakened Abou from his peaceful sleep.

He showed Abou the list of men who had been blessed by God. To Abou’s surprise, he found
his name on the top of the list.
Passage – 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
And to the presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head, And
with a look made of all sweet accord, Answered, "The
names of those who love the Lord." "And is mine
one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," Replied the angel.
Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

i) What is referred to as the presence in the above extract?

The angel is referred to as 'the presence' in this extract. Abou asks the presence what he is
writing in the golden book.

ii) What is the vision referred to here? Why does it raise its head?

The angel is referred to as 'the vision' here. He raised his head to answer Abou's question.

iii) What does the angel tell Abou Ben Adhem in the extract?

The angel told Abou Ben Adhem that he was writing the names of those men who loved
God.

iv) What does Abou curiously ask the angel? What makes Abou low?
Abou curiously asks the angel if his name was written among those who love God. The angel
replied to him in negative which made Abou feel low.
(v) Does Abou feel disheartened at the angel’s reply? Which words tell you so? What does Abvou
request the angel to do?

Yes, Abou feels disheartened at the angel's reply but not much as his answer shows 'Abou spoke lower.
But cheerly still', and said, “I pray thee, then write me as one that loves his fellowmen”. Thus, he requests
the angel to write his name among those, who love their fellow human beings.

Passage – 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blest,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

i) What did the angel write? Describe what happened the night after the angel vanished?
The angel conceded to Abou's request and wrote his name as one who loved his fellow men.
Then the angel vanished. He appeared again the next night. He showed Abou that his name
was on the top of the list whom God loved.
ii) Briefly give a character sketch of Abou Ben Adhem.
In Leigh Hunt’s poem the character of Abou Ben Adhem is a simple yet charming one. In
the first place, he seems to be a man of calm and composure.Secondly, Ben Adhem
is bold and rather straightforward. That might be resulting from the exceeding peace of
mind, as the poet says Also, take a look at his questions “What writest thou?” “And is mine
one? They are effortless expressions of his curiosity. Only people with the simplest
mind can ask it so easily to a stranger without any preamble.Abou is not rude. He is rather
very respectful and puts his request “I pray thee, then, Write me as one that loves his fellow
men.” The poet comments “Abou spoke more low“. Here, the words ‘pray’ and ‘that’ instead
of ‘who’ mark his humble nature.Last but not the least, Abou Ben Adhem is a lover of the
human race. His name tops the God’s list of people who had been blessed by God. Actually
his love for his fellow men is greater than the others’ love for God. ‘To love man is to love
God’ is what they say. Abou has proved it and thus gets a place in the myths.
iii) Explain the following lines:

(a) It came again with a great wakening light,

The angel appeared again with such a dazzling light that awakened Abou.

(b) And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

It came to Abou as a great surprise that his name was on the top of those men whom god
had blessed with his love. The angel showed Abou a list of those men whom God loved. It
was absolutely surprising that the man who was not one among those who loved God, led
the list of those men whom God loved.

(iv) On the basis of the above extract, bring out the main theme of the poem.

The poem's main theme is finding the way to God. It suggests people can express their love
for God in the best way by being kind to their fellow human. Just expressing in words that
they love God is not enough; people need to demonstrate this love by acting in a way that God
has taught them. Service to humanity is the true worship of God. God loves those wholove
their fellow human beings.

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