Treasure Trove Poems Workbook Answers

Abou Ben Adhem

Question 1.
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: –

(a) Who was Abou Ben Adhem? What did he believe?

ANS-Abou Ben Adhem was a pious, virtuous and kind-hearted person. He

was a true devotee of God. He was also known as Ibrahim Ibn Adhem. He
believed that not only loving God, but also loving people who believed in
God is great. He sacrificed all the worldly pleasures for serving the
distressed humanity.

(b) What did Abou always think? What did the narrator wish?

ANS-Abou always thought of making welfare of the people. He could not

see anyone in trouble, so he was ever ready to help those who were found in
distress. He thought and believed that true worship of God is to serve
humanity or fellow beings. The narrator who addresses himself as Abou Ben
Adhem wished that the number of holy, virtuous, noble and kind- hearted
men like Abou Ben Adhem might increase in the world.

(c) Which incident does the poet describe in the poem? What does the poet
want to impress upon us in the poem?

ANS- The poet describes an incident which took place in the life of Abou Ben
Adhem. The poet wants to impress upon us the importance of kindness and
love to our fellow beings. He says that it is through love of fellow men that we
can get the blessings of God’s love.
(d) Why was Abou able to enjoy peaceful sleep? What was Abou doing when
the angel came in his room?

ANS- As Abou was the man of pure conscience and was free from all the evils
of the world, he always remained calm and contented and could enjoy a
peaceful sleep at night. It was night so Abou Ben Adhem was sleeping in his
room when the angel came in his room.

(e) Why did Abou wake up? What did he see? What do the words ‘dream of
peace’ and ‘rich’ suggest?

ANS- Abou woke up from his sleep because of a dazzling light. He saw the
moonlight like presence of an angel brighten the room. The words ‘dream of
peace’ suggests a peaceful dream, a dream which calms one’s mind. The word
‘rich’ suggests that the atmosphere of the room was made better by the
moonlight.

(f) Why is the moonlit room compared to a lily in bloom in Abou Ben Adhem?

ANS-The comparison of Abou Ben Adhem’s room in moonlight and in the

presence of the angel to a lily in bloom is a symbolic one. Literally, Abou’s cell
was filled with moonlight, making it silvery bright that resembled a white
budding lily in its beauty. The presence of the angel had made a
transformation of the room.

(g) Which figure of speech has been used in the line ‘Awoke one night from a
deep dream of peace.’ Give the significance of the book of gold.
Answer.

ANS- In the line given above, the figure of speech alliteration has been used.
The book of gold symbolises heavenly book. It is book on which the angels
write. This book contains the accounts of good and bad deeds of all the
human beings.

Question 2.
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
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.”

(a) What did Abou Ben Adhem see in the room when he woke from deep
sleep?
Was Abou afraid to see the sight of his room?
ANS- Abou Ben Adhem saw an angel in the room when he woke from
deep sleep. There was moonlight and peace in his room. The angel was
writing something in a book of gold. No, Abou was not afraid to see the
sight of his room.

(b) What did Abou ask the angel? What made him bold enough to do so
?

ANS- Abou asked the angel what he was writing. As Abou was noble
virtuous and peace loving, nothing could frighten him. In other words, there
was great peace in his room which made him bold and courageous.

(c) How did the angel respond to Abou’s question? Why did Abou Ben
lower his tone when the angel gave him reply?

ANS- The angel raised its head and with a look of sweet accord
answered that he was writing the names of those who loved the Lord.
Abou Ben Adhem lowered his tone when the angel gave him a reply
because he was told that his name was not included in the list of those
who love God.

(d) How did the angel look at Abou? What kind of effect did the angel’s
look have? What is the vision referred to here?

ANS- The angel looked at Abou with a face that evoked kindness. The
angel’s look had a calm and soothing effect. There was a kind of serenity at his
look which was enough to fascinate someone towards him. Angel or Abou’s
supernatural vision is referred to as the vision.
(e) For what does the phrase ‘exceeding peace’ stand? What is referred to as
the presence? What did Abou always remain calm and peaceful?

ANS-The phrase ‘exceeding peace’ stands for the peace which is beyond
comparison. The angel is referred to as the presence. As Abou was noble,
virtuous and peace loving and was free from all kinds of prejudices and evils,
he always remained calm and peaceful.

(f) What is the attitude of the narrator towards Abou Ben Adhem?

ANS- The narrator shows great admiration and respect for the protagonist. In
fact, he has used a parenthesis ‘may his tribe increase!’ within brackets in the
very first line as gesture to cast his blessings on Abou and to declare that this’
man is indeed worth remembering for generations to come.

Question 3.
“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.”

(a) Whom did Abou see in his room when he awoke from a deep sleep?
Why did Abou’s room look beautiful and bright?

ANS-Abou saw an angel in his room when he woke from a deep sleep.
Abou Ben Adhem’s room looked very beautiful and bright as a lily in
bloom due to the presence of the angel. Infact the room was illumined
with a divine light in the form of the angel.

(b) How did the angel react when Abou asked him what he was writing?
What made Abou bold to speak to the angel?

ANS- When Abou asked the angel what he was writing, the angel raised
his head with a calm and sweet look and threw a glance at Abou.

The calm state of Abou’s mind made him bold to speak to the angel.
 (c) Why was Abou curious ? How did Abou feel at the angel’s denial?
Why ?
(d) What is the sifnificance of the foilwing lines :
‘I pray thee, then,
write me as one that loves his fellow men.’
(e) Explain the following : ‘Abou spoke more low but cheerly still’.
(f) What did Abbu request the angel and why ?
(a) Abou saw an angel in his room when he woke from a deep sleep.
Abou Ben ‘ Adhem’s room looked very beautiful and bright as a lily in
bloom due to the presence of the angel. In fact the room was illumined
with a divine light in the form of the angel.

(b) When Abou asked the angel what he was writing, the angel raised his head
with a calm and sweet look and threw a glance at Abou. The calm state of
Abou’s mind made him bold to speak to the angel.

(c) Abou seemed to be very curious to know if the angel had included his
name in the list of those who love God. When the angel told him (Abou) that
his name was not in the list, he was little bit shocked and felt sad because he
had always been a true and sincere devotee of God and never committed any
kind of evil deed. He had been loving and serving his fellow beings.

(d) Abou’s request was so polite that it made a sharp contrast to his previous
communication with the angel. Moreover, it is for that politeness that the
angel could not turn down his request but wrote his name and went off.

(e) Abou lowered his tone and felt a little bit sad when the angel gave him
reply that his name was not in the list. But he could maintain his calmness due
to his nobility and kind-heartedness.

(f) Abou requested the angel to write his name as lover of the human beings
because he was kind, sympathetic and compassionate for his fellow beings
and was always ready to help them in their distress. He whole-heartedly loved
and served his fellow beings.

Question 4.
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 lol Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.
(a) What did the angel do when asked by Abou to include him in the list as the
lover of mankind ? Why did Abou not care of vanishing the angel ?
(b) What did the angel show Abou when he came the second time ? Why did
Abou feel great surprise ?
(c) Why was Abou’s name on the top of the list ?
(d) What moral does the following line ‘Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest’
bring to us ?
(e) How does the poet Leigh Hunt present the character of Abou Ben Adhem
in his poem ?
(f) What true message has the poet conveyed in the depth of the poem.
Answer.
(a) When Abou requested the angel to submit his name in the list as the lover
of human beings, the angel said nothing and remained silent for a moment,
but he wrote something in heavenly book and disappeared. When the angel
disappeared without showing any result to Abou, Abou was entirely careless
towards it because he was a pious and noble soul. For him, there was no need
to be afraid of anything as he did nothing wrong in his life.

(b) The next night, the angel came the second time with a great wakening
light. He showed Abou the names of those who had been blessed by God’s
love. Abou was extremely surprised to see his name on the top of the list.

(c) Abou’s name was on top of the list because God loves those who love their
fellow men. The reason for this is that God loves all His creatures. Among all
his creatures, God loves man most. Whoever loves God’s creatures especially
man, God also loves him.

(d) Abou was pious, kind-hearted and a man of pure conscience. He had been
loving, serving and caring his fellow beings selflessly, so his name was
included at the top of the list of those who were loved and blessed by God. It
brings us a great moral that we should love humanity and care for the people.
If we want to get God’s love, we should love our fellow beings.

(e) 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, he is bold and rather straightforward. He is not rude. He
is rather very respectful and puts his request 7 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.
And, last but not the least, Abou is a lover of the human race. His name tops
the God’s list of people who love God. Actually his love for his fellow men is
greater than the other’s love for God.

(f) The poet has beautifully pictured how each one of us should think and how
when we start thinking for others; we are truly blessed by God for our deeds.
Loving God is not meant only by saying, but it is our deeds that ultimately God
would count, and for every good deed that we do, we are being noted in
God’s book and being blessed.