Class 12 Chapter 1.2 Solution
Asleep in the Valley
1. MCQs Questution Answer
1. The sleep of the soldier should not be disturbed
a) by the flowing stream
b) by the flow of sunrays from the mountaintop
c) by the humming insects ✔
d) by the cold of the grass bed
2. The humming insects don’t disturb the soldier, in ‘Asleep in the Valley’, because
a) he is asleep
b) he is tired
c) he is peaceful
d) he is dead ✔
3. The feet of the young soldier was kept
a) in thick bushes
b) in the pile of sand on the riverbank
c) in the heap of flowers ✔
d) on the green grass of the sunlit valley
4. In the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ there are two red holes in the soldier’s
a) head
b) breast
c) side ✔
d) feet
5. The smile of the dead soldier is compared to that of
a) an infant ✔
b) an angel
c) an innocent child
d) a tired man
6. The only sound in the valley is that of the
a) bullets
b) soldier snoring ✔
c) humming insects
d) bird’s singing
7. The smile of the soldier in ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is
a) cunning
b) foolish
c) gentle ✔
d) absurd
8. “… gentle without guile.” Here ‘without guile’ means
a) pure and innocent ✔
b) harsh and cruel
c) kind and childish
d) manly
9. The soldier’s innocence is indicated through
a) face
b) smile ✔
c) rest
d) death
10. The colour that brings out the tragedy of war in ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is
a) green
a) silver
c) red ✔
d) golden
11. One hand of the soldier is on his
a) face
b) gun
c) breast ✔
d) side
12. The feet of the soldier are lying on
a) a log
b) some ferns
c) a pillow
d) an array of flowers ✔
13. The innocence of the soldiers is expressed best through his
a) sleep
b) posture
c) smile ✔
d) weapons
14. The smile of the soldier in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is
a) gentle ✔
b) witty
c) foolish
d) cunning
15. As the soldier is sleeping in the open air, it is apprehended that he may
a) catch cold ✔
b) enjoy his sleep
c) be stung by some insects
d) awaken very soon
16. The soldier sleeps in the
a) night
b) twilight
c) dusk
d) sunlight ✔
17. The soldier keeps one of his hands
a) inside his pocket
b) on his breast ✔
c) on his head
d) on his side
18. The two red holes are marks of
a) stabs
b) bullets ✔
c) bayonets
d) glory
19. Rimbaud wrote the poem when he was probably only
a) 16 years old ✔
b) 18 years old
c) 17 years old
d) 23 years old
20. The innocence of the soldier is compared with
a) an old man
b) a flower
c) a child ✔
d) humming insects
21. The poet in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ has used
a) images ✔
b) personifications
c) symbols
d) Dall of these
22. The end of the poem produces
a) shock ✔
b) satisfaction
c) delight
d) none of these
23. While sleeping in the sunlight, the soldier
a) smiles at the outcome of a war
b) catches a severe cold
c) sees a beautiful dream
d) has one hand on his breast ✔
24. The feet of the soldier are placed among the
a) insects that hum
b) grass that has a lush growth
c) flowers that grow abundantly ✔
d) the bed of ferns
25. The marks of wound of the soldier are
a) on his head
b) in his side ✔
c) on his chest
d) in his leg
26 The smile of the soldier sleeping in the valley is
a) gentle but cunning
b) gentle and warm
c) gentle without guile ✔
d) cold but peaceful
27. The soldier in the poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley’, has died due to
a) wounds made by bullets ✔
b) the excessive heat of the sun
c) a bite of a poisonous insect
d) none of these
28. The side of the soldier is
a) full nerved and still warm
b) cold as the soldier is sleeping
c) warm as it receives the rays of the sun
d) marked by blood spots due to bullet injuries ✔
29. The insects in the valley are
a) making a buzzing sound to wake up the soldier ✔
b) stinging the soldier
c) busy in collecting honey from the flowers
d) leaving the place for its cold climate
30 . The sleep of the soldier is deep because
a) he has not slept for hours
b) he has found a comfortable bed
c) he is dead ✔
d) he is not disturbed by any external agents
31. The mouth of the soldier is open because
a) he is shivering in cold
b) he is feeling hot
c) he was eating before falling asleep
d) he is sleeping peacefully ✔
32 The word ‘infant’ means
a) a soldier
b) an eccentric
c) Christ
d) a child ✔
33.The word ‘guile’ means
a) innocence
b) pretensions ✔
c) prominent
d) gentle
34. The word ‘humming’ means
a) shouting
b) making a continuous, low sound ✔
c) sobbing
d) sniffling
35. Peace in the poem suggests
a) without any tension ✔
b) without happiness
c) without any care
d) without rest
36. The words ‘red holes’ mean
a) blood clots
b) bullet wounds ✔
c) red flowers in the valley
d) none of these
37. The soldier’s smile is like
a) an old man
b) a flower
c) a child’s ✔
d) the sun
38. The feet of the soldier rest among
a) ferns
b) grass
c) flowers ✔
d) sunlight
39. The smile of the soldier is
a) dreamy
b) cold
c) spontaneous
d) gentle ✔
40. The insects of the valley are
a) humming ✔
b) stinging
c) chanting
d) flying
41 One hand of the dead soldier rests on his
a) head
b) bosom ✔
c) side
d) lips
42. In the side of the soldier there are
a) bullet wounds ✔
b) arrows
c) flowers
d) tattoos
43. The poet apprehends that the soldier may catch
a) his death
b) an infection
c) a fever
d) a cold ✔
44. The soldier lies in the valley because he is a
a) winner of the war
b) sleeping person
c) casualty of war ✔
d) chocolate-cream soldier
45. The poet requests Nature
a) to lull the soldier to sleep
b) to disturb the soldier’s sleep
c) to keep the soldier warm ✔
d) to make the soldier catch cold
46. The red holes denote
a) arrow piercing
b) stab marks
c) blood clots
d) bullet wounds ✔
47. In the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ the bullet wounds have left two red holes
a) in the chest of the soldier
b) in the side of the soldier ✔
c) on the skull of the soldier
d) on the feet of the soldier
48. The two red holes in the soldier’s body depict
a) blood clots
b) bullet wounds ✔
c) wounds of snow-bite
d) stab marks
49. The soldier’s one hand lies
a) on his head
b) on his forehead
c) on his cheek
d) on his breast ✔
50. One of the soldier’s hands is resting
a) on his head
b) on the ground
c) on his breast ✔
d) upon the flowery land
2. Very Short Question Answer
1. Where does the young soldier lie?
Ans. The young soldier lies asleep in the valley.
2. How does the stream flow through the valley?
Ans. The stream flows slowly leaving long strands of silver.
3. Where from the sun’s rays come?
Ans. The sunrays come from the mountaintop.
4. Where does the stream leave ‘long strands of silver’?
Ans. In the small green valley, the stream leaves long strands of silver.
5. Through what does the stream mentioned in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’ flow?
Ans. The slow stream flows through the valley.
6. How does the stream look like in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
Ans. The stream looks like long strands of silver.
7. “… they fill the hollow”-What does the word ‘hollow’ mean here?
Ans. The word ‘hollow’ suggests a valley surrounded by mountains.
8. What are the sunrays compared with?
Ans. The sunrays are compared to a softly flowing stream.
9. How is the young soldier lying?
Ans. The young soldier is lying open-mouthed in the valley with a pillow of ferns under his head.
10. What is meant by ‘heavy undergrowth’?
Ans. ‘Heavy undergrowth’ suggests the plentiful growth of bushes and plants in the Valley.
What does the epithet, ‘very young’, suggest in the poem?
Ans. The epithet ‘very young, suggests that young men go to the battlefield, and are sacrificed ) in the warfare. [‘Very young’
15. In what manner does the soldier lie in the countryside?
Or, How does the soldier lie?
Ans The soldier lies asleep in the valley, with his mouth open and one of his hands resting on his chest.
16. What is the soldier’s pillow made of? ]
Ans. The soldier’s pillow is made of ferns
17. What does the slow stream leave on the bright grass?
Ans. The slow stream leaves on the bright grass long strands or ribbons of silver.
18. What is there beneath the head of the soldier?
Ans. There is a pillow made of fern beneath the head of the soldier. আছে।]
19. How is the grass in the valley?
Ans. There is plenty of bright green grass in the valley
20. What role is played by the sun’s rays?
Ans. The sun’s rays fill up the valley with light.
21. “…from the mountaintop stream…”-What is streaming from the mountaintop?
Ans. The sun’s rays are streaming from the mountaintop.
22. Where are the feet of the soldier?
Ans. The feet of the soldier are lying among the flowers in the valley.
23. How does the poet describe the soldier’s smile?
Ans. The smile of the soldier is that of an infant, gentle and innocent.
24. “He may catch cold”-Why does the poet fear so?
Ans. The poet fears so because the soldier is sleeping under the open sky
3. Short Question Answer
1. How is the bed of the dead soldier?
Ans. The bed of the soldier is made of soft grass and plants with a pillow made of ferns and this natural bed has soaked the warmth of the sun.
2. Give an example of an image used by Rimbaud in the poem?
Ans. An image used by Rimbaud in the poem is the sunrays filling up the hollow like a stream.
3. What is meant by the phrase ‘sun-soaked bed’?
Ans. The phrase ‘sun-soaked bed’ suggests that the valley absorbs the warmth of the sun and lush vegetation grows there abundantly
4. A pillow made of fern beneath his head”-What does this line imply?
Ans. This line shows how Nature, out of sympathy, forms a pillow of ferns to support the head of the dead soldier.
5. What did the poet ask Nature to do?
Ans. The poet asks Nature to take pity on the soldier sleeping in the valley and provide him warmth so that he may not catch a cold.
6. How can it be said that the soldier is sleeping in peace?
Ans. The soldier is not disturbed either by the humming of insects or by cold weather as he rests his hand on his breast and thus sleeps peacefully
7. How is the soldier’s innocence described?
Ans. The innocence of the soldier is described through his smile which is gentle and without any trickery.
8. How do you know that the valley is rich in its flora and fauna?
Ans. The valley has different flowers, different species of plants and insects and it proves that its flora and faunaare quite rich
9. What is the setting of the poem?
Ans. The setting of the poem is probably the Franco-Russian war of 1877 or the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.
10. What type of a poem is ‘Asleep in the Valley’? [‘Asleep in the Valley’
Ans. ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is a sonnet, having two stanzas of four lines each and two stanzas of three lines each.
11. How can you say that ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is an anti-war poem?
Ans. ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is an anti-war poem because the ending of the poem evokes our pity at the untimely and unfortunate death of a young soldier. [‘Asleep in the Valley’
12. How does the reader recognize that the soldier is asleep in a different sense?
Ans. The expression ‘two red holes’ at the end of the poem makes the reader recognize that the soldier is asleep a different sense.
13. What is described as ‘gentle, without guile’?
Ans. The smile of the dead soldier is described as ‘gentle, without guile!
4. Long Question Answer
1. Describe the small valley after Rimbaud as you find it in ‘Asleep in the Valley’.
Ans. Arthur Rimbaud in his poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley, gives a beautiful picture of a valley. The vegetation of the valley is nourished by the sunlight and the sparkling waters of the silvery stream that moves softly at its will beautifies the valley. The whole valley looks bright and lovely as the sunlight fills up the place. Ferns grow in plenty and the soldier,
sleeping in the valley, has a pillow of ferns underneath his head. There is also a wide variety of flowers of different colours. Besides, there are also various species of insects. They sweetly hum near the soldier. The landscape is so beautiful that the reader receives a rude shock when he comes to know that the soldier is actually dead.
2. “A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed”. What is the perspective of the poem? Who is the soldier? How is he sleeping? How is the place where he sleeps?
Ans. The poet, Arthur Rimbaud was a soldier himself. His first- hand experience has impelled him to depict the futility of warfare in this poem.
The soldier is a victim of war and lies dead in a beautiful valley.
• The soldier is sleeping peacefully in a sunlit valley. His bed is warm after soaking the sunlight that protects the soldier from the cold. He is sleeping with a pillow of ferns under his head. His feet are among the flowers that grow in the valley. He lies open-mouthed with an innocent childlike smile on his face and one hand on his breast.
• The valley where the soldier sleeps is attractive because of its greenery. The place surrounded by mountains is warm as it receives abundant sunrays. Insects hum around the place full of flowers
3. “… they fill the hollow full of light.”-What is the ‘hollow’ referred to in the line? How does the hollow look? Who is lying in the hollow? How is he lying there?
Ans. The hollow in the line refers to the beautiful green valley. • The valley is small yet green. It is surrounded by high mountains. A stream flows softly through it. As the sun shines from the top of the mountain, the sunrays fill the valley with their brightness (ব্রাইটনেস). The flowers and insects increase the beauty of the valley. In fact, everything in the valley except the soldier is full of life and energy.
• A young soldier, appears to be lying asleep in the valley.
• He lies open mouthed with an innocent smile on his face. His head is supported by a pillow made of ferns. The green grass of the valley serves as his bed. It appears that he is sleeping. In reality, he is lying dead with two bullet wounds in his side.
4. How does the soldier lie in ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
Or, How has the poet described the sleeping soldier?
Ans. The soldier who is quite young, lies peacefully in the midst of a beautiful valley. The warm sunrays make the atmosphere pleasant. The soldier is lying relaxed in this valley. The heavy undergrowth of the valley has prepared a soft bed for the soldier. The ferns make a pillow for the fatigued soldier. Flowers serve as a cushion for his tired feet. The rhythmic hum of the insects lull him to sleep. The soldier seems to enjoy his rest as he has one hand on his breast, a posture of peace. But the red holes in the side of the soldier belies his blissful state. Readers
5. Describe the small valley after Rimbaud as you find it in ‘Asleep in the Valley’
Ans. Arthur Rimbaud in his poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley, gives a beautiful picture of a valley. The vegetation of the valley is nourished by the sunlight and the sparkling waters of the silvery stream that moves softly at its will beautifies the valley. The whole valley looks bright and lovely as the sunlight fills up the place. Ferns grow in plenty and the soldier,
sleeping in the valley, has a pillow of ferns underneath his head. There is also a wide variety of flowers of different colours. Besides, there are also various species of insects. They sweetly hum near the soldier. The landscape is so beautiful that the reader receives a rude shock when he comes to know that the soldier is actually dead.
6. “A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed”. -What is the perspective of the poem? Who is the soldier? How is he sleeping? How is the place where he sleeps?
Ans. The poet, Arthur Rimbaud was a soldier himself. His first- hand experience has impelled him to depict the futility of warfare in this poem.
The soldier is a victim of war and lies dead in a beautiful valley.
• The soldier is sleeping peacefully in a sunlit valley. His bed is warm after soaking the sunlight that protects the soldier from the cold. He is sleeping with a pillow of ferns under his head. His feet are among the flowers that grow in the valley. He lies open-mouthed with an innocent
childlike smile on his face and one hand on his breast. • The valley where the soldier sleeps is attractive because of its greenery. The place surrounded by mountains is warm as it receives abundant sunrays. Insects hum around the place full of flowers.
7.”… they fill the hollow full of light. “What is the ‘hollow referred to in the line? How does the hollow look? Who is lying in the hollow? How is he lying there?
Ans. The hollow in the line refers to the beautiful green valley. • The valley is small yet green. It is surrounded by high mountains. A stream flows softly through it. As the sun shines from the top of the mountain, the sunrays fill the valley with their brightness The flowers and insects increase the beauty of the valley. In fact, everything in the valley except the soldier is full of life and energy.
• A young soldier, appears to be lying asleep in the valley.
• He lies open mouthed with an innocent smile on his face. His head is supported by a pillow made of ferns. The green grass of the valley serves as his bed. It appears that he is sleeping. In reality, he is lying dead with two bullet wounds in his side.
8. How does the soldier lie in ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
Or, How has the poet described the sleeping soldier?
Ans. The soldier who is quite young, lies peacefully in the midst of a beautiful valley. The warm sunrays make the atmosphere pleasant. The soldier is lying relaxed in this valley. The heavy undergrowth of the valley has prepared a soft bed for the soldier. The ferns make a pillow for the fatigued soldier. Flowers serve as a cushion for his tired feet. The rhythmic hum of the insects lull him to sleep The soldier seems to enjoy his rest as he has one hand on his breast, a posture of peace. But the red holes in the side of the soldier belies his blissful state. Readers
9. Bring out the futility of war expressed by the poet in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.
Or, Discuss ‘Asleep in the Valley’ as an anti-war poem.
Ans. The poem, ‘Asleep in the Valley, written by the French poet Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud, reveals the horror of modem warfare. The poem opens with a beautiful view of a valley where a soldier is found sleeping. However, at the end of the poem a closer look reveals that the soldier has two bullet-wounds on his body. He is a casualty of war. The poem implies the suffering of the soldier that he was forced to endure in the battlefield. His rest or sleep is in exact opposition to his previous activity, as it is a perpetual sleep. Grimdeath is the inevitability of war and the poem ironically presents the monstrous destruction that a soldier has to experience in a warfare. By showing this utter meaninglessness or futility of war and by revealing the pity of war, the poem expresses its strong anti-war sentiment. [Asleep in the Valley
10. Briefly analyse the use of images in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’
Ans. See ‘Use of Images’ in ‘Introduction to the Poem: [
11. “His smile is like an infant’s Whose smile is referred to here? Why is his smile compared with that of an infant? How does nature treat him?
Or. “His smile is like an infant’s”-Whose ‘smile’ is being referred to here? Explain the comparison in the given lines? How does nature take care of him?
Ans. The smile of the soldier, sleeping in the valley, is referred to here.
The soldier, sleeping peacefully in the valley, has a beautiful smile on his face. His face has no guile. It appears that after tiring labour in the battlefield, he has got a chance to rest his weary limbs. The peace the soldier is enjoying during his sleep, makes his smile as innocent as that of a child.
• The sufferings of the soldier seem to be removed by the comforts provided by the Nature. Nature provides a sun- soaked bed for the tired soldier and supports his head on a pillow made of ferns. Moreover, Nature places flowers at his feet to show her respect for the dead soldier.
12. Justify the title of the poem ‘Asleep in the valley’.
Or, Do you agree that the word ‘sleep’ is used in an ironical way
in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’? Can you suggest another title of this poem? [
Ans.
The title ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is ironical. Irony lies in the word ‘Asleep’ because the soldier is not sleeping. He is found dead with two bullet injuries visible in his side. The soldier is a victim of war. So the title of the poem carries with it a sense of safety, beauty and peace but the end of the poem cancels these elements by the shocking discovery of the death of the soldier. The soldier’s sleep is actually the eternal sleep of death. Such a contrast reveals that the poem is ironically titled and the poet uses
the title to expose the atrocities of war and its futility in a subtle manner.
Another title of the poem may be ‘The Sleeping Soldier. [‘Asleep in the Valley’