ABOU BEN ADHEM

---Leigh Hunt
PASSAGE – 1
a)Identify the poem and the poet.
Ans. The poem is Abou Ben adhem and the poet is Leigh Hunt.
b) Who is Abou Ben Adhem?
Ans. Abou Ben Adham was a ruler of Balkh. He lived a noble life. He
dedicated his life to the service of his humanity. By 'may his tribe
increase' the poet prays to God that men like Abou may increase . The
narrator holds Abou in high esteem.
c)What does the poet mean by ‘may his tribe increase’? Why did
the poet put the phrase in parenthesis (brackets)?
Ans. The poet means that the number of good people like Abou Ben
Adhem should increase in this selfish and wicked world.
It is the wish of the poet that the persons like Abou Ben Adhem should
be ample in our earth. But in the real world it is the scarcity. The society
is lacking in producing such noble persons. As it is the wish of the poet,
so it is kept in brackets.
d) Describe the setting in your own words in which Abou woke up
from his dream.
Ans. 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.
e) What dcoes the poet try to through the comparison with ‘a lily in
bloom’?
Ans. 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.
f) What was the angel writing in the book of gold?
Ans. iv)  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. The angel was writing the names of
those who love God.

PASSAGE – 2
i) The angel is referred to as 'the presence' in this extract. Abou asks the
presence what he is writing in the golden book.
ii) The angel is referred to as 'the vision' here. He raised his head to
answer Abou's question.
iii) The angel tells Abou that he was writing the names of those men who
loved God.
iv) Abou is curious to know if his name is also there among those who
love God. Abou is not dishearted. But he is more humble and polite. The
angel's reply does not dishearten Abou. The words  'But cheerly still' tell
us that he was not disheartened.  Very politely and cheerfully he
requests the angel to write  his name among those who love their fellow
humans.
PASSAGE – 3
i) 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) Abou Ben Adhem was not strictly a religious man. He did not worship
God. He just served every human who needed any help. But God was
pleased with him. God loved him because he loved his creation. 
iii)
 (a) The angel appeared again with such a dazzling light that awakened
Abou. 
(b) 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.
iv) 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. 
v)   The theme of the poem is simple. Service to humanity is  the true
worship of God. God loves those who love their fellow human beings.