Abou Ben Adhem Summary by Leigh Hunt

Addressing himself as Abou Ben Adhem, the poet narrates the story
of a holy, religious and noble person who was a firm believer. He
was a sincere and true devotee of God. He followed the moral and
religious principles. He gave up the world for serving God and his
fellow beings. He was wholly dedicated to the service of makind. He
could see none in sorrow and distress and was ever ready to make
welfare of his fellow beings. As he did noble deeds during the day,
he would enjoy a peaceful sleep. One night while enjoying a sound
and peaceful sleep, he woke up because of dazzling light. He found
out that the bright light was due to the presence of an angel who
was writing something in a gloden book.

Being a pious man, Abou was not least afraid of the angel and the
silence in the room made him more courageous. Becoming happier
and bold and mustering up his courage, he came forward to ask the
angel of his activity of writing. He asked the angel boldly what he
was writing. The angel who was busy in writing something looked at
Abou with a clam and soothing effect. The angel, looking at Abou,
sweetly replied that he was writing the names of all those who love
God.

On hearing this from the; angel, Abou became curious to know

about his name in the list as he was also true and sincere devotee of
God and believed in ethical principles. Hence, without having any
signs of fear, he asked the angel if he had included his name in the
list. At this the angel replied him in negative. Abou was a bit taken
aback to hear this, but he was not disheartened. Then in a very
polite and cheerful tone, Abou requested the angel to write his
name in the list of those who love their fellow beings.

The angel wrote something and disappeared from Abou’s room.

Abou did not care of disappearing the angel nor did he express any
sign of worry and surprise. He remained calm at this incident. But
the next night, the angel appeared again in his room with the same
dazzling light and illumined the room with divine light. The angel
was holding the list of those who had been blessed by the love of
God. He displayed the list before Abou. When Abou saw the list, he
found it strange but true that his name was written on the top of
the list.

It makes clear that God showers his blessings upon those who,
instead of worshipping God, love and serve their fellow beings
selflessly. Those who have evil feelings for their fellow beings are
shunned by God.

Abou Ben Adhem Poem Summary Introduction

The poem entitled Abou Ben Adhem is a religious, spiritual and

enlightening poem of Leigh Hunt. The poet was a religious man
trained in a Christian hospital. He wrote this poem while still in
school. The poem has been written in a religious concept. The
London firm of Saunders and Otley published the poem in a three-
volume collection (printed between 1836 and 1838) entitled The
Book of Gems : The Poets and Artists of Great Britain, edited by
Samuel Carter Hall. The legend of Abou Ben Adhem’ was picked up
by Hunt from a French book, the Bibliotheque Orientate (1697).
According to the history, Abou Ben Adhem was the king of Balk. He
led a noble life according to the principles and teachings of the Holy
Quran. He gave up his throne to serve his fellow being. The poem
consists of one single incident involving Abou Ben Adhem, a
religious person (but it cannot be strictly identified with the king
Abou Ben Adhem).

Abou Ben Adhem is a poem that has portrayed the heavenly

feelings of a devotee or a strong believer. This poem clearly shows
that the poet who addresses himself as Abou Ben Adhem is a strong
believer in God. He believed that not only loving God, but also
loving people who believe in God is great. The poem clearly depicts
the belief one has in God. When we love God, we can love other
people. By loving other people, we can make the world a better
place and forget and forgive one another. In the poem, the poet has
tried to convey the message that by loving, serving and caring one
another, we can make the earth a better world to live in.
Abou Ben Adhem Summary Stanzawise Word-Meanings, Paraphrase
and Explanation

1. Abort Ben Adhem………………………book of gold.

Word-meanings: May……. increase = as Abou was the leader of a
tribe, he wanted that there should be a large number of people of
his tribe like him. Awoke ‘= wake up‘ suddenly from peaceful sleep.
Dream of peace = a dream soothing one’s mind. Rich *= the
atmosphere of the room was made better by the moonlight. Within
……… bloom = the moonlight-like presence of an angel. The
beautiful atmosphere of moonlit room has been compared to
blooming lily. A book of gold = a heavenly book used by the angels
to write the deeds of human beings.

Paraphrase: Once there lived, a pious, virtuous and religious man

named Abou Ben Adhem; He was a firm believer of God. He
followed ethical principles. He believed that true religion and
worship was to serve and love the fellow beings. As he was full of
spirits of love, peace, brotherhood and neighbourhood, he was ever
ready to serve and help his fellow beings in distress.

Due to being free from any kind of vices and ill-will, he lived a
spiritual life of contentment. Indeed he was a true embodiment of
nobility and goodness. He wished that there might be more people
like him. One night he was having a peaceful sleep, suddenly he
woke up from his peaceful sleep because a dazzling light brightened
his room. On waking up, he saw an angel in the moonlight. The
angel looked as beautiful as a lily in bloom. He observed closely that
the angel was busy in writing something in a heavenly book, but he
was unable to findout what the angel was writing.

Reference to the Context : These lines showing an incident that took

place in the life of holy and virtuous man named Abou Ben Adhem
who gave up physical world for serving mankind and living a
spiritual life, have been extracted from the poem entitled Abou Ben
Adhem, written by Leigh Hunt.
Here the poet narrates an incident taking place in life of Abou Ben
Adhem who was not only a holy and virtuous man but also kind-
hearted, sympathetic and compassionate for his fellow beings. Abou
lived a spiritual life of a holy saint and served the distressed
humanity.

Explanation : Once, there lived a holy and religious man. He was a

true believer. He was noble, kind-hearted and sympathetic. He was
the lover of human race. He loved his fellow beings and always
helped them in their distress and sufferings. As he was free from all
the prejudices and evils and did noble deeds, he felt great peace of
mind. At night, he would enjoy a sound and peaceful sleep.One
night, when he was sleeping peacefully in his room, a sparkling or
dazzling light woke him up. On waking up, he found out the bright
light was spreading in his room due to the presence of an angel. The
light was like a lily that was going to blossom. (In fact it was a
spiritual light. It was a kind of aura around the angel). Abou saw
that the angel was writing something in the heavenly book.

Critical Comments :

1. ‘Like bloom’ : The poet has used the figure of speech simile.
The beautiful atmosphere of moonlit room has been compared
to blooming lily.
2. A book of gold : A heavenly book on which the deeds of
human being are written for their reward after death.
3. ‘Tribe’ has been used here in the sense of people of similar
mindset as him.
4. These lines are full of visual imagery and metaphors. They
describe an awakening. ‘A deep dream of peace’ refers to a
meditative, restful state that Abou Ben Adhem was in.

2. Exceeding………………………Lord.
Word-meanings: Exceeding peace = there was great spiritual
calmness and peace in the room ; extremely peaceful. Bold =
courageous, daring. The presence = the angel who was present in
the room with great spiritual illumination. Writest = writing. Thou =
you. What ………thou = what are you writing. The vision = it also
refers to the angel. A look ………accord = a look having sweet and
soothing effect.

Paraphrase : On waking up from his sound and peaceful sleep, Abou

saw that in his room a stranger was present. It was an angel. He was
not least frightened at the sight of the angel. As he was a pious and
noble soul, nothing could frighten him. The spiritual silence made
him more courageous. But he seemed to be more curious to know
what the angel was writing in his heavenly book. Without showing
any sign of nervousness and hesitation, he asked the angel what he
was writing in the book. The angel raised his head to throw a glance
at Abou. Abou saw that the angel had a soothing effect on his face.
The angel with a face that evoked kindness answered him that he
was writing the names of all those who love God.

Reference to the Context: These lines showing how spirituality,

nobility and goodness make a man bold and courageous enough to
face any situation, have been extracted from the poem entitled
Abou Ben Adhem, written by Leigh Hunt.

Here the poet tells us that those who follow the path of morality
and nobility and always remain far from the prejudices and evils, are
ever ready to face any situation with boldness and courage. The
same thing seems to be true in the case of Abou. The presence of
the angel in his room does not move him.

Explanation: As Abou was a noble and holy soul and lived a virtuous
life, he was bold and courageous enough to face any circumstances.
Next because of being a peace loving person, he was fully contented
with his present life. A kind of peace always pervaded his room. This
also helped him in being fearless. Hence, he was not least afraid of
the heavenly presence in his room.

As a man of pure conscience, he mustered up courage to speak to

the angel. He asked him what he was writing. The angel raised his
head to look at him. Abou found that there was great serenity and
calmness at the face of the angel. His face had a soothing effect.
Instead of showing any sign of irritation and anger, the angel told
Abou in a very sweet and gentle tone that he was writing the names
of those who love God sincerely and truly.

Critical Comments :

1. The peaceful atmosphere fills the mind with a kind of spiritual

energy that helps us in being very calm even in the odd
circumstances.
2. ‘Tone accord’ : It refers to ‘a voice full of patience and
kindness.’
3. ‘What thou’ : The poet has used archaic words which refer
‘what are you writing’.
4. The presence of a divine visitor makes feel a kind of peace and
tranquility.

3. And is mine………………………fellow men.

Word-meanings : And ………one ? = in order to satisfy his curiosity,
Abou asked the angel if there was his name in the list. Nay = No
(obsolete word). Abou ………low = to hear this Abou was little bit
shocked as he was true believer. But cheerly still = but he remained
calm and cheerful as he was peace loving. Thee = you. I ………thee =
I request you. Write………men = to put his name in the list of those
who love and serve their fellow beings.

Paraphrase : As Abou Ben Adhem was a noble, kind-hearted and a

man of pure conscience, he was encouraged to ask the angel if his
name was also* included in the list of those who love God. The
angel, in a very polite way and with the same peace-giving face,
replied Abou that his name had not been added in the list. On
hearing this Abou was little bit sad, but he was calm and cheerful.
This matter did not move and discourage him as he did noble deeds
for the welfare of his fellow beings. He then politely requested the
angel to write his name as those who love God’s fellow men.

Reference to the Context: These lines showing Abou’s curiosity to

know his name in the list as he was also true believer and had been
loving and serving humanity, have been extracted from the poem
entitled Abou BenAdhem, written by Leigh Hunt.
Here the poet tells us that as Abou was sacred and religious and was
also a firm believer, he becomes curious to know about his name in
the list and after knowing that he had not been included in the list,
he remains calm and satisfied with his present.

Explanation : Abou’s pure conscience and nobility encouraged him

to ask about his name in the list. He also seemed to be very curious
to know about his name in the list as he lived a life of morality and
nobility. Hence he asked the angel if his name had been included in
the list of those who love God truly and sincerely. The angel replied
in negative. On hearing this Abou was little bit sad, but he was not
disappointed and disheartened. The next moment, he cheerfully
requested the angel to write his name as the one who loved, served
and cared for his fellow beings. Abou seemed to be satisfied with
this.

Critical Comments :

1. I pray then : The poet has used the figure of speech

alliteration.
2. Here the poet conveys a truth to us that those who are
virtuous and noble always maintain calmness and patience.
Holy souls are self controlled.
3. Holy souls are satisfied with what they possess.

4. The Angel………………………all the rest.

Word-meanings : Vanished = disappeared. It = ‘It’ refers to the
angel. Wakening light = the more sparkling light which distracts
someone ; the spritual light which has a great illumination. God had
blest = the people who had been blessed by God. Let………rest = in
this competition of writing the names in the list of God, Abou left
all behind and stood first; Abou’s name was on the top of the list.

Paraphrase : When Abou Ben Adhem requested the angel to write

his name as the one who loved his fellow men, the angel without
saying a word, wrote something in the book and disappeared. The
next night, he came again with a still glistening light and displayed
the names of those who had been
blessed by God. It was strange but true that Abou found his name
on the top of the list. In this competition of getting God’s favour
and His blessings, Abou left the others behind him and succeeded to
win God’s favour. In this way, Abou proved that the true worship is
to serve God, is to love, care and serve his creatures. Human being is
the best and the most beautiful creation of God. Hence everyone
should love God’s creatures.

Reference to the Context: These lines giving more importance to

loving, serving and caring the humanity than worshipping God,
have been extracted from the poem entitled Abou Ben Adhem,
written by Leigh Hunt.

Here, the poet through the example of Abou Ben Adhem moralises
that serving and caring humanity is to worship God. God is always
pleased with those who serve their fellow beings selflessly.

Explanation : Abou requested politely to the angel to write his name

in the list of those who love and serve their fellow beings. The
angel, without paying any heed to Abou, wrote something in his
heavenly book and disappeared from there. This incident did not
affect Abou and he remained calm and satisfied as usual. He did not
bother about the next happening. He was wholly unaware of the
reward which he was going to receive. The next night, the angel
appeared again in Abou’s room with the same aura and dazzling
light which distracted Abou and he woke up. The angel exhibited
the names of those who were blessed by God. Abou saw that his
name was on the top of the list and it led all the rest. Indeed it was
selfless love of Abou for his fellow beings that he had become the
most favourite and the dearest to God. He received God’s blessings
and His love as His true and sincere devotee.

Critical Comments :

1. Here, we see a ‘great wakening light’-so bright that it rouses

Abou awake. On a metamorphic level, this speaks of an
enlightenment.
 2. Those who are loving, caring and gentle to God’s creatures
and return good for evil and subdue their passions and forget
themselves for this, receive a great reward from God in the
form of His Love.
3. The poet brings charm and idealism to his interpretation of
religion that finds more virtue in acts of compassion rather
than just faith.
4. The poet, through the incident related to Abou’s life, imparts a
teaching that we should love our fellow men if we want to be
blessed by God’s love.

Abou Ben Adhem Summary About the Poet

James Henry Leigh Hunt, Popularly known as Leigh Hunt was bom
on October 19, 1784 in Southgate, Middlesex, England. He was the
son of a clergyman. He was educated at Christ Hospital. He was the
English essanyist, critic, jounalist and the poet. He was an editor of
influential journals in an age when the periodical was at the height
of its power. He was also a friend and supparter of the poets Percy
Bysshe Shelley and John Hearts. Hunt‘s poems, of which ‘Abou Ben
Adhem’ and his ‘Jenny Kissedme’ (both first published in 1838). an
probably the best known, rejlect his knowledge of French and
Italians unsification. His defense of Keats’ work in the Examiner
(June 1817) as ‘Poetry for its won sake’ was an important
anticipation of the veiws of the Aesthetic movement.

Hunt, at his best, in some essays and his Autobiography (1850; in

part a rewriting of Lond Byrou and Some of His Contemporaries,
(1928), has a distinctive charm. He excels in perceptive judgments
of his contemporaries, from keats to Alfred, Lord Tennyson. As a
Radical journalist, though not much interested in the details of
politics, he attacked oppression with indignation.

The poems in Juvenilia (1801), his first volume, show his love for
Italian literature. He looked to Italy for a ‘free spirit of verification’
and translated a great deal of Italian poetry and in The Story of
Rimini (1816), published in the year of his meeting with Keats, he
reintroduced a freedom of movement in English couplet verse lost
in the 18th century. From him Keats derived his delight in colour
and imaginative sensnal experience and a first acquaintance with
Italian poetry. Much of Hunt’s best verse was published in Foliage
(1818) and Hero and leader, and Bacchus and Aridne (1819)

In 1808, Leigh Hunt and his brother John had launched the weekly
Examiner, which advocated abolition of the slave trade, Catholic
emancipation and reform of Parliament and the Criminal law. For
their attack on the unpopular prince regent, the brothers were
imprisoned in 1813. Leigh Hunt, who continued to write The
Examiner in prison, was regarded as a martyr in the cause of liberty.
After his release (1815) he moved to Hampstead, home of Keats,
whom he introduced in 1817 to shelley, a friend since 1811. The
Examiner supported the new Romantic poets against attack by
Blackwood’s magazine on what it called ‘the Cockney school of
poetry,’ supposedly led by Hunt. He died on August 28, 1859 in
Putney, London.

Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers

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Critical Appreciation of the Poem Abou Ben Adhem

Introduction :
The poem entitled Abou Ben Adhem is one of the most popular, inspirational
and moral giving poem written by Leigh Hunt. It imparts as great moral to all
that the best service to God is to serve and love humanity. It teaches us that God
blesses only those who have sympathetic and merciful attitude towards their
fellow beings and are always ready to help them in their distress. The poem is a
literary gem based on the spirit of frantemity.

First published in The Amulet (1834) by S.C. Hall, the poem is Hunt’s
rendering of a divine encounter between an angel and the Sufi mystic, Ibrahim
Bin Adhem. Incidently, the poem draws from Arabian lore where in the Islamic
month of Nous Sha’aban, God takes the golden book of mankind and chooses
those dear to Him who He will call in the coming year. Thus indirectly, this is
also a poem about a ‘blessed death’. It is a fitting tribute then, that the verse
“Write me as one who loves his fellow men’ came to be used in Hunt’s epitaph.

Thought-Content :
In the poem, the poet through the example of Abou Ben Adhem who was a
noble, holy, kindhearted and religious man, wants to awaken the feelings of
love, brotherhood and humanity in us. The poet narrates an incident which took
place in his life. Once Abou Ben Adhem was sleeping peacefully in his room.
Suddenly he woke up from his sleep because of a dazzling light. He saw an
angel writing something in a beautiful golden book. He asked the angel what he
was writing. The angel replied in a very calm, sweet and soothing voice that he
was writing the name of those who love God truly and sincerely.

’ Abou was a true devotee of God and always followed the ethical values and
principles of religious books. So, he curiously asked the angel if his name was
in the list of those who love God. At this, the angel denied. This somewhat
puzzled Abou but he did not feel depressed and in a cheerful tone requested the
angel to include his name in the list of those who love, care and serve their
fellow beings.

After writing something in the heavenly book, the angel disappeared. But, the
next night, the angel appeared again in Abou’s room with the same dazzling
light and showed him the list of those who had been blessed by God. Abou was
extremely surprised to see his name on the top of the list. This clearly proves
that God is always inclined to those who love and serve their fellow beings.

Moral of the Poem :

Through the poem, the poet wants to convey to us that we should be kind,
sympathetic and compassionate towards our fellow beings. We should serve
humanity selflessly. If we love our fellow beings, we find ourselves very close
to God. God loves and blesses those who love His creatures. In the poem, Abou
Ben Adhem is a glaring example to us. Abou was whole heartedly dedicated to
the service of mankind, He helped his fellow beings in their sufferings and
distress. Ultimately, he won the greatest favour of God as His love and
blessings.

This poem also teaches us that if we develop the spirits of love, peace,
brotherhood and neighbourhood, we will make great contribution making the
earth a place worth living.

The Use of Imageries and Symbols :

The poet seems to be very cautious about the imageries used in the poem. Abou
gets up from ‘a deep dream of peace’-which shows that Abou is content with
himself, as only a happy joyous child can have a peaceful dream. The peace in
the dream is further extended to the conversation with the angel as the poet
writes ‘Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold’ making us, aware that it is
only in a peaceful environment that revelations, such meeting with angel can
happen. Then the poet compares the atmosphere with a lily in bloom’
suggesting its beauty.

‘The book of gold’ symbolises the richness you counter when you love God. It
is the richness of the spirit. “Wakening light’ symbolises a state in which you
achieve awareness of God.

Supernatural Elements :
The poem contains eerie quality. The poet’s using certain phrases like deep
dream of peace, book of gold, the presence in the room, the vision, great
wakening light, adds to the supernatural quality of the poem. Abou’s waking up
in the middle of the night, the moon light brightening the room, the angel’s
writing in a golden book, the vision with a face full of kindness and the angel’s
coming again with a great wakening light is magical and unbelievable.

Form and Structure of the Poem :

The form of the poem is parable. It narrates a brief incident to bring home the
main idea. The poem imparts us a moral or message that God loves those who
love their fellow men. The poem has eighteen lines in total, with first fourteen
lines comprising the first stanza and last four lines, the second stanza The first
stanza depicts Abou’s first meeting with the aqgel and the second stanza depicts
the angel’s coming to Abou for the second time with revelation that Abou has
received his place on the top of the list of those people who are blessed by the
love of God.
Hunt has written the poem in rhyming pairs of lines (couplets). In other words,
line first rhymes with line second (increase, peace), line third with line fourth
(room, bloom), line fifth with line sixth (gold, bold) and so on. All of the end
rhymes are masculine rather than feminine. In masculine rhyme, only the final
syllable of one line rhymes with the final syllable of another line. In feminine
rhyme with the final two syllables of another line, as in ringing and singing. The
poem also contains internal rhyme, as in line first to three :

‘Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase !)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room)

The meter of the poem varies. Most of the lines ten syllables that frequently
consist of five iambs, as in line third and five.

The Use of Archaic or Classical Words :

The poet seems to be very conscious of his choice of language. When Abou
rises from his peaceful dreams and meets the angel, the poet consciously frames
Abou’s question in classical English as he asks, “what writest thou ?’ Similarly
when Abou Requests the angel to include his name in the list of the people who
love their fellow beings, he starts with T pray tree’. It is clear that the poet
shows his fondness for the classical or archaic Words.

The Use of Figures ojf Speech :

The poet has used the figure of speech simile in the following lines :
‘….. and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold.’’

In the above lines, the poet compares the splendour and freshness of the angel to
that of the lily in bloom’.
The poet has used the figure of speech alliteration in the following lines :

1. ‘Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace.’

2. Answered, ‘The names of those who love the Lord.’
 While not as well known as some of his contemporaries, Leigh Hunt was an
important figure of the Romantic Movement in England. He is better known
for helping get the work of poets like John Keats published than he is for
his own poetry. But, he was a poet, and in  ‘Abou Ben Adhem’ he tells the
story of Ibrahim bin Adham, a Sufi saint.

The story goes that he meets an angel who has been tasked with writing a
list of all the people that God loves. Abou Ben Adhem realizes that his
name isn’t on the list, that is until Hunt tells the angel that he is a man who
loves his “fellow men”. This shifts the balance and the next day the angel
has a new list, one that features the names of everyone blessed by God,
and Adhem’s name is at the top. 

Explore Abou Ben Adhem

 1 Summary of Abou Ben Adhem
 2 Themes in Abou Ben Adhem
 3 Structure of Abou Ben Adhem
 4 Literary Devices in Abou Ben Adhem
 5 Analysis of Abou Ben Adhem 
 6 Similar Poetry
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Summary of Abou Ben Adhem

‘Abou Ben Adhem’ by Leigh Hunt speaks on God’s love and
Christian morals of love, peace, and care for one’s neighbor.

In the first lines of this poem, Hunt starts out the story of Abou Ben Adhem
by blessing him. He has just woken up from a “deep dream of peace” to a
lovely room that’s filled with moonlight. It turns out that it was an angel
that woke him. The angel is writing in a book, taking down the names of all
those who love God. 

Adhem realizes that his name is not on the list. So, rather than ask to be
added, he tells the angel to make a list of people who love their “fellow
men” and put his name on it. Through this request, his name gets added to
a list of those blessed by God. 

Themes in Abou Ben Adhem

Throughout ‘Abou Ben Adhem,’  Hunt engages with themes of love, religion,
and morality. He is challenged by the fact that his name is not on the initial
list that the angel is writing, but is not deterred. He knows that through his
faith he is a kind and good soul and was creative enough to find a way to
prove it. This poem is narrative in nature, but it also has elements of a fable.
It tells a story that helps to teach a lesson to the reader. If one wants to be
close to God, all they have to do is love their “fellow men”. It is this love
that is at the root of Christianity, Hunt is suggesting. 

Structure of Abou Ben Adhem

‘Abou Ben Adhem’ by Leigh Hunt is a two stanza narrative poem. The first
stanza contains fourteen lines and the second is much shorter with only
four. Hunt chose to make use of a very simple rhyme scheme. The poem is
divided into couplets, rhyming AABBCCDD, and so on. All the rhymes are
perfect/full throughout as well. This format is perfectly suited for a narrative
poem that tells a story. 
Just like the rhyme, the meter is very well structured. Most of the lines are
written in what is known as iambic pentameter. This means that the
majority contain five sets of two beats. The first of these is unstressed and
the second is stressed. But, there are some exceptions. There are certain
instances in which Hunt switches the arrangement of the stresses. For
example, line ten begins with a trochee rather than an iamb. Another good
example is in line two where the words “deep dream” are both stressed,
creating a spondee. 

Literary Devices in Abou Ben Adhem

Hunt makes use of several literary devices in ‘Abou Ben Adhem’.  These
include but are not limited to examples of similes, caesurae, and alliteration.
There is a good example of a simile in the fourth line of the first stanza. It
reads “Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom”. Here, he creates
a comparison using the word “like,” a clear sign of a simile. It helps to
create the atmosphere of the poem and allow the reader to envision the
room. 

There are also a few examples of caesurae in this piece. This technique is
seen when a line is split with punctuation. For example, line eight reads:
“What writest thou?”—The vision raised its head” or line twelve: “Replied
the angel. Abou spoke more low”. 

Alliteration is a common literary device that is used to increase the rhyme

and/or rhythm of a poem. For example, “deep dream” in line two of stanza
one as ell as “love” and “Lord” in line ten of the same stanza. 

 
Analysis of Abou Ben Adhem 
Stanza One 
Lines 1-5 

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:— 
In the first stanza of ‘Abou Ben Adhem,’  the speaker begins by blessing the
Sufi saint, asking that his “tribe increase” or that his family flourishes and
expands. He should, the speaker hopes, have a good life ahead of him.
Next, he moves smoothly into an account of the man’s life, and the defining
moment that makes it memorable. Adhem woke up one night from a
dream of peace into a room that was filled with moonlight and “rich” with
loveliness. It was like, the speaker says, a “lily in bloom”. With these great
examples of imagery the poet sets the tone and creates a very particular
atmosphere. 

Next, the man looks around him and realizes that what woke him was “An
angel writing in a book of gold”. 

Lines 6-10 

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.” 
The sixth line explains to the reader that Adhem was in such as state, due to
the overwhelming peace and beauty of the scene, that he had the courage
to ask the angel what was written in the book. “Exceeding peace” took him
over. It is important to note that throughout the poem the angel is referred
to as “angel,” “the presence,” or “it,” never as “he” or “she”. 

The angel tells Adhem very simply that it’s writing down the “names of
those who love the  Lord”. Of course, this gets Adhem’s attention and in the
next lines, he inquires about himself. 

Lines 11-14 

“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.”
The angel tells Adhem that he’s not one of the names on the list. But,
Adhem is not defeated. He’s not ready to give in to despair as another man
might. Instead, he remains cheery and tells the angel that he should write
Adhem’s name down as one who “loves his fellow men”. This is a slight
twist in the poem as a reader might’ve been expecting the saint to ask that
he be added to that very list. Instead, he goes a different route in the hopes
of proving to God that he is a good person. 

Stanza Two 
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.
The second stanza is only four lines long, providing a short, to the point
conclusion to the story. The angel wrote down what Adhem asked him too
and then came back the next night. The light was “awakening” when the
angel returned, meaning that Adhem was once more awoken by it. On the
new list that the angel brought, Adhem’s name “led all the rest” it was right
at the top of the list of those who love God and have been blessed. 

Similar Poetry
Religion is perhaps the most commonly expressed theme and topic in the
history of poetry. Writers from around the world, from every different faith
and ethnicity, have taken it on as the main subject of at least some of their
poems. Others, devote themselves entirely to God and faith in their writing.
Readers should look into the following poems for more examples of faith-
based writing: ‘Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness’ by John Donne, ‘The
Collar’ by George Herbert, ‘Ash-Wednesday’ by T.S. Eliot,
and ‘Savior’ by Maya Angelou.