Abou Ben Adhem - Leigh Hunt | BOSEM Class 9 English Literature Reader

Board of Secondary Education Manipur
English Literature Reader (Poetry)

Class: IX
Chapter: 1

Abou Ben Adhem

James Henry Leigh Hunt

Substance of the Poem

The poem "Abou Ben Adhem" by Leigh Hunt discusses the themes of God's love and Christian values such as love, peace, and care for one's neighbor. The story begins with Abou Ben Adhem being blessed by the narrator. He awakens from a "deep dream of peace" in a beautiful moonlit room, having been awakened by an angel. The angel is seen writing in a book, recording the names of those who love God.

Abou Ben Adhem notices that his name is not included in the list. Instead of requesting to be added, he instructs the angel to create a separate list for people who love their "fellow men" and to include his name on it. As a result of this selfless request, his name is added to a list of those blessed by God. This demonstrates the poem's focus on the importance of love for humanity and the moral values it represents.

Detailed Analysis of the Poem

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 initial section of the poem 'Abou Ben Adhem,' the speaker commences by bestowing blessings upon Abou Ben Adhem, expressing a desire for his "tribe to increase," signifying the wish for his family to prosper and grow. The speaker hopes for a promising future for Adhem. Subsequently, the speaker smoothly transitions into describing Adhem's life and the pivotal moment that renders it remarkable. Adhem awakens one night from a peaceful dream to find his room illuminated by moonlight and filled with "rich" loveliness, similar to a "lily in bloom," as the speaker vividly illustrates. Through these striking instances of imagery, the poet establishes the mood and evokes a very distinct atmosphere.

Following this, the man surveys his surroundings and realises that he was roused by "An angel writing in a book of gold."

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 conveys to the reader that Adhem was so deeply affected by the overwhelming peace and beauty of the scene that he found the courage to ask the angel about the content of the book. He was overcome by "exceeding peace." It is noteworthy that the poem consistently refers to the angel as "angel," "the presence," or "it," and never as "he" or "she."

The angel straightforwardly informs Adhem that it is recording the "names of those who love the Lord." Naturally, this piques Adhem's interest, leading him to inquire about himself in the subsequent lines.

“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 informs Adhem that his name is not among those on the list. However, Adhem does not feel discouraged. Unlike others who might have despaired, he remains cheerful and suggests to the angel that his name should be included as someone who "loves his fellow men". This unexpected turn in the poem contrasts with what the reader might have anticipated, as the saint chooses a different approach in the hope of demonstrating his goodness to God.

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 last stanza consists of just four lines, offering a concise and direct conclusion to the story. In this stanza, the angel writes down Adhem's request and returns the following night. As the angel returns, the light is "awakening," signifying that Adhem is once again awakened by it. On the new list brought by the angel, Adhem's name occupies the top position, signifying that he is foremost among those who love God and have received blessings.

Solved Textual Questions and Answers

I. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Who or what looked like a lily in bloom: the Angel, Abou or the book? Why does the poet mention "lily"?

Ans.: - The Angel appeared as a blooming lily. The poet references the lily as it symbolizes peace and serenity, conveying the idea that the Angel's presence brings about a sense of peace and tranquillity/tranquility.

2. Which line suggests that Abou was a fearless man? Why was he fearless?

Ans.: - The line "Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold" implies that Abou was fearless. His courage stemmed from his kindness and love for his fellowmen, as well as the absence of enemies or causes for concern.

3. What did Abou want to know from the Angel?

Ans.: - Abou wished to know about two things from the Angel. Firstly, Abou wanted to know what the Angel was writing in the book of gold. Secondly, he desired to know whether his name was listed among those who loved God.

4. What did the Angel say to Abou?

Ans.: - Based on Abou's enquiries, the Angel said two things to Abou. Firstly, it was inscribing the names of those who loved God in the book of gold. Secondly, Abou's name was not included in that particular list.

5. What request did Abou make?

Ans.: - Abou, upon being informed that his name was not included in the list of those who loved God, asked the Angel to record his name in the list of individuals who love their fellow human beings.

6. What did the Angel show Abou the next night?

Ans.: - The following night, the Angel came again and showed Abou the names of those persons whom love of God had blessed.

7. Where was Abou's name in the list shown by the Angel to Abou?

Ans.: - Abou name was at the top of the list of people whom love of God had blessed. This shows that God loves those who love their fellowmen.