Asleep in The Valley
By Arthur Rimbaud
(Translated from French to English by Paul Schmidt)
A
small green valley where a slow stream flows
And leaves long strands of silver on the bright
Grass; from the mountaintop stream the Sun's
Rays; they fill the hollow full of light.
And leaves long strands of silver on the bright
Grass; from the mountaintop stream the Sun's
Rays; they fill the hollow full of light.
অনুবাদঃ একটি ছোট্ট সবুজ উত্যাকা
যেখানে একটি ধীর নদী প্রবাহিত হয়েছে আর উজ্জ্বল ঘাসের উপর দিয়ে বিস্তৃত রূপোলী রেখা (নদীটি) চলে গেছে; পর্বতের চূড়া থেকে সূর্য রশ্মি নেমে এসেছে; তারা ফাঁকা জায়গাটি আলোয়
পূর্ণ করেছে।
A pillow made of fern beneath his head,
Asleep; stretched in the heavy undergrowth,
Pale in his warm, green, sun-soaked bed.
Asleep; stretched in the heavy undergrowth,
Pale in his warm, green, sun-soaked bed.
অনুবাদঃ একজন সৈনিক, যে খুব তরুণ, খোলা মুখে শুয়ে আছে, ফার্ন গাছের গুঁড়ির তৈরি বালিশে তার মাথা (রেখে সে) ঘুমন্ত অবস্থায় (পড়ে আছে); ঘন ঝোঁপঝাড়ের মাঝে সে টানটান অবস্থায় পড়ে আছে। গরম, সবুজ, সুর্য-সিক্ত বিছানায় শুয়ে সে বিবর্ণ হয়ে গেছে।
His feet among the flowers, he sleeps. His smile
Is like an infant's - gentle, without guile.
Ah, Nature, keep him warm; he may catch cold.
The humming insects don't disturb his rest;
He sleeps in sunlight, one hand on his breast;
At peace. In his side there are two red holes.
অনুবাদঃ তার পা-দুটো ফুলের মাঝে, সে শুয়ে আছে। তার হাসিখুশি মুখটি শিশুদের মতো – নম্র, ছলনাহীন। হে প্রকৃতি, তাকে গরম করে রাখো; তাকে ঠাণ্ডা লেগে যেতে পারে। গুনগুন করা কীটপতঙ্গরা যেন তার বিশ্রামে ব্যাঘাত না করে; সে শান্তিতে সূর্যের আলোতে শুয়ে আছে, একটি হাত তার বুকের উপরে। তার দেহের পাঁজরে দুটি লাল গর্ত (দেখা যাচ্ছে)।
He sleeps in sunlight, one hand on his breast;
At peace. In his side there are two red holes.
অনুবাদঃ তার পা-দুটো ফুলের মাঝে, সে শুয়ে আছে। তার হাসিখুশি মুখটি শিশুদের মতো – নম্র, ছলনাহীন। হে প্রকৃতি, তাকে গরম করে রাখো; তাকে ঠাণ্ডা লেগে যেতে পারে। গুনগুন করা কীটপতঙ্গরা যেন তার বিশ্রামে ব্যাঘাত না করে; সে শান্তিতে সূর্যের আলোতে শুয়ে আছে, একটি হাত তার বুকের উপরে। তার দেহের পাঁজরে দুটি লাল গর্ত (দেখা যাচ্ছে)।
Word Meaning (English to Bengali):
Valley
— উপত্যকা; Slow stream — ধীর গতির নদী/নালা; Flows — প্রবাহিত হয়; Strands of
silver—রুপোর রেখা; Bright grass —উজ্জ্বল ঘাস; Mountain top — পর্বতের চূড়া; Sunbeams — সূর্যকিরণ; Cold — ঠান্ডা;
Young soldier — তরুণ সৈনিক; Open-mouthed —খোলা
মুখে; Bare-headed — উন্মুক্ত মাথায়; Lies asleep — ঘুমিয়ে আছে; Stretched out —প্রসারিত হয়ে; Pale —ফ্যাকাশে;
Warm green bed — উষ্ণ সবুজ বিছানা; Smile — হাসি; Nature — প্রকৃতি; Keep him
warm —তাকে গরম রাখো; Odour — গন্ধ; Nostrils — নাসারন্ধ্র; Quiver and shake — কাঁপা
ও দুলে ওঠা; Breast — বুক; At peace —শান্তিতে;
Two red holes —দুটি লাল গর্ত; In his side — তার শরীরের পাশে (পাশের দিকে)।
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Textual Questions:
1.
Who is the poet of ‘Asleep in the Valley’?
a) Robert Frost
b) Arthur Rimbaud
c) William Blake
d) William Wordsworth
Ans: b
2.
What is the setting of the poem?
a) A battlefield
b) A dense forest
c) A peaceful valley
d) A town square
Ans: c
3.
The poem begins with the image of a —
a) marching soldier
b) singing bird
c) slow stream
d) blazing sun
Ans: c
4.
The phrase *“A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed”* suggests —
a) Sleep
b) Death
c) Yawning
d) Laughing
Ans: b
5.
What flows through the valley?
a) A fast river
b) A narrow stream
c) A wide lake
d) A stormy flood
Ans: b
6.
The sun is described as —
a) hot and harsh
b) soft and gentle
c) rising
d) hidden behind clouds
Ans: b
7.
What is growing near the soldier’s body?
a) Grass and moss
b) Roses and lilies
c) Ferns and wildflowers
d) Mushrooms
Ans: a
8.
The poem ends with a reference to —
a) birds
b) blood
c) flowers
d) laughter
Ans: b
9.
The soldier is described as being “asleep,” but he is actually —
a) dreaming
b) injured
c) dead
d) hiding
Ans: c
10.
What indicates that the soldier is dead?
a) His eyes are closed
b) His chest is still
c) There are two red holes in his side
d) His hand is cold
Ans: c
Theme-Based Questions:
11.
The central theme of the poem is —
a) Nature's beauty
b) Patriotism
c) The tragedy of war
d) Soldier’s bravery
Ans: c
12.
The poet criticizes —
a) the soldier
b) the valley
c) the government
d) the horrors of war
Ans: d
13.
The poem *Asleep in the Valley* is a/an —
a) sonnet
b) ballad
c) elegy
d) ode
Ans: a
14.
What kind of contrast is used in the poem?
a) Day and night
b) War and peace
c) Life and sleep
d) Nature and technology
Ans: b
15.
The poem emphasizes —
a) national pride
b) the futility of war
c) religious faith
d) soldier’s fame
Ans: b
Poetic Device-Based
Questions:
16.
The line “The humming insects don’t disturb his rest” uses —
a) metaphor
b) irony
c) hyperbole
d) imagery
Ans: d
17.
“He sleeps in sunlight” is an example of —
a) simile
b) metaphor
c) irony
d) onomatopoeia
Ans: c
18.
The “two red holes” symbolize —
a) love
b) wounds
c) bravery
d) betrayal
Ans: b
19.
The overall tone of the poem is —
a) joyful
b) humorous
c) ironic and tragic
d) angry and bitter
Ans: c
20.
Which poetic device is used in *“Nature gently rocks him”*?
a) Metaphor
b) Personification
c) Irony
d) Synecdoche
Ans: b
Line Interpretation
Questions:
21.
“No odour makes the soldier react” implies —
a) He is sleeping deeply
b) He has lost his sense of smell
c) He is dead
d) He is resting peacefully
Ans: c
22.
“Pale in his warm green sun-soaked bed” means —
a) He is cold
b) He is sick
c) He is lifeless
d) He is dreaming
Ans: c
23.
“A single hole in his side” is a symbol of —
a) a mark of courage
b) a gunshot wound
c) a sleeping position
d) a badge
Ans: b
24.
The “mountains” mentioned in the poem are —
a) symbolic of peace
b) reference to war zones
c) surrounding the valley
d) a metaphor for the soldier
Ans: c
25.
“In the hollow he lies stretched on the grass” — here “hollow” refers to —
a) a grave
b) a dent in the valley
c) a shaded forest
d) a trench
Ans: b
Contextual/Analytical
Questions:
26.
Rimbaud wrote this poem during —
a) The Napoleonic wars
b) The Franco-Prussian War
c) World War I
d) World War II
Ans: b
27.
What emotion is evoked in the reader by the poem?
a) Happiness
b) Sympathy
c) Anger
d) Excitement
Ans: b
28.
The poet wants us to feel —
a) the pride of a soldier
b) the calmness of nature
c) the cruelty of war
d) the love for one’s country
Ans: c
29.
The use of nature imagery in the poem is —
a) to create contrast with war
b) to celebrate natural beauty
c) to compare the soldier with nature
d) to show time passing
Ans: a
30.
The open mouth of the soldier signifies —
a) surprise
b) a yawn
c) helplessness in death
d) readiness to speak
Ans: c
Grammar and Vocabulary-Based Questions:
31.
The meaning of the word ‘humming’ is —
a) dancing
b) singing softly
c) buzzing sound
d) crying
Ans: c
32.
“His feet among the flowers” shows —
a) he is playing
b) he is relaxing
c) he is dead
d) he is running
Ans: c
33.
The soldier’s uniform is described as —
a) bright
b) torn
c) war-stained
d) still
Ans: d
34.
“He has two red holes in his side” reveals —
a) bullet wounds
b) insect bites
c) scratches
d) love marks
Ans: a
35.
The poet uses “sunlight” to —
a) warm the soldier
b) highlight peace
c) create irony
d) show hope
Ans: c
Inference & Logic-Based Questions:
36.
The title ‘Asleep in the Valley’ is —
a) literal
b) metaphorical
c) symbolic
d) both b and c
Ans: d
37.
The irony in the poem lies in —
a) the description of sleep as death
b) flowers growing around
c) birds chirping
d) the soldier's bravery
Ans: a
38.
The young soldier is symbolic of —
a) heroic death
b) war’s sacrifice
c) youthful strength
d) national victory
Ans: b
39.
The peaceful surroundings contrast with —
a) the soldier’s dream
b) the idea of sleep
c) the reality of death
d) nature’s stillness
Ans: c
40.
The reader initially thinks the soldier is —
a) wounded
b) sleeping
c) crying
d) dead
Ans: b
Miscellaneous and
Recall-Based Questions:
41.
What nationality was Rimbaud?
a) English
b) German
c) French
d) Italian
Ans: c
42.
The poem is a protest against —
a) nationalism
b) war
c) education
d) nature
Ans: b
43.
The rhyme scheme of the poem is —
a) abab cdcd efef
b) abba abba ccd eed
c) aabbccddeeff
d) free verse
Ans: b
44.
“He sleeps in the sun, his side on his green bed” — the ‘green bed’ refers to —
a) mattress
b) battlefield
c) grassy land
d) trench
Ans: c
45.
The stream in the valley is described as —
a) strong and rough
b) slow and silver
c) dry and dead
d) deep and dark
Ans: b
Higher-Order Thinking
Questions:
46.
What effect does the natural imagery have on the mood of the poem?
a) It makes it romantic
b) It softens the horror
c) It creates joy
d) It disturbs the reader
Ans: b
47.
Why is the soldier referred to as “very young”?
a) To gain sympathy
b) To express innocence lost in war
c) To mock the military
d) To show inexperience
Ans: b
48.
If the soldier had survived, what might have been the poem's theme?
a) Recovery
b) Hope
c) Glory
d) Courage
Ans: a
49.
Rimbaud’s tone in the poem is best described as —
a) nostalgic
b) sarcastic
c) mournful
d) celebratory
Ans: c
50.
The poem ultimately leaves us feeling —
a) cheerful
b) hopeful
c) amused
d) saddened
Ans: d
a) Robert Frost
b) Arthur Rimbaud
c) William Blake
d) William Wordsworth
Ans: b
a) A battlefield
b) A dense forest
c) A peaceful valley
d) A town square
Ans: c
a) marching soldier
b) singing bird
c) slow stream
d) blazing sun
Ans: c
a) Sleep
b) Death
c) Yawning
d) Laughing
Ans: b
a) A fast river
b) A narrow stream
c) A wide lake
d) A stormy flood
Ans: b
a) hot and harsh
b) soft and gentle
c) rising
d) hidden behind clouds
Ans: b
a) Grass and moss
b) Roses and lilies
c) Ferns and wildflowers
d) Mushrooms
Ans: a
a) birds
b) blood
c) flowers
d) laughter
Ans: b
a) dreaming
b) injured
c) dead
d) hiding
Ans: c
a) His eyes are closed
b) His chest is still
c) There are two red holes in his side
d) His hand is cold
Ans: c
a) Nature's beauty
b) Patriotism
c) The tragedy of war
d) Soldier’s bravery
Ans: c
a) the soldier
b) the valley
c) the government
d) the horrors of war
Ans: d
a) sonnet
b) ballad
c) elegy
d) ode
Ans: a
a) Day and night
b) War and peace
c) Life and sleep
d) Nature and technology
Ans: b
a) national pride
b) the futility of war
c) religious faith
d) soldier’s fame
Ans: b
a) metaphor
b) irony
c) hyperbole
d) imagery
Ans: d
a) simile
b) metaphor
c) irony
d) onomatopoeia
Ans: c
a) love
b) wounds
c) bravery
d) betrayal
Ans: b
a) joyful
b) humorous
c) ironic and tragic
d) angry and bitter
Ans: c
a) Metaphor
b) Personification
c) Irony
d) Synecdoche
Ans: b
a) He is sleeping deeply
b) He has lost his sense of smell
c) He is dead
d) He is resting peacefully
Ans: c
a) He is cold
b) He is sick
c) He is lifeless
d) He is dreaming
Ans: c
a) a mark of courage
b) a gunshot wound
c) a sleeping position
d) a badge
Ans: b
a) symbolic of peace
b) reference to war zones
c) surrounding the valley
d) a metaphor for the soldier
Ans: c
a) a grave
b) a dent in the valley
c) a shaded forest
d) a trench
Ans: b
a) The Napoleonic wars
b) The Franco-Prussian War
c) World War I
d) World War II
Ans: b
a) Happiness
b) Sympathy
c) Anger
d) Excitement
Ans: b
a) the pride of a soldier
b) the calmness of nature
c) the cruelty of war
d) the love for one’s country
Ans: c
a) to create contrast with war
b) to celebrate natural beauty
c) to compare the soldier with nature
d) to show time passing
Ans: a
a) surprise
b) a yawn
c) helplessness in death
d) readiness to speak
Ans: c
a) dancing
b) singing softly
c) buzzing sound
d) crying
Ans: c
a) he is playing
b) he is relaxing
c) he is dead
d) he is running
Ans: c
a) bright
b) torn
c) war-stained
d) still
Ans: d
a) bullet wounds
b) insect bites
c) scratches
d) love marks
Ans: a
a) warm the soldier
b) highlight peace
c) create irony
d) show hope
Ans: c
a) literal
b) metaphorical
c) symbolic
d) both b and c
Ans: d
a) the description of sleep as death
b) flowers growing around
c) birds chirping
d) the soldier's bravery
Ans: a
a) heroic death
b) war’s sacrifice
c) youthful strength
d) national victory
Ans: b
a) the soldier’s dream
b) the idea of sleep
c) the reality of death
d) nature’s stillness
Ans: c
a) wounded
b) sleeping
c) crying
d) dead
Ans: b
a) English
b) German
c) French
d) Italian
Ans: c
a) nationalism
b) war
c) education
d) nature
Ans: b
a) abab cdcd efef
b) abba abba ccd eed
c) aabbccddeeff
d) free verse
Ans: b
a) mattress
b) battlefield
c) grassy land
d) trench
Ans: c
a) strong and rough
b) slow and silver
c) dry and dead
d) deep and dark
Ans: b
a) It makes it romantic
b) It softens the horror
c) It creates joy
d) It disturbs the reader
Ans: b
a) To gain sympathy
b) To express innocence lost in war
c) To mock the military
d) To show inexperience
Ans: b
a) Recovery
b) Hope
c) Glory
d) Courage
Ans: a
a) nostalgic
b) sarcastic
c) mournful
d) celebratory
Ans: c
a) cheerful
b) hopeful
c) amused
d) saddened
Ans: d