[ABOU BEN ADHEM] UNIT:11

Pre-Reading:

• Who was Abou Ben Adhem?

Reading:

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increased!)

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:

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said,

"What writest thiu?"-The vision raised its head,

And with a look ,ade of all sweet accord,

Answered,"The names of those who love the Lord."

"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 love his fellow men".

The angel wrote,amd vanished.The next night 

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom loves of god had blest,

And lo!Ben Adhem name led all the rest.

About the Poet:

JAMES Henry Leigh Hunt was born 19 th october 1784 in southgate ,Middlesex and died on 28 August 1859 in london.As a writer,Hunt was a jack-of-all-trades,achieving early success as a critic,essayist,journalist,and poet,and establishing himself as an editor of influential journals in an age when the periodical was at the height of its cultural influence . 'Abou Ben Adhem" is probably the best known poem of leight Hunt.