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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The verse Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt is about the need of loving the fellow beings. The poet uses an Arabic story of a saint Abou Ben Adhem whose name got inscribed in the list of God lovers by his impartial love for humans. According to the poet, we will be the real worshippers of God only when wRead more

    The verse Abou Ben Adhem by Leigh Hunt is about the need of loving the fellow beings. The poet uses an Arabic story of a saint Abou Ben Adhem whose name got inscribed in the list of God lovers by his impartial love for humans.

    According to the poet, we will be the real worshippers of God only when we will start loving His creations i.e. humans. Without loving others we will never be truly loving God.

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The main theme of the poem Abou Ben Adhem by James Henry Leigh Hunt is “Importance of Love for Mankind”. The poet, in this poem, describes a small encounter between Abou Ben Adhem and an Angel of God who appears before the former in the dead of night. Abou Ben Adhem comes to know that his name is noRead more

    The main theme of the poem Abou Ben Adhem by James Henry Leigh Hunt is “Importance of Love for Mankind”. The poet, in this poem, describes a small encounter between Abou Ben Adhem and an Angel of God who appears before the former in the dead of night.

    Abou Ben Adhem comes to know that his name is not in the book that contains the names of all those who love God. Rather than asking the angel why his name is not in that book, he requests him to inscribe his name in those who love other human beings.

    The next day the angel again appears before Abou Ben Adhem and tells him that his name is on the top of those who love God. Thus according to the poet, those are the best people who love other human beings. To become the beloved of God, one should love mankind which is the creation of God.

    By loving God’s creation, we will be loving God. The poem encourages us to spread love and fraternity in the world which is the best way to live life as well as the afterlife. In Islam, serving God is known as Khidmat-e-Khalq which is considered to be the most pious deed.

    Read the summary of this poem

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem Abou Ben Adhem by James Henry Leigh Hunt is about a Sufi Saint of Persiawho wakes up one night and finds an angel in his room during the Islamic month of Sha’aban. However, he does not fear. He sees that the angel has a Divine Book in which he is writing the names of the people who love GodRead more

    The poem Abou Ben Adhem by James Henry Leigh Hunt is about a Sufi Saint of Persiawho wakes up one night and finds an angel in his room during the Islamic month of Sha’aban. However, he does not fear. He sees that the angel has a Divine Book in which he is writing the names of the people who love God.

    Seeing this, he asks the angel if his (Abou Ben Adhem’s) is also there and angel replies “no”. Abou Ben Adhem does get disheartened but rather than losing hope requests the angels to inscribe his name in the list of those who love other humans.

    Next day, the angel again appears before Abou Ben Adhem in the night and again shows the inscribed names in the Divine Book of those who love God. To his surprise, he finds his name on the top of the list, leading others. This happened because of his love for the humankind and this is the message of this poem.

    Read detailed summary of the poem here.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Abou Ben Adhem is the anglicised name of a Muslim saint or also known as Sufi who belonged to Persia. His original name was Ibrahim Ibn-e-Adam that means “Ibrahim – the son of Adam or human” After his death in 777 AD, he was declared a saint or Wali (God’s friend). Abou Ben Adhem was a pious man andRead more

    Abou Ben Adhem is the anglicised name of a Muslim saint or also known as Sufi who belonged to Persia. His original name was Ibrahim Ibn-e-Adam that means “Ibrahim – the son of Adam or human” After his death in 777 AD, he was declared a saint or Wali (God’s friend).

    Abou Ben Adhem was a pious man and a stern believer of Islam and God. This is why the poet prays for him “may his tribe increase!” in the beginning of the poem.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The poem Abou Ben Adhem by Abou Ben Adhem Summary by James Henry Leigh Hunt is about the qualities of the men whom God loves. The poet by narrating this Arabian Folklore gives the message that to become a good human and be in among those whom God loves, one must love mankind. He should love human beRead more

    The poem Abou Ben Adhem by Abou Ben Adhem Summary by James Henry Leigh Hunt is about the qualities of the men whom God loves. The poet by narrating this Arabian Folklore gives the message that to become a good human and be in among those whom God loves, one must love mankind.

    He should love human beings because they are the creations of God and loving God’s creations is like loving God Himself. Abou Ben Adhem’s name appears in the list of people whom God loves by frankly telling the angel that he wants his name in the list of those who love other humans.

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    Best Answer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Literature means the reflection of society. Hence it helps us understanding the society, its culture, habits, beliefs, customs and traditions. e.g. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer gives an insight into the 14th-century society, class structure, corruption, crusades etc. Similarly, a number of tRead more

    Literature means the reflection of society. Hence it helps us understanding the society, its culture, habits, beliefs, customs and traditions. e.g. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer gives an insight into the 14th-century society, class structure, corruption, crusades etc.

    Similarly, a number of texts like Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie give an insight into the racial discrimination in America. Without literature, we cannot become wise.

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The following literary devices have been used in the poem “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud“. Simile lonely as a cloud as the stars that shine Hyperbole Ten thousand saw I at a glance stretched in never-ending line Personification a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils dancing in the breeze. Tossing theirRead more

    The following literary devices have been used in the poem “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud“.

    Simile

    • lonely as a cloud
    • as the stars that shine

    Hyperbole

    • Ten thousand saw I at a glance
    • stretched in never-ending line

    Personification

    • a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils
    • dancing in the breeze.
    • Tossing their heads in sprightly dance
    • waves beside them danced
    • inward eye
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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
    This answer was edited.

    The poem On His Blindness by John Milton is about poet’s journey from mourning over the loss of his eyesight to his submission and acceptance of God’s Will. The poem is a sonnet. Stanza 1 In the first stanza, the poet thinks how he used to write poetry by using the talent which was given to him. HowRead more

    The poem On His Blindness by John Milton is about poet’s journey from mourning over the loss of his eyesight to his submission and acceptance of God’s Will. The poem is a sonnet.

    Stanza 1

    In the first stanza, the poet thinks how he used to write poetry by using the talent which was given to him. However, it is useless now as he has lost his eyesight and this talent is rather a burden for him which he has to bear.
    In this stanza, we find the poet’s sorrowful condition because of his inability to use his talent. Without his eyesight, the talent of writing poetry is nothing but a burden for him.

    Stanza 2

    In Stanza 2, the poet is questioning himself how God will treat him on the Day of Judgement because of his inability to use the talent of writing poetry. The poet in this stanza seems to be frightened of Day of Judgement.

    Stanza 3

    In this stanza, he tries to calm himself by telling himself that God will not inquire about his talent as He Himself has taken away his eyesight. Thus the poet seems to have accepted his fate. According to him, by bearing the burden of blindness, he will be serving God.

    Couplet

    In the final couplet, the poet quotes the example of angels. Some angels serve God by obeying His orders who other serve just by standing and waiting.
    The poem also reflects the poet’s firm belief in God.

    Read detailed summary of this poem.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
    This answer was edited.

    The poem “On His Blindness” by John Milton describes the poet’s sorrow and grief over the loss of his eyesight and ultimately, in the end, his submission to God’s Will. The poem begins with the poet memorising how he served humanity by writing poetry when he had eyesight. Now that he has lost his eyRead more

    The poem “On His Blindness” by John Milton describes the poet’s sorrow and grief over the loss of his eyesight and ultimately, in the end, his submission to God’s Will. The poem begins with the poet memorising how he served humanity by writing poetry when he had eyesight.

    Now that he has lost his eyesight, he is unable to write poetry and thus he can neither serve humanity nor God. He fears that God will ask him about his talent on the Day of Judgement. But he soon realises that God does not need anybody’s work. He will be serving God if he bears his blindness.

    He quotes the example of two types of angels who serve God. Some of them take His orders across the seas at the speed of light. However, there are some other angels as well who just stand and wait and still serving Him.

    Read detailed summary of this poem.

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  1. Lucifer
    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The line has been taken from the famous poem “On His Blindness” written by John Milton. In this poem, the poet who is now blind mourns over the fact that he cannot use the talent given by God (of writing poetry) because of his blindness. It has been wasted. In the beginning lines, he fears that GodRead more

    The line has been taken from the famous poem “On His Blindness” written by John Milton. In this poem, the poet who is now blind mourns over the fact that he cannot use the talent given by God (of writing poetry) because of his blindness. It has been wasted. In the beginning lines, he fears that God will ask him how he used his talent and he will not be able to answer him.

    However, soon he relieves himself by thinking that God does not need anybody’s work and he will not ask about his talent after taking away his eyesight. In the end, he talks about the angels who serve God. According to the poet, there are some other angels as well who just stand and wait. Though they do nothing, yet they are serving Him.

    Similarly, he is also serving God just by bearing his blindness.

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