Hello friends today we are discuss this question, the question is -“….they fill the hollow full of light.”- What is the ‘hollow’ referred to in the line? How the hollow look? Who is lying in the hollow? How is he lying there?
The ‘hollow’ referred to in the line is the small green valley in which the young soldier is apparently sleeping in Rimbaud’s poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’. The ‘hollow’ is small but covered with greenery. It is surrounded by mountains. A stream flows through the valley making the grass look shiny. The sun’s rays coming from the mountaintop illuminate the valley. The flowers, bushes, plants, insects all contribute to the beauty of the valley in their own way.
A very young soldier is lying asleep peacefully in the valley among the bushes, plants and flowers. He is lying in the valley, under the open sky, open-mouthed. There is an innocent and gentle smile on his lips similar to that of an infant. His head is rested on a pillow made of ferns. His feet are covered with flowers. His face looks pale. The warm, green sun- drenched thick bushes and plants of the valley serve as his bed. One of his hands is placed upon his chest. He is soaked in the bright light of the sun and his rest is undisturbed by the buzz of insects.