essay on friends and flatterers

Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s “Friends and Flatterers” makes us knowledgeable in being able to distinguish between good friends who always wish the best for us and lousy company who are actually our foes in disguise, wishing for us to go on the wrong track. Friendships are some of the most important relationships humans make in their lifetime. Through the camaraderie of friends, one grows and evolves and learns the art of loving selflessly and, most importantly, the art of living to the fullest.

As goes the common proverb, “A man is known by the company he keeps,” which is a universal truth because if a person falls into the wrong companionship, life becomes terrible as hell. Haven’t our parents warned us from time to time about the dangers of having bad friends and how important it is to surround ourselves with good people? This understanding is the main thematic content of William Shakespeare’s poem.

William Shakespeare is one of English Literature’s most well-known figures whose writings still continue to reign the minds of academicians and literature enthusiasts. Shakespeare’s timeless plays, awe-inspiring sonnets, heart-warming poems are considered iconic classics of English literature. Such is the beauty of Shakespearean words that they thread the reality of life even today.

Read the full poem “Friends and Flatterers” below:

Analysis of Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare

The poem “Friends and Flatterers” begins with how true friends do not flatter us with false words because words are always easy while actual acts of service are not. The lines talk about how people can be fair-weather friends, that is, they are friends with us only when the time is good or when we have a lot of money to spend in good times. These kinds of friends, however, when times are bad, would leave us soon enough. They do not once look back to how we are doing or going through our hard times.

Finding trustworthy, faithful friends is a scarce situation since they are tough to find. They are the ones who would stick with us through thick and thin, through good days and bad. Understanding this difference is extremely important to trace how our lives would turn out to be. Shakespeare’s poem preaches this universal truth.

“Friends and Flatterers” describes how to differentiate between friends and enemies. The “certain signs” that tell us how to do so should be given attention so that we can have meaningful experiences in our lives. Then we can live fully in the companionship of our true friends. Through the poem, Shakespeare tells us how bad friends feed upon our darker sides or impulses, pushing us in the wrong direction. So acting upon their flattery can ruin our lives forever.

On the other hand, true friends would comfort us on our most miserable days, be with us and guide us towards the light present inside of us, taking us out from the darkness. They would highlight the good and positive aspects of our character. In their presence, we will have happiness plentiful in our lives.

Form, Rhyme Scheme, & Meter

The poem “Friends and Flatterers” consists of seven quatrains: each stanza having four internally rhyming lines. The speaker of the poem is the poet himself. His poetic persona and authority emerge from his profound wisdom, which he imparts to his readers as a piece of universal advice. He uses the second-person point of view to address the readers in the beginning directly. Then he jumps to the third-person perspective to counselling humankind (as a whole) against having unlikely company, leading us to our ruins. Besides, this piece is written in a regular meter and rhyme scheme that brings out a lyrical quality.

Rhyme Scheme

The quatrains have the AABB rhyme scheme, which means that the last words of the first and second lines and the last words of the third and fourth lines rhyme with one another. When two lines end with a similar rhyme, it is also called a couplet. Therefore, each stanza consists of two couplets. This pertains to all the stanzas in the poem, thus creating a sing-song-like effect throughout. Let’s have a look at the rhyming pair of words from each stanza:

Stanza One: “thee” and “misery”; “wind” and “find.”
Stanza Two: “friend” and “spend”; “scant” and “want.”
Stanza Three: “prodigal” and “call”; “flattering” and “king.”
Stanza Four: “vice” and “entice”; “bent” and “commandement.”
Stanza Five: “frown” and “renown”; “before” and “more.”
Stanza Six: “indeed” and “need”; “weep” and “sleep.”
Stanza Seven: “heart” and “part”; “know” and “foe.”

The knowledge of poetic meter helps us to understand how to read or sound while reading a text. Shakespeare’s “Friends and Flatterers” is written in a regular meter. Each line of the text contain seven syllables; for instance, “Eve-ry one that flat-ters thee.” While reading, we have to stress (pronounce forcefully) the first syllable of each line.

Then, we have to leave the next syllable unstressed, and the following syllable will be stressed. In this way, we can find each line has three iambs or iambic feet; an iamb/ iambic foot contains an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. The first stressed syllable would be taken as a separate foot, which is called an acephalous foot. So, the overall poem is written in iambic tetrameter ; the rhythm is: “ dum / da- dum / da- dum / da- dum .”

This scheme has to be continued until the end, creating a beautiful rhythm while reciting the text aloud. Let’s have a look at the scansion of the poem. The bold syllables are stressed, and the rest is unstressed. While reading, keep the scanned text open; it would make the reading more exciting.

Eve /-ry one / that flat /-ters thee Is / no friend / in mi /-se- ry . Words / are ea /-sy, like / the wind ; Faith/ -ful friends / are hard / to find : (pronounce “wind” as “waind”; in Shakespeare’s time, some words have such peculiar pronunciation.) Eve /-ry man / will be / thy friend Whilst / thou hast / where- with / to spend ; But / if store / of crowns / be scant , No / man will / sup- ply / thy want . If / that one / be pro /-di- gal , Boun /-ti- ful / they will / him call , And / with such /-like flat /-ter- ing , ‘ Pi /-ty but / he were / a king ;’ If / he be / ad- dict / to vice , Quick /-ly him / they will / en- tice ; If / to wo /-men he / be bent , They / have at / com- man /-de- ment : But / if For /-tune once / do frown , Then / fare- well / his great / re- nown They / that fawn’d / on him / be- fore Use / his com /-pa- ny / no more . He / that is / thy friend / in- deed , He / will help / thee in / thy need : If / thou sor /-row, he / will weep ; If / thou wake ,/ he can /-not sleep ; Thus / of eve /-ry grief / in heart He / with thee / doth bear / a part . These / are cer /-tain signs / to know Faith /-ful friend / from flat /-t(e)ring foe . (pronounce “flat-ter-ing” as “flat-tring”; dropping a vowel sound is called elision .)

Poetic Devices & Figures of Speech

Shakespeare, the old master of poetry, is known for his exceptional use of figures of speech. His poetic devices have the power to make readers think, most importantly, imagine beyond the accepted perception. In “Friends and Flatterers,” Shakespeare uses such exciting devices that are worth mentioning below:

When two things are compared using “like,” or “as” in a line, then the poetic device is considered a simile. For instance, in the first stanza of “Friends and Flatterers,” Shakespeare compares “words” to the “wind”: “Words are easy, like the wind”. In this example, the speaker compares the flatterer’s comments (words) to as weightless (valueless) as the wind. It also occurs in the line, “And with such-like flattering”.

Metaphor is the comparison of two distant ideas or objects in an implicit manner. For instance, “store of crowns” is a metaphor for good fortune. When a person has abundant resources, every other person becomes their friend or competes to be their friend.

In the line, “They have at commandement,” Shakespeare compares the biblical Ten Commandments to social conventions. Rich people know how to bend the rules. When they do so, others consider the violation a norm or part of divine commandment.

Personification

Personification is the assigning of human characteristics to non-human beings or objects. In this poem, “Fortune” (luck), an abstract idea, is personified to say if Fortune is not in a person’s favour, all his fair-weather friends would desert him and run to the fortunate ones. The poet also implicitly personifies “renown” or fame in the line, “Then farewell his great renown.” Another abstract idea (fame) is compared to a human being.

Alliteration

The repetition of similar sounds (consonants or vowels) at the beginning of neighbouring words is called alliteration. In “Friends and Flatterers,” it occurs in a number of instances that include:

“ th at flatters th ee” (line 1)
“ F aithful f riends” (line 4)
“ h ast wh erewith” (line 6)
“he b e b ent” (line 15)
“ Th ey th at fawn’d” (line 19)
“He th at is th y” (line 21)
“help th ee in th y” (line 22)
“ th ee d oth” (line 26)
“ c ertain s igns” (line 27)
“ F aithful f riend f rom f lattering f oe.” (line 28)

In line 28, all the words begin with the “f” sound; it is also an example of consonance.

In the third stanza, “If that one be prodigal,” could be an allusion to the Parable of the Prodigal Son in the Bible. Generally, an allusion is an indirect reference to another literary work, author, historical event, etc. The term “prodigal” comes from Latin prodigus meaning “lavish”.

In the parable, a father has two sons. The younger son requests his part of the inheritance from the father. Being prodigal or extravagant, he wastes his fortune and returns home empty-handed. Upon return, his father accepts him back with open-heartedness. In this poem, Shakespeare warns readers not to be like the prodigal son in Christ’s parable.

In the fourth stanza, “They have at commandement,” is another biblical allusion, used in a humorous way. It is a reference to the Ten Commandments.

Inversion or Hyperbaton

Shakespeare deviates from general rules of sentence pattern in “Friends and Flatterers.” He inverts the accepted placement of parts of speech for the sake of internal rhyming and metrical pattern. This feature is a stylistic aspect of poetry. For instance, the line, “Bountiful they will him call,” can be read as “They will call him bountiful.” The exact figure of speech is applied to the following lines:

“Quickly him they will entice;”
“If to women he be bent,”
“Then farewell his great renown”

In the sixth stanza, the first two lines begin with the same word, “He.” It is a use of anaphora. It also occurs in the following two lines beginning with the phrase “If thou”. It is meant for the sake of readers’ attention.

He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep;

Shakespeare uses this device in several instances. It is used to refer to an incident that seems deliberately contrary to our expectations. For instance, the speaker says, “Every man will be thy friend”, and the argument is supported by the ironic remark, “Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend.”

The exaggerated statements of flatterers, such as “Pity but he were a king” and the speaker’s satirical remark, “They have at commandement,” contain the use of this device.

An epigram is a short, pithy remark expressing an underlying truth in a clever and amusing manner. In this poem, the speaker epigrammatically notes:

Line-by-Line Analysis and Explanation

Every one that flatters thee Is no friend in misery. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find:

In the first stanza of “Friends and Flatterers,” the speaker says that flatterers can never be one’s actual friends who would stay by one’s side in misery. They praise us in order to gain something, but true friends always speak the truth. That’s why “Faithful friends” are a rare find since not many people can give up selfishness to become genuine friends; as Aristotle says, “All flatterers are mercenary, and all low-minded men are flatterers.”

Every man will be thy friend Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man will supply thy want.

The speaker once again warns against people who surround us when we have plenty to spend. He says that when we have resources to spend on useless things, some people will always be our comrades. They will encourage and support us to spend more until, at last, we have nothing left. After eating up on our good times, they desert us and find another host. They will never support the one they left behind even though he had supported them with “store of crowns.” Crown is a British coin with a face value of five shillings or 25 pence, minted during the Elizabethan period. The phrase “store of crowns” symbolises wealth and riches.

If that one be prodigal, Bountiful they will him call, And with such-like flattering, ‘Pity but he were a king;’

The first line of this stanza alludes to the story of the “Prodigal Son” in the Bible. The prodigal son had fair-weather friends that flattered him all the time and treated him as a king, but the moment he lost his father’s wealth, all their flattery and praise vanished. They left the person alone to dwell in his miserable condition.

With the allusion to the prodigal son, the speaker describes how the fawners call one “Bountiful” or generous if he is a spendthrift or prodigal. Their greed does not end here. They even wish such a man to be a king. Then they would receive favour from that person with their selfish sweet-talk.

Lines 13-16

If he be addict to vice, Quickly him they will entice; If to women he be bent, They have at commandement:

If a man has an inclination towards vice or wrongdoing, the boasting friends would entice him further upon those dark paths and not prevent him. They would trap, eventually leading him to move along that path that would eventually lead him to his own moral destruction. If that man becomes fond of women, the fiendish friends will support him to have him under the control of sensual pleasure. They would say that such behaviour is accepted in their commandment or moral standards. In this way, they push the person even closer to the edge of the dismal abyss of moral declination.

Lines 17-20

But if Fortune once do frown, Then farewell his great renown They that fawn’d on him before Use his company no more.

Shakespeare personifies the abstract idea of “Fortune” in the first line and says that if luck turns away from the person, all his renown immediately vanishes. All the flattery, the compliments, the praises he grew used to are muted suddenly. Those who were there fawning upon his generosity do no longer cross his path. Their fondness for the person evaporates along with the reduction of his resources.

Lines 21-24

The poet draws clear distinctions between friends and flatterers from this stanza onwards. He shows what genuine friends would do when the person runs out of luck or is in grave need of help. According to him, one’s true friends will always help them in their needs. They will feel the same and sympathise with the friend in sorrow. They cannot sleep if their friend is awake out of misery and helplessness. True friends will always be there to comfort and help those in need.

In this way, Shakespeare asks by addressing his readers to realise the importance of true friendship. In a manner, our parents are our all-weather friends who feel the same as described in the poem. It can be anyone who understands the real meaning of “friendship,” be it the dog wagging its tail to be loved or a bird coming each day, tweeting the same lyrics for a bit of grain.

Lines 25-28

Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flattering foe.

The last stanza is a continuation of the idea in the previous stanza. Shakespeare describes how true friends carry their fellow friend’s burdens to make things easier for them. They not only try to be part of our happy moments but also try to have a share of our sad thoughts. According to the speaker, these are “certain signs” that can help one distinguish friends from flatterers. In the last line, he hints at the fact that a fair-weather friend is nothing but a “flattering foe.” One has to be cautious to forge friendships with such sweet-talking foes.

“Friends and Flatterers” imparts wisdom about true and false friends. The main themes of the poem are genuine friendship, flattery, and perception versus reality. Through this poem, Shakespeare describes how friends and flatterers (fair-weather friends) behave differently in particular situations in life. A person should notice those changes to figure out which friendships to keep and cherish throughout life. They need to cut off temporary relationships with fawners to eliminate negativity. In this way, Shakespeare provides both a warning and a piece of advice which is why the poem is so important to be read until today, even though it was written centuries back.

Historical Background

The poet of “Friends and Flatterers,” William Shakespeare, was active during the 16th-century. He was a prominent figure of the Elizabethan Renaissance. His writing is considered canonical. All his works have been read, interpreted, and appreciated by multiple people across the centuries. He was the man behind the famous Globe Theatre in London, where all his famous tragedies and plays were officially staged. This Shakespearean poem is the source of several modern-day sayings that people often use. Though it was written in the 16th-century, its appeal has never been shrouded.

Questions and Answers

William Shakespeare’s poem “Friends and Flatterers” imparts the moral lesson that a friend in need is a friend indeed. The poet describes how to differentiate a true friend from a sweet-talking foe.

According to the poet, trustworthy friends are those who stand by us on our good as well as bad days. They never desert us during moments of trouble or times of dire need.

The mood of the speaker remains calm, compassionate, and humorous throughout the poem. He teaches us the art of differentiating real friends from fair-weather flatterers.

We should not ever trust a flattering friend like a real friend as they use us for their advantage and derail us from morality. When their need dries up, they desert us coldly without looking back once.

According to the poet, flatterers are not friends in need. Their praise is as transitory as the wind.

The words of flatterers are compared to the “wind” as like the wind in fair weather; it does not last long. They ride along with us as long as we have resources to share. When their need dries up, they instantly desert us without a second thought.

The true intent of the poem is to educate readers about “certain signs” that help us to differentiate a faithful friend from a flattering enemy. The last two lines of “Friends and Flatterers” does it efficiently.

The term “flattering foe” hints at the fact that those who spill sweet words in our good times are none other than our enemies, waiting to show our catastrophe. They somehow lead us to our own moral destruction.

Shakespeare says there are a number of signs to know a “flattering foe”: they use our wealth, give company for their own benefits, and maroon us at the slightest hint of misfortune.

When our luck turns terrible, flatterers stop to praise us—those who flattered us before now leave our company without a second thought.

In “Friends and Flatterers,” Shakespeare personifies “Fortune.” He says, if Fortune becomes displeased (frowns) or refrain from favouring us, the sweet-talking, so-called friends avoid our company.

The “store of crowns” is a symbol of wealth, resourcefulness, and fortune. In Shakespeare’s time, crowns were used as currency. So, the “store of crowns” literally means one’s good fortune.

If one is prodigal or wasteful, the flatterers would call them bountiful. They would further wish him to be a king.

When a person becomes rich or extravagant, flatterers become his friends. They will always be there for him as long as he has money.

A “friend in misery” means one who stands by us in our sorrow. At times of grave need, true friends are always there to share our pain and comfort us.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son has several morals. One of them is how false friends desert the youngest son (who is prodigal or extravagant) to fend for himself during his dark times. When he had his father’s wealth, they fawned him. But, when his share went down, there was only his father to take him out of his misery.

Similar Poems with Life Lessons

“ Our revels now are ended ” by William Shakespeare — This soliloquy is regarded as Shakespeare’s “retirement speech”, in which he talks about the brevity of life and the inevitability of death.
“ Flower on the Road ” by Chitra Padmanabhan — This poem teaches us how nobody is less important in this big frame of humankind. Everyone has their part to play.
“ Fear ” by Khalil Gibran — This poem is about overcoming fear, which is presented through the metaphors of a river and the vast ocean.
“ The Huntsman ” by Edward Lowbury — This piece is about the importance of commonsense and the consequences of unmindful talking.
“ On Another’s Sorrow ” by William Blake — This poem is about divine compassion and empathy.

External Resources

Who was William Shakespeare? — Explore more about Shakespeare and his works.
Biography of Shakespeare — Learn more about the poet’s life.
Poet Profile & Poems of William Shakespeare — Explore the poet’s profile and some of his well-known poems.

Our revels now are ended by William Shakespeare

“Our revels now are ended” appears in Act 4, Scene 1 of The Tempest. Critics regard this soliloquy as Shakespeare’s “retirement speech”.

Friends and Flatterers Poem by William Shakespeare Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English for Students

Table of Contents

Introduction

Friends and Flatterers is a poem written by one of the most noted poets and playwrights in the history of English literature, William Shakespeare. The time when this work was released is not available or well-documented. The poem serves as a guide to us to distinguish between a real friend and a fake one as Shakespeare lists out attributes of those who flatter us and stay with us only when we are fortunate and resourceful.

About the Author

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on 23rd April 1564, William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights and poets in the English language. Initially, Shakespeare became a key figure in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a popular playing company, and later in the King’s Men after the company received royal patronage. Shakespeare’s works include iconic plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet , among many others. His plays explore complex themes of love, power, jealousy, ambition, and the human condition. In addition to his plays, he wrote a collection of 154 sonnets, which are celebrated for their poetic beauty and exploration of love and time. The First Folio , a compilation of his plays was published by his colleagues in 1623 and preserved many of his works

The poem consists of twenty-eight lines which are divided into seven quatrains, each quatrain containing four lines. The speaker, the poet in this case, uses the second person point of view to directly address the readers. He also uses the third-person perspective to provide a general outlook on humanity.

The poem starts with the speaker directly addressing the readers. The speaker remarks that everyone who flatters us in times of prosperity is not our friend in times of misery. The speaker compares these words of flattery to the ease with which the wind blows. The speaker claims that it is the faithful friends that are harder to find.

The speaker presents us with a contrast between faithful, and genuine friendship and insincere flattery. The speaker suggests that it is easy to find superficial people who provide us with words of flattery, whereas it is rare to find good friends who stay with us in times of adversity.

The speaker next says that everyone will try to befriend a person who is rich and has resources to spend. But true friends are scarce to find if you have no or limited wealth. A person with fake friends shall find himself alone if he has no money.

The stanza explores the theme of fair-weather friendship. It reflects on the idea that people may be friendly and supportive when you have resources to share, but they might abandon you when faced with scarcity.

The speaker here tells how if someone is generous and spends freely, he is called “bountiful” and is praised for his qualities. If if the person is prodigal (wasteful), he will be admired and people may wish he was a king. However, this admiration is superficial in nature.

The third stanza explores the fickle nature of public opinion. This stanza alludes to the story of the Prodigal Son, mentioned in the Bible. The Prodigal son had selfish friends who complimented him all the time and wished he were a king. But the moment he lost his father’s wealth, he lost the praise of his friends. This shows how people tend to leave a person who has no wealth or resources but clings to someone wealthy and resourceful.

Lines 13-16

The speaker next talks about a person who is attracted towards vice or evil. The flatterers will tend to entice that person further towards the path of wrong-doings. If the person is attracted to a woman, they will be accepting of his nature and justify his behaviour using the commandments.

These lines imply how under the facade of friendships, people form manipulative alliances with a person and try to chase him down the path of wrong-doings, rather than pushing him towards good.

Lines 17-20

The speaker comments how in case fortune frowns upon the person and they are met with misfortune, then he might as well bid farewell to his good reputation. The people who used to fawn over the person before and flattered him are the ones who abandoned that person’s company.

The poet has personified Fortune here to show how if someone is going through difficult circumstances, their fake friends and associations shall leave their company. The person’s reputation shall go down if they are ever hit with misfortune.

Lines 21-24

Here, the speaker moves to describing who a true friend truly is. The speaker says that someone is a good and genuine friend if they help us in times of need. If we are burdened with grief, a true friend will understand our pain and weep with us. And if we are awake due to some hardship, a true friend cannot be sleepy.

Here, the poet has emphasised the qualities that lay the foundation of a true friendship. A true friend will have qualities such as empathy, support and thoughtfulness.

Lines 25-28

The speaker further talks about the qualities of a genuine friend. For every grief that a person experiences, a true friend will be next to them, being a part of their struggles. The speaker ends the poem by saying that these are some of the signs that one requires in order to know if someone is a faithful friend or a flattering foe.

The speaker asserts that a true friend is someone who not only sympathizes with your troubles but actively shares in your grief. This goes beyond mere words of consolation; it involves a deep level of emotional connection and empathy. Thus, this poem serves as a guide to provide a clear indicator to recognise a faithful friend.

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Friends and Flatterers Summary & Analysis by William Shakespeare

Summary & analysis of friends and flatterers .

William Shakespeare’s poem Friends and Flatterers makes us knowledgeable in being able to distinguish between good friends who always wish the best for us and lousy company who are actually our foes in disguise, wishing for us to go on the wrong track. Friendships are some of the most important relationships humans make in their lifetime.

Through the camaraderie of friends, one grows and evolves and learns the art of loving selflessly and, most importantly, the art of living to the fullest. As goes the common proverb, “A man is known by the company he keeps,” which is a universal truth because if a person falls into the wrong companionship, life becomes terrible as hell. Haven’t our parents warned us from time to time about the dangers of having bad friends and how important it is to surround ourselves with good people? This understanding is the main thematic content of William Shakespeare’s poem.

Main Summary of the Poem Friends and Flatterers

The poem Friends and Flatterers says about true friends and flattery friends. The poet makes the difference between these two types of friends. He warns about those friends who flatter and would not stand by you when you are in difficulty. He says how it is easy to impress a person by flattering words. But it is not easy to find a genuine friend who will shoulder you during a difficult time. The false friends will enjoy life when they have wealth. But they will go away from the same person when they lose their wealth.

It’s a piece of great advice by the great poet. When a person is generous, he would be supported and get a good crowd around him praising him as king. But when he suffers from sorrow they would leave him. Thus the poet gives awareness of false friends and honest friends. The poem ‘Friends and Flatterers’ is written by William Shakespeare, who is considered the greatest playwright of all time. The speaker warns the reader not to fall prey to flatterers and one should know one’s worth to avoid becoming a victim of flattery.

General Meaning of The Poem

Historical Background

The theme of Friends and Flatterers

About the Writer of Friends and Flatterers

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and regarded as the greatest writer and greatest dramatist. He is called the National poet of England and the Bard of Avon. His works consist of 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses. His works have been translated into many languages.

Shakespeare was born in Stratford – upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He is educated at the king’s New School in Stratford. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway 26 years old and had three children. In 1592, he began his career in London as an actor and writer. At the age of 49, he retired three years after he died.

Shakespeare is known for his works between 1589 and 1613. His earlier plays were comedies and histories. They are the best works of Shakespeare. Then he tried in tragedies. Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth are known to be the finest works of Shakespeare. Shakespeare is one of English Literature’s most well-known figures whose writings still continue to reign the minds of academicians and literature enthusiasts. Shakespeare’s timeless plays, awe-inspiring sonnets, heart-warming poems are considered iconic classics of English literature. Such is the beauty of Shakespearean words that they thread the reality of life even today.

Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on 23rd April 1616. He died after signing his will. He was buried in the Holy Trinity Church. His grave, next to Anne Shakespeare his wife and Thomas Nash the husband of his granddaughter.

Detail analysis of Friends and Flatterers Poem

“Every one that flatters thee Is no friend in misery. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find:”

The first stanza starts with a piece of advice to those who trust all equally. The poet says one who speaks flattery words will not extend his love and affection during misery. Speaking flowery words are easy like the wind but they are serpent under their sweet tongue. It is very hard to find faithful friends in life.

“Every man will be thy friend Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man will supply thy want.”

Again the poet warns about friends in this stanza too. He points out all will be close to you when you spend without any limit. They enjoy your companionship as you spend a lot. But they will leave you when one faces hardships. The false will not support or help his friend to get back his lost wealth and life. This is an unfortunate situation for each and everyone who trusts his or her friend.

“If that one be prodigal, Bountiful they will him call, And with such-like flattering, 'Pity but he were a king;”

The poet in this stanza says about the false world where we can see people who act as a true friend to those who spend much on entertainment. They praise them and respect them as their king. But once they lose their wealth the false friends would show their true nature. They avoid and go away from him leaving him alone in his poverty.

“If he be addict to vice, Quickly him they will entice; If to women he be bent, They have at commandement:”

This stanza is a teaching for all of us. For it says about those who are leading a wrong lifestyle. They have turned into such a bad life, due to the influence of their bad companions. These evil friends introduce bad women to him to make him go worst. They ruin his life by supplying bad female companions to whom he is attracted.

“But if Fortune once do frown, Then farewell his great renown They that fawn'd on him before Use his company no more.”

Starting straight with a piece of advice about the flattery friends that they would run away leaving you to suffer when you down with poverty and hunger. They enjoyed all of your wealth. But in difficult times they look down upon you as their love and affection is a lie.

“He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep;”

The poet touches on the positive side of a genuine friendship. True friends are soul companions. They come when you need them. They help when you are in trouble. They feel your pain, they can understand your difficulties and they extend their hand to support you to stand up. They will not sleep if you are awake. Their love never dies and never stops coming after you.

“Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flattering foe.”

Thus every pain the friend would feel. He is ready to share your grief. These are the great signs to know the difference between a true friend and a false flattery friend.

Poetical Devices

“Words are easy like wind” comparing (simile) the words to wind to show how the friendship become fake with flattery words. The way one expresses could mislead the friendship. The words which comes from fake friends have no meaning and direction like wind. “Store of crowns” means money. When we don’t have money the fake friends will go away from us. The use of the language make the meaning more deep.

“If that one be prodigal” prodigal means one who spends and waste money. The comparison would have been taken from the bible the holy book of Christians, where the parable of the prodigal son is a famous teaching of Jesus. All bad friends would crowd the person who spends with no limit. They praise and compare him to king falsely, for they know the weakness of such a person.

The poet compares the person to a prodigal son which conveys the universal message to society.

Thus the poem makes the differences between a good relationship and a fake friendship. It’s a good message by the poet. He in a few lines has given a universal message suitable for all the ages and seasons. One could not deny the warning and advice of the poet if he understands its meaning in the right sense.

Questions & Answer Related to Friends and Flatterers

According to the poet, flatterers are not friends in need. Their praise is as transitory as the wind.

Why are “words” compared to “wind” in the poem “Friends and Flatterers”?

How do the last two lines explain the true intent of the poem?

What is the meaning of “flattering foe”?

What are the signs of a “flattering foe”?

Shakespeare says there are a number of signs to know a “flattering foe”: they use our wealth, give company for their own benefits, and maroon us at the slightest hint of misfortune.

What happens to your flatterers when your luck turns bad?

When our luck turns terrible, flatterers stop to praise us—those who flattered us before now leave our company without a second thought.

What does the frown of Fortune mean? What happens when fortune frowns at a person?

What does the poet mean by “store of crowns”?

What would flatterers say if one is wasteful?

If one is prodigal or wasteful, the flatterers would call them bountiful. They would further wish him to be a king.

How do flatterers respond when a person becomes rich or extravagant?

When a person becomes rich or extravagant, flatterers become his friends. They will always be there for him as long as he has money.

What does the poet mean by a “friend in misery”?

A “friend in misery” means one who stands by us in our sorrow. At times of grave need, true friends are always there to share our pain and comfort us.

Why does the poet allude to the story of the Prodigal Son?

Additional Questions

1. Name the poet of the poem?

2. What are the differences between true and fake friends?

3. Why should we trust flattering friends?

4. What is the meaning of Wind here in the poem?

5. What are the various poetical devices in the poem?

6. When do we get Bad friends?

7. Why do they compare to the king?

8. When will one become a lonely person?

9. What happens to Prodigal Son?

10. What are the positive things about Good friendship?

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Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare

Every one that flatters thee Is no friend in misery. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find: Every man will be thy friend Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man will supply thy want. If that one be prodigal, Bountiful they will him call, And with such-like flattering, 'Pity but he were a king;' If he be addict to vice, Quickly him they will entice; If to women he be bent, They have at commandement: But if Fortune once do frown, Then farewell his great renown They that fawn'd on him before Use his company no more. He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep; Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flattering foe.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and regarded as the greatest writer and greatest dramatist. He is called as the National poet of England and the Bard of Avon. His works consists of 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and few other verses. His works have been translated into many languages.

Shakespeare was born in Stratford – upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He is educated at the king’s New School in Stratford. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway 26 year old and had three children. In 1592, he began his career in London as an actor, and writer. At the age of 49 he retired and three years after he died.

Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on 23 rd April 1616. He died after signing his will. He was buried in the Holy Trinity Church. His grave, next to Anne Shakespeare his wife and Thomas Nash the husband of his granddaughter.

Summary of the poem

The poem says about true friends and flattery friends. The poet makes the difference between these two types of friends. He warns about those friends who flatter and would not stand by you when you are in difficulty. He says how it is easy to impress a person by flattering words. But it is not easy to find a genuine friend who will shoulder you during a difficult time. The false friends will enjoy life when they have wealth. But they will go away from the same person when they lose their wealth. It’s a great advice by the great poet. When a person is generous, he would be supported and get good crowd around him praising him as king. But when he suffers with sorrow they would leave him. Thus the poet gives awareness of false friends and honest friends.

Detail analysis

“Every one that flatters thee Is no friend in misery. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find:”

The first stanza starts with an advice to those who trust all equally. The poet says one who speaks flattery words will not extend his love and affection during misery. Speaking flowery words are easy like wind but they are serpent under their sweet tongue. It is very hard to find faithful friends in life.

“Every man will be thy friend Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man will supply thy want.”

The poet in this stanza says about the false world where we can see people who act as a true friends to those who spend much for entertainment. They praise them and respect them as their king. But once they lose their wealth the false friends would show their true nature. They avoid and go away from him leaving him alone to his poverty. “If he be addict to vice, Quickly him they will entice; If to women he be bent, They have at commandement:”

This stanza is a teaching for all of us. For it says about those who are leading a wrong life style. They have turned into such a bad life, due to the influence of their bad companions. These evil friends introduce bad women to him to make him go worst. They ruin his life by supplying bad female companions to whom he is attracted to. “But if Fortune once do frown, Then farewell his great renown They that fawn'd on him before Use his company no more.”

Starting straight with an advice about the flattery friends that they would run away leaving you to suffer when you down with poverty and hunger. They enjoyed all of your wealth. But in difficult times they look down upon you as their love and affection is a lie.

“He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need: If thou sorrow, he will weep; If thou wake, he cannot sleep;”

The poet touches the positive side of a genuine friendship. The true friends are soul companions. They come when you need them. They help when you are in trouble. They feel your pain, they can understand your difficulties and they extend their hand to support you to stand up. They will not sleep if you are wake. They love never dies and never stops to come after you. “Thus of every grief in heart He with thee doth bear a part. These are certain signs to know Faithful friend from flattering foe.”

Thus every pain the friend would feel. He is ready to share your grief. These are the great signs to know the difference between a true friend and a false flattery friend.

Poetical Devices “words are easy like wind” comparing (simile) the words " wind" is used to show how the friendship become fake with flattery words. The way one expresses could mislead the friendship. The words which comes from fake friends have no meaning and direction like wind. “ Store of crowns ” means money. When we don’t have money the fake friends will go away from us. The use of the language make the meaning more deep.

“ If that one be prodigal” prodigal means one who spends and waste money. The comparison would have been take from bible the holy book of Christians, where the parable of prodigal son is a famous teaching of Jesus . All bad friends would crowd the person who spends with no limit. They praise and compare him to king falsely, for they know the weakness of such person. The poet compares the person to a prodigal son which conveys the universal message to the society.

Thus the poem makes the differences between a good relationship and fake friendship. It’s a good message by the poet. He in few lines has given a universal message suitable for all the ages and seasons. One could not deny the warning and advice of the poet if he understands its meaning in the right sense.

1. Name the poet of the poem?

2. What are the difference of true and fake friends?

3. Why shouldn't we trust flattering friends?

4. What is the meaning of Wind here in the poem?

5. What are the various poetical devices in the poem?

6. When do we get Bad friends?

7. Why do they compare to king?

8. When will one become a lonely person?

9. What happens to Prodigal Son?

10. What are the positive things of Good friendship?

1. William Shakespeare

2. True friends stand would be a great moral supporters, whereas the fake friends would be near to their friends for their own benefits.

3. Flattering friends come in our good times and disappear in our failures.

4. “words are easy like wind” comparing (simile) the words " wind" is used to show how the friendship become fake with flattery words. The way one expresses could mislead the friendship. The words which comes from fake friends have no meaning and direction like wind.

5. Please check the poetical devices in the analysis

6. When we lead a wealthy rich life and when we are attracted towards the false and flattering words.

7. The word "king" is used to make comparison for the wealthy friend to a King. he would spend much to his companions. So they would praise him falsely as their king.

8. when they loose everything in life. They would become lonely as all his friends would leave him. 9. Prodigal Son is the parable from Bible where the prodigal son takes all the money and leads a wrong life with bad friends and comes back to his father with nothing. The father forgives him and accepts him with his whole heart.

10. Good Friendship shows a good path, good friends would stand by their friend in all good and difficult times. They forgive and love their friends unconditonaly.

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William Shakespeare

Available answers.

'Words are easy like the wind' says the speaker. Whose words is the speaker referring to? In what sense are they 'easy'?

If words are 'easy' what is 'hard'?

Complete these sentences. According to the speaker

everyone is your friend when you have...
no one will come forward to take care of you when...
you are praised as generous when you...
when you have money, people will flatter you as if...
your fame will say goodbye to you when...
people do not want to be in your company when...
a true friend shares...
a true friend does not sleep when...

What can we guess about the speaker's state of mind when he wrote this poem? Is it likely that he was spending a lot of money and being praised by his friends at the time? Or had he probably lost money and was being avoided by them?

Does the poem indicate a feeling of disappointment, bitterness and a realisation of the dark side of human nature? Or does it show a state of calm observation and conclusion about human behaviour?

Inversion refers to changing the order of words in a sentence. Poets use inversions to make words rhyme and to create special effects.

Bountiful they will him call is one example of inversion. Find others.

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Back Exercises - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Literature | English | Class 7

Imagine that you picked a quarrel with a classmate and said rather nasty things. one of your friends pointed out to you that the fault was yours and you should feel sorry for it. however, you were furious with your friend also for not taking your side. later you realised your mistake. write a letter to your friend saying that you are sorry..

Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits. I write this with a heavy heart to sincerely apologize for my inappropriate behavior some days back.

In retrospect, I understand that I was completely wrong in the way I misbehaved not only with our classmate but also with you. I stepped over the line and acted irrationally, I let my anger and frustration cloud my judgement which lead me to say things I didn't mean to.

I wrongly accused you of not being on my side while, in reality, you were only pointing out my mistakes, something which a true friend should do. I deeply regret my words and actions, they were born out of sheer emotions and not thought through.

I seek your forgiveness, hoping our friendship can withstand this test. I assure you that I will learn from this and become a more understanding and more responsible friend.

Sorry once again.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

Back Questions - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Literature | English | Class 7

Given below are some words from the poem in column a and their meanings in column b. match the words with their correct meanings. column a column b (a) flatterer 1. very little, not as much as there should be (b) scant 2. enemy (c) prodigal 3. one who says nice things about someone without having sincere feelings for the person (d) grief 4. a feeling of great sadness (e) foe 5. generous, one who gives away large amounts of money (f) bountiful 6. to try to please someone with lavish praise (g) fawn 7. one who wastes money without giving any thought to the future..

Given below are some words from the poem in column A and their meanings in Column B. Match the words with their correct meanings.

Words are easy (i) they speak easy words (ii) they don’t really mean what they say (iii) they don’t know difficult words

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Wherewith to spend (i) the place where you go and spend money (ii) with whom you spend money (iii) surplus money to spend

Fortunes once do frown (i) one loses the money one has (ii) someone keeps frowning (iii) someone is fortunate

crowns be scant (i) one loses one’s crown (ii) one doesn’t become a king (iii) one becomes poor

Identify four pairs of rhyming words from the poem and find out the rhyme scheme of the poem.

In the third stanza, the poet says, ‘Pity but he was a king.’ If a person is a king, why is he to be pitied?

Given below are some traits of sincere friends and flattering foes. Write the in proper columns given on the next page.

Points out your weaknesses in a fearless but decent manner

Praises you even for those qualities which you do not have

Cannot feel comfortable if you are in trouble

Shares with you the pain of your grief

Treats you as a king as long as you have money

Leaves you when your fortunes are low

Extra Questions - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Literature | English | Class 7

Everyone that flatters thee, is no friend in misery. words are easy, like the wind, faithful friends are hard to find. why should flatterers be avoided what is the literary device used in the third line explain it. what does the poet mean by "words are easy".

Flatterers should be avoided because they are not genuine friends, they are just people who use sweet words and praise others for their own benefit. In times of trouble or misery, they are not reliable or dependable.

The literary device used in the third line is a simile . A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two different things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. Here, the poet is comparing the ease of uttering words with the movement of the wind.

By saying “ words are easy ”, the poet implies that it’s easy to say nice things or make promises, but the true test of friendship lies in action and support during tough times - something that flatterers often fail at. The line underscores the emptiness or insincerity of flattery.

Every man will be thy friend, Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man shall supply thy want.

When will you have innumerable friends?

What is a 'store of crowns'?

What happens during adverse situations?

Quiz - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

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About the Poet - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

William Shakespeare, often regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language, was also a prolific poet. Born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare penned numerous sonnets and poems throughout his career. His poetry, like his plays, explores a wide range of themes, from love and beauty to mortality and the human condition.

Shakespeare's poetry is characterized by its lyrical beauty, imaginative language, and deep emotional resonance. His mastery of the English language, combined with his ability to capture profound insights into the human experience, has made his poetry timeless and enduring.

In his poem "Friends and Flatterers," Shakespeare explores the theme of true friendship versus the fickleness of flattery. He cautions that those who flatter others in times of abundance and prosperity are not true friends when adversity strikes. The poem serves as a reminder to seek out genuine companionship and support in times of need.

Overall, Shakespeare's poetry showcases his remarkable talent for capturing complex emotions and universal truths. His words continue to inspire and resonate with readers centuries after his death, solidifying his place as one of the greatest poets in history.

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Summary - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

In "Friends and Flatterers," William Shakespeare delves into the depths of human relationships, exploring the dichotomy between authentic friendship and the allure of flattery. The poem serves as an admonition against being deceived by those who offer empty praise and superficial support.

Shakespeare's insight cuts to the core of human nature. He reveals that when fortune smiles upon us, many flock to our side, eager to share in our prosperity. Their words.....

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Themes - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

1. True Friendship:

Shakespeare explores the nature of true friendship, emphasizing that it goes beyond mere surface-level associations. True friends are...

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Symbols - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

In "Friends and Flatterers," William Shakespeare utilizes symbols to convey deeper meanings and enhance the themes of the poem. Here are some key symbols in the poem:

The wind symbolizes the ease with which flattery comes....

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Poetic Devices - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

In "Friends and Flatterers," William Shakespeare employs various poetic devices to enhance the impact and eloquence of his words. Here are some of the key poetic devices used in the poem:

The poem follows a rhyming scheme, primarily using couplets,....

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Vocabulary - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Flatters : (verb) praises or compliments someone excessively, often insincerely, to gain favor or approval.

Sentence: The politician flatters his constituents with promises during election campaigns.

Faithful : (adjective) loyal, reliable, and true to one's commitments and promises.

Sentence: Even in difficult times, a faithful friend stands by your side and offers support.

Scant : (adjective) in short supply; barely sufficient or inadequate in quantity.

Sentence: The hikers had to............................

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Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers. This poem is written by William Shakespeare where he has very beautifully crafted and depicted the qualities of a true friend. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of The Fight , Wandering Singers , A Sea of Foliage , Homesickness , The Master Artist , Uncomfortable Bed and Maps Poem so, you can check these posts as well.

Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers

Word galaxy.

Crowns – old British coins
Flatters – says nice things about somebody, often in a way that is not sincere.
Bountiful – willing to give freely
Pity – a feeling of sympathy
Misery – great suffering
Do frown – (here) is not favourable
Thy want – something you need but do not have
Prodigal – one who spends money too freely
Renown – fame and respect

Question 1: ‘Words are easy, like the wind; whose words are being referred to? In what sense are they ‘easy’?

Answer: The words of flatterers are being referred to here. These words are easy in the sense that they are spoken easily and freely, without attaching too much meaning or sincerity to them. They can change as easily as the wind, or disappear when the flatterer does not need the person anymore.

(b) If words are easy, what is hard?

Answer: Words are easy, but staying true to words of affection and friendship are harder. Praising someone is easy, but showing loyalty to that person and supporting that person when he or she needs it is difficult.

Question 2: Complete the sentences: According to the poet,

(a) Everyone is your friend when you have money to spend . (b) No one will come forward to take care of you when you don’t have wealth or money to spend.

Question 3: How could a flatterer be a foe?

Answer: A flatterer is, in a sense, a foe or an enemy because a flatterer cheats us with false words of friendship and praise. A flatterer makes use of our resources when we have them, but does not help us when we face a loss. This way, a flatterer betrays our trust and can set us up for shocks or disappointments.

Question 4: How can we distinguish between a true friend and a false friend?

Answer: True friends help us when we need them. They share our problems, worries and sorrows – they cry with us and stay awake with us in hard times. False friends, on the other hand, may flatter us with easy words. They act as friends only as long as we have enough money to spend; they do not help us in times of need. When we spend a lot, they flatter us by calling us generous and worthy of being a king, but if we fall upon hard times, they no longer remain with us.

Question 5: The phrase ‘faithful friend’ occurs twice in the poem. Can you find a similar phrase which stands for its opposite?

Answer: ‘flattering foe’

Question 6: Which two of these words have meanings similar to ‘flatter’ and which two refer to the opposite of it?

Answer: The words ‘charm’ and ‘fawn’ have similar meanings to ‘flatter’. The words ‘condemn’ and ‘criticise’ mean the opposite.

Question 7: ‘Inversion’ refers to changing the order of words in a sentence. Poets use inversion to make words rhyme and to create special effects. ‘Bountiful they will him call’ is one example of inversion in this poem. Find others.

Answer: Other examples of inversion in this poem are ‘But if fortune once do frown’, ‘Use his company no more.’ and ‘He with thee doth bear a part’.

Question 8: ‘Faithful friends are hard to find’. The line is an example of alliteration – quick repetition of a particular sound in a line of a poem. Find other examples of alliteration in the poem.

Answer: Other examples of alliteration in this poem are ‘Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend’, ‘But if fortune once do frown’ and ‘Faithful friend from flattering foe. So, these were Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers.

Plutarch , Moralia. How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend

Lcl 197 : 262-263.

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Introduction

Plutarch’s essay on flatterers is addressed to C. Julius Antiochus Philopappus, a descendant of the kings of Commagene, whose monument still stands on the Museum Hill at Athens. He was a patron of art and literature, and on friendly terms with Plutarch. a

The essay is not concerned with the impecunious and dependent adherents (parasites) of the rich, but with the adroit flatterers of a higher standing, who worm their way into the confidence of great men, and exercise a pernicious influence upon them. That Philopappus may have stood in need of such a warning may readily be inferred.

The essay, at the close, digresses into a disquisition on frank speech (παρρησία) that might easily have been made into a separate treatise, but which is developed naturally from the attempt to distinguish the genuineness of a friend from the affectation of a flatterer. Frank speech was regarded in classical times as the birthright of every Athenian citizen, but under the political conditions existent in Plutarch’s day it was probably safer to cultivate it as a private virtue.

a Cf. Moralia, 628 b , which gives a brief account of a great dinner given by King Philopappus at which both he and Plutarch were present.

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DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers

Exploring different literary analyses in DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers enhances critical thinking.

DAV Class 7 English Literature Chapter 10 Question Answer – Friends and Flatterers

Pre-Reading Task

Question 1. Did your friend ever point out any fault of yours? How did you react to it? Discuss with your friends. Answer: Yes, my best friend Ashok pointed out my fault for not sharing my things with others. At first, I felt hurt, but later on when Ashok explained how important it was to share things with other children, I realized my mistake. Thus I was grateful to Ashok for pointing out my mistake.

Question 2. If your friend is looking improperly dressed up for a particular occasion, and your other friends are praising him, will you keep quiet and approve of what others are saying or react differently? Share your views with your friends. Answer: I will tell my friend to dress up properly for a particular occasion, otherwise, everyone would make fun of him. I would point out the shortcomings in his dress and guide him to dress up properly for the occasion.

I. Understanding the Poem

DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers 1

B. A few expressions from the poem are given along with their possible meanings. Tick ( ) the meaning that you consider to be the most appropriate one: (a) words are easy (i) they speak easy words (ii) they don’t really mean what they say (iii) they don’t know difficult words Answer: (ii) they don’t really mean what they say

(b) wherewith to spend (i) the place where you go and spend money (ii) with whom you spend money (iii) surplus money to spend Answer: (iii) surplus money to spend

(c) fortunes once do frown (i) one loses the money one has (ii) someone keeps frowning (iii) someone is fortunate Answer: (i) one loses the money one has

(d) crowns be scant (i) one loses one’s crown (ii) one doesn’t become a king (iii) one becomes poor Answer: (iii) one becomes poor

C. Identify four pairs of rhyming words from the poem and find out the rhyme scheme of the poem. ________________________ ________________________ Answer:

In the third stanza, the poet says, ‘Pity but he were a king.’ If a person is a king, why is he to be pitied? Answer: If a person is extravagant and spends money without sparing a thought – everyone would like to be friends with him. They will even call him bountiful. Even if such a man is a king, he is to be pitied. Because he doesn’t have a time friends. All his friends are fair weather friends.

III. Life Skills

Given below are some traits of sincere friends and flattering foes. Write them in proper columns given on the next page. 1. points out your weaknesses in a fearless but decent manner 2. praises you even for those qualities which you do not have 3. cannot feel comfortable if you are in trouble 4. shares with you the pain of your grief 5. treats you as a king so long you have money 6. leaves you when your fortunes are low Answer:

There is a marked difference between the sincere appreciation of a faithful friend and the artificial flattery of a flattering foe. Discuss. Give examples of your personal experience. Refer to the Poem The Spider and the Fly’ also. Answer: Flatterers have only their own interest in their mind. They are like fair weather friends. They will bend low for you, and will you make you feel on top of this world. Whereas true friends will not flatter. They will be straightforward with their comment. They will call spade – a spade. In the poem ‘spider and the fly’, we see how the spider praises the fly for its beautiful wings and eyes like diamond because he wants to trap her into a web.

V. Writing Skills

Imagine that you picked a quarrel with a classmate and said rather nasty things. One of your friends pointed out to you that the fault was yours and you should feel sorry for it. However, you were furious with your friend also for not taking your side. Later you realised your mistake. Write a letter to your friend saying that you are sorry. Answer: 25, Teacher’s Colony Ambala 5th December, 20XX Dear Ashok I am writing this letter to you to express my apology for misunderstanding you. Now, I realize it was my fault why I picked up quarrel with Aman, over such a petty issue. I said nasty things to him and you too. I know you pointed out my mistake because you are a true friend of mine. I was furious with you for nothing. I am really soriy for that. Hope you will forgive me. You are my true friend and I value your friendship greater than anything else in this world. Yours truly Raj

DAV Class 7 English Literature Chapter 10 Solutions – Friends and Flatterers

I. Reference to context:

Question 1. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow: A. Every man will be thy friend, Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; But if store of crowns be scant, No man shall supply thy want. 1. When will every one be your friend? Answer: Every one will be your friend when you have enough money to spend on them.

2. What does the poet mean by crown? Answer: The poet has used the word ‘crown’ for money.

3. What does ‘No man shall supply thy want’ mean? Answer: In the time of financial crisis no one will come forward to support you.

B. He that is thy friend indeed, He will help thee in thy need, If thou sorrow, he will weep, If thou wake, he cannot sleep. 1. Who will help you in your need? Answer: A faithful friend will help you in your need.

2. How will a friend share your grief? Answer: A faithful friend will share the joys and sorrows without any difference. He will not be able to sleep on seeing you at unrest.

3. Do you think a good friendship differ from time to time? Answer: Good friendship never differs from time to time. It remains same in good as well as bad days.

II. Answer the following question:

Question 1. ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’. Comment. Answer: It is a well known aphorism that a friend in need is a friend indeed. If you are passing through a very good phase of your life or you are at the top of the world it is but natural that there will be a lot of friends and followers at that time. But when you fail miserably in your life or you have lack of money nobody will bother about you. If someone comes for your help in the adverse circumstances, then he will be your true friend. He will guide you even in adverse situation.

III. Class Discussion

Friends and Flatterers Summary in English

DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers 2

A true friend will help you in need. If you are crying, he will also cry. If you cannot sleep, he will also not be able to sleep.

He will share all your grief filled in your heart with you. There are certain signs the poet shows that differentiate a true friend from a flattering friend. Word-Meanings

Friends and Flatterers Summary in Hindi

DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers 3

अगर कोई व्यक्ति पैसे यूँ ही बर्बाद करता है और भविष्य के बारे में नहीं सोचता तो सभी लोग कहेंगें कि वह उदार है और उसकी चापलूसी करेगें । यदि कोई धन खो देता है तो जो उसकी चापलूसी करते थे, उसका साथ छोड़ देंगे। वह उससे दोस्ती करना पसन्द नहीं करेगें।

एक सच्चा मित्र जरूरत के समय तुम्हारी मदद करेगा। अगर तुम रोओगे, वह भी रोएगा। अगर तुम नहीं सोते हो तो वह भी नहीं सो पाएगा। वह तुम्हारे सभी दुःखों में भागीदार बनेगा। ये कुछ निशानियाँ हैं जो एक सच्चे मित्र को चापलूस मित्र से अलग करती हैं ।

Flatter – to try to please someone with lavish praise – चापलूसी करना;
Misery – distress – मुसीबत;
Faithful – loyal – वफादार;
Scant – not sufficient- अपर्याप्त;
Prodigal – extravagant – अपव्ययी;
Fortune – fate – भाग्य;
Renown – famous – प्रसिद्ध;
Frown – flatter – चापलूसी करना
Sorrow – grief – दु:ख;
Foe – enemy – दुश्मन।

Porsche-driving Indian teenager who killed two people ordered to write essay

A n Indian court granted bail to a drink-driving teenager who rammed his Porsche into a motorbike and killed two people, on the condition that he “write an essay” about the incident.

The court also told the 17-year-old boy from Pune in the western state of Maharashtra to undergo treatment for his drinking habit, take counselling sessions and work with the local police for 15 days.

The teenager, who has not been named, is the son of a prominent real estate magnate, and the perceived leniency shown by the judge has sparked outrage in the country .

The accident occurred at around 3.15am in Kalyani Nagar in Pune on Sunday.

A group of friends was returning home on motorbikes after a party at a local restaurant. When they reached the Kalyani Nagar junction, one of their motorcycles was hit by the teenager’s Porsche, police say, causing its two riders to fall and die instantly.

After hitting the riders, the teenager crashed his car into some railings, police say.

A video that has been widely shared on social media shows a group of passersby attacking the driver as he tries to exit the vehicle.

The deceased were identified as software engineers Anis Awadhiya and Ashwini Koshta, both 25.

A case was registered against the driver at a local police station and he was charged with rash driving, causing death by rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide and endangering life or personal safety of a person.

The accused is reportedly four months shy of 18, the minimum legal age to drive a car in India .

He was reportedly out celebrating his Class 12 exam results.

He was driving at 200 kmh when he collided with the motorcycle.

The boy’s lawyer, Prashant Patil said: “The juvenile accused who was arrested by Pune Police has been granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on certain conditions, including that the accused should work with the traffic police of Yerawada for 15 days, accused should write an essay on accident, should get treatment from the concerned doctor to help him quit drinking and should take psychiatric counselling and submit the report.”

Police said they will appeal the bail order and treat the accused as an adult.

“We will not leave any stone unturned to prove that this is a heinous crime,” Pune’s police chief, Amitesh Kumar, told India Today .

Police have also arrested the boy’s father and owners of the two bars that allegedly served him alcohol.

The legal drinking age in Maharashtra is 25.

“We’re in shock,” Jugal Kishor Koshta, an uncle of one of the victims, told NDTV. “It’s condemnable that he should get bail in 15 hours. He and his parents should be investigated. We will discuss the matter once Ashwini’s last rites are over tomorrow.”

“We want his bail cancelled and he should remain in police custody. Because of him, an innocent girl, who has seen nothing of life, died," Sachin Bokde, another uncle of the victim, said.

Sanjay Raut, a prominent member of the opposition party Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, accused Pune police of serving pizza and burgers to the accused teenager after the crash, India Today reported.

“Police commissioner should be suspended. He tried to protect the accused. A young couple was killed and the accused was granted bail within two hours,” he told the ANI news agency.

“In the video, it can be seen that he was drunk, but his medical report was negative. Who is helping the accused? Who is this police commissioner? He should be removed or the people of Pune will come on the streets.”

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

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My son is profoundly autistic. Please don’t say he’s merely ‘neurodiverse.’

Advocates are fighting to eliminate terminology that accurately describes my son and thousands of people like him — who can’t speak up for themselves..

I t was pure coincidence that I happened upon the bloody site. Hoping to surprise my son, I drove to his favorite walking trail, along a lakefront, where I caught sight of police officers in a tense confrontation. Three officers stood side by side in an impenetrable wall while instructing someone splayed out and writhing on the ground. I hope Zack doesn’t get distracted by this scene , I thought.

As I neared the trail, I saw Zack’s aide, slouched inside her car, fully absorbed in texting. She was supposed to remain beside him at all times, but he was not with her. I called out to her, “Where’s Zack?” as my throat tightened with the realization he was nowhere in sight. I began sprinting toward the police officers — only to discover with mounting horror that Zack was the scene they were dealing with.

He was ravaging his forearms with deep, mutilating bites, thrashing angrily on the ground, and then rising to charge at the officers, who patiently but sternly reminded him to “stay seated” and repeated “Don’t panic, you’re not in trouble.” Breaking into the scene, I began a frantic avalanche of contrition. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what triggered this —” But I was abruptly cut off by an officer who stated calmly, “Yes, we understand who he is and that he’s petrified.”

Somewhere during his sojourn along the lake, Zack, who was 20 years old at the time, had abruptly sat down too close to a woman seated on a bench, who gingerly told him to put on a COVID mask — and Zack bit her on the shoulder for what he perceived as a reprimand. The woman immediately summoned the police, not in anger but in compassion, realizing this young man was seriously disabled and apparently unattended.

“He’s not in trouble, the woman’s not pressing charges,” the officer assured me. “We’ve been trying to get him to recount a phone number of someone we could contact —” He halted, spying a robust purple bruise on my calf and deep bite marks encrusted with dried blood along my arms. His tone turned solemn. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through. I do understand.”

I stood in stunned silence. I was not prepared for them to be prepared. It had been 45 minutes since they first gathered around Zack with no identifying information, 45 minutes during which his very safety hinged not only on the instincts of a benevolent stranger whom he assaulted but on a shared understanding by all involved of his clinical identity — that Zack is profoundly autistic.

What’s remarkable about Zack’s behavior is how unremarkable it is. Autism has been on an inexplicable rise with no signs of a plateau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in every 36 children born today has autism, and 1 in every 4 of those will have “profound autism,” a clinical distinction for those with much higher needs than the more verbally and intellectually able people who also have an autism diagnosis. Individuals like Zack with profound autism have minimal or no expressive language and require round-the-clock care to assist with daily living activities and safeguard them from extreme behaviors such as self-injury, the destruction of property, and “elopement” — the term for running or wandering away from caregivers or secure locations.

But while parents like me struggle to manage our children’s dangerous impulses, a powerful cultural movement has taken hold that forbids open discussion of profound autism and its manifestations. Advocates for “neurodiversity” are seeking to eliminate the term “profound autism” — on the grounds, they say, that it makes it seem as if autism is always an affliction. And now they are bullying doctors, researchers, lawmakers, and the rest of society into ignoring truths about Zack’s disorder that define his life.

Sanitizing Zack’s diagnosis and intense needs is dangerous. That day out on the lakefront trail, my son’s safety turned on the officers’ ability to decode from his conspicuous behaviors that he has profound autism in particular. They told me they realized that Zack’s refusal to identify himself to them despite repeated requests stemmed from an inability to articulate salient information in a moment of acute stress. They employed a measured response to his rage by speaking in succinct, assertive phrases, repeating reassurances, and maintaining a physical distance. If they hadn’t had such precise training , which depends on recognizing precise clinical criteria rather than employing general descriptors such as “neurodiverse,” the scenario could have gone very differently — with his arrest, forcible restraint, and even suffocation and death.

The intimidation campaign

I embrace many of neurodiversity’s fundamental tenets, especially the idea that people with intellectual disabilities should be broadly accepted and included in society.

I’ve staked my career on this principle — I used to work in the US Department of Justice as a disability rights attorney. I witnessed firsthand the exclusion of people with physical and cognitive disabilities from the rituals of daily life most other people take for granted. And I believe parents and professionals must aspire to discern a child’s authentic needs rather than superimpose our own preferences on them or force them into compliant molds of “normal.” Our children do not need to be “typical” to thrive in a society designed for its vast majority, nor is that an attainable goal.

But the concept of neurodiversity is going into dangerous territory if diagnostic distinctions across the spectrum are now considered archaic and bigoted.

In 2021, the medical journal The Lancet published a report from a commission of worldwide medical experts who recognized the need for “profound autism” as a discrete diagnostic category. The backlash was swift and mighty.

Autistic self-advocates launched a virulent campaign to quash the term, arguing that it had arisen, in the words of self-advocate Julia Bascom , “because some parents . . . see their kids as needing different kinds of support and different levels of restriction. But they are wrong on all counts.” The Global Autistic Task Force on Autism Research, an advocacy group, responded to The Lancet commission by saying : “For more than 30 years, autistic people have resisted functioning labels as misleading and offensive.”

As neurodiversity advocates denounce any framing of autism as a disability that requires medical intervention, they demand more support systems for people with autism, such as independent living “that honors authentic forms of human diversity.” Groups like the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, people who identify on social media as #ActuallyAutistic, and parent activists insist that there is no such thing as a “normal” brain, only relative differences that render all humans “differently abled.”

To them, frank discussions about profound autism give a distorted image of people like Zack as unpredictable, cognitively limited, and presenting more behavioral challenges than the general population. Except the image is not distorted. While it’s painful to accept, these descriptors are accurate. Over the course of a single day, Zack, who is now 23, might furiously pummel his head in rage, slam his body into a wall, and bite me hard enough to draw blood.

The neurodiversity advocates — whose members are distinguished precisely by their ability to advocate for themselves, as Zack cannot — are not illuminating the complexity of autism; they are castigating into submission anyone who dares to deviate from their accepted language.

Intolerance for the term “profound autism” is leaching into medical journals and doctors’ practices. Doctors who’ve devoted their careers to treating children who compulsively ravage their flesh and slam their skulls into the ground are now verbally castrated on social media and “canceled” from lectures so regularly that preserving their livelihood requires stifling crucial medical data . It’s become common for autism self-advocates to “shout down” researchers imparting medical data at conferences or to call the researchers out on social media for online hazing and threats by neurodiverse mobs.

Today, both experienced and newer autism researchers contemplate leaving the field because, as one University of California scientist, David Amaral , observed, “People are getting reluctant to give public presentations or to be too vocal about what they’re finding,” despite the fact that “science is supposed to be about communication.” Top research institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), tasked with conducting clinical trials to illuminate the disorder, face vitriolic accusations of being “ableist” and uncomprehending of the very people they are trying to help.

After the The Lancet’s commission recognized “profound autism” in 2021, the journal published an article by a doctor who wrote: “Generally, physicians think that disability is medical, and that if a patient’s condition interferes with their daily life, they are disabled. This traditional, medical model of disability does not address societal factors that influence disability, nor does it recognize disability as a cultural identity. Viewing disability as an issue stemming from an impaired body can encourage physicians to view disabled patients’ quality of life negatively . . . and to offer treatments aiming to fix the patient.”

This is absurd. I know of no person with profound autism who proudly identifies self-mutilating or violent impulses as core to their “cultural” identity. There is nothing bigoted about striving to ameliorate dangerous behaviors.

More critically, it is not the role of medical researchers to kowtow to trending cultural demands at the expense of addressing medically life-threatening conditions. Erasing diagnostic distinctions will make it impossible to perform research into the behaviors that are associated with profound autism — research that could lead to drugs that could benefit people across the entire autism spectrum. Although about 27 percent of all people with autism have profound autism, the condition is already underrepresented in clinical trials, which typically exclude those with an IQ lower than 70.

Two years ago, my son was abruptly ensnared in a cycle of self-injury, physical assaults, and chronic insomnia that within days catapulted him into a dangerously manic state — during which he risked seizures and seriously injuring anyone in proximity to him. Introducing anti-psychotic medicine delivered the jolt of serotonin to Zack’s brain that allowed him to reclaim his stability. Might other medicines become available that would work better? A movement that vilifies any medical mention of “risk,” “limitations,” or extreme behaviors has the power to thwart the development of such urgently needed drugs.

I hope Congress hears parents like me

The Autism CARES Act, which allocates NIH-funded research and services, sunsets on Sept. 30. Fierce debates are already underway about what Congress should do when it reauthorizes this funding. On one side stand autistic self-advocates who rally against any research not explicitly approved by them. On the other are parents who are desperate for clinical advancements but are so engulfed in the daily ordeal of managing their profoundly autistic children’s aggression and property destruction that they are largely incapable of organizing. The few dedicated parents calling for NIH to set aside funding to specifically address “profound autism” are vastly outnumbered by neurodiverse advocates who seek to block the act from passing if such “stigmatizing” language is included.

The loudest voices seek to abolish all spending on autism medical research and replace it with select services, such as workforce initiatives, that assist only those with milder autism. It’s here that the idea of neurodiversity poses the greatest threat — a movement that celebrates autism in all its forms, and depicts even the most severe afflictions as “merely a difference,” vehemently opposes any investigation into autism’s causes as ableist.

The truth is that we still don’t know what explains the steep rise in autism — perhaps it’s the product of widespread environmental contaminants altering our children’s brains — and this increase needs urgent attention. As these children age, state programs already strained by the deluge of adults needing lifelong services threaten to collapse entirely. Capitulating to self-advocates’ demands amid a global proliferation of one of the gravest disorders of our time is not only morally incoherent but medical malpractice.

In the natural course of events, every profoundly autistic child will eventually be orphaned by the most qualified and dedicated caretakers he’s ever known — his parents. Absent meticulous advance planning and abundant resources, that child will be automatically transitioned by the state to placement in a residential living arrangement. For that child to be placed appropriately depends entirely upon having accurate clinical information about the intensity of his needs, taking into account the possibility of physical aggression, self-injury, elopement, property destruction, seizures, and other overlapping medical needs. I’m confident that if a person facing homelessness and a precariously uncertain future were asked whether he values a safe residential arrangement over semantics that obscure his diagnosis, he would choose the former.

For the record, any language that contorts or constricts the full scope of Zack’s identity is something I find deeply offensive. Zack has struggled with innumerable obstacles and heartbreak in navigating a world that does not come naturally to him, and his competence is strengthening to this day. Blurring his identity under the indistinct banner of “neurodiverse” erases Zack’s lived history — all that he has endured and overcome to get here.

Whitney Ellenby is a former disability rights attorney in the US Department of Justice and the author of the 2018 book “Autism Uncensored: Pulling Back the Curtain.” She is also the founder of Autism Ambassadors, which runs recreational events for over 800 families affected by autism in the Washington, D.C., area.

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Class 7.Poem Friends and Flatterers( full exercise)
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DAV CLASS 7 ENGLISH CHAPTER 10 FRIENDS AND FLATTERERS
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Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare
Summary. ' Friends and Flatterers ' by William Shakespeare is a poem about friendships, the good kinds and the bad kinds. The speaker starts the poem by telling the listener, someone they believe needs to hear their advice, that there are people who are going to flatter them who aren't true friends. They tell the listener that even if ...
Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare
Theme. "Friends and Flatterers" imparts wisdom about true and false friends. The main themes of the poem are genuine friendship, flattery, and perception versus reality. Through this poem, Shakespeare describes how friends and flatterers (fair-weather friends) behave differently in particular situations in life.
Friends and Flatterers Poem by William Shakespeare Summary, Notes and
If we are burdened with grief, a true friend will understand our pain and weep with us. And if we are awake due to some hardship, a true friend cannot be sleepy. Analysis Here, the poet has emphasised the qualities that lay the foundation of a true friendship. A true friend will have qualities such as empathy, support and thoughtfulness.
Friends and Flatterers Summary & Analysis by William Shakespeare
Summary & Analysis of Friends and Flatterers. William Shakespeare's poem Friends and Flatterers makes us knowledgeable in being able to distinguish between good friends who always wish the best for us and lousy company who are actually our foes in disguise, wishing for us to go on the wrong track. Friendships are some of the most important ...
Can you summarize Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare
Expert Answers. The poem is a lament by the speaker about fickleness. The speaker, upon an occasion, hears a nightingale sing and takes pity on the poor bird for its beautiful song sounds like a ...
Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare
September 05, 2021. Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare. Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare. Every one that flatters thee. Is no friend in misery. Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are hard to find: Every man will be thy friend. Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend;
Friends and Flatterers By William Shakespeare
Friends and Flatterers William Shakespeare. About William Shakespeare. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) an English poet, dramatist and actor, is arguably the most famous literary figure of all time. The 'Bard of Avon' was not only a skilled playwright, but also one of the most accomplished poets. He wrote a compilation of sonnet (poems that have ...
Friends and Flatterers By William Shakespeare
Friends and Flatterers William Shakespeare. About William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616): He is an English playwright, poet and actor. His work comprises 154 sonnets and 38 plays including some of his famous works such as Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. He is often called England's national poet and the 'Bard ...
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Friends and Flatterers By William Shakespeare
Friends and Flatterers. Sir Isaac Newton. Vet in the Forest. A Narrow Fellow in the Grass. My Unknown Friend. Break, Break, Break. Everest Reactions. Wandering Singers. His First Flight. Zero Hour. Lobster Quadrille. The Play. ICSE Class 7. English. Friends and Flatterers William Shakespeare. Available Answers. 1.
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FRIENDS AND FLATTERERS SUMMARY.pdf
Pdf Description. Page 1 : FRIENDS AND FLATTERERS SUMMARY, By William Shakespeare, This poem is about friends, both false and true. False friends are easier to get, than true friends. False friends flatter a person with wealth saying he is, generous when he spends money recklessly. Such friends desert him once he, loses his wealth and has ...
Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers
Answer: Other examples of inversion in this poem are 'But if fortune once do frown', 'Use his company no more.' and 'He with thee doth bear a part'. Question 8: 'Faithful friends are hard to find'. The line is an example of alliteration - quick repetition of a particular sound in a line of a poem.
PLUTARCH, Moralia. How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend
Introduction. Plutarch's essay on flatterers is addressed to C. Julius Antiochus Philopappus, a descendant of the kings of Commagene, whose monument still stands on the Museum Hill at Athens. He was a patron of art and literature, and on friendly terms with Plutarch. a The essay is not concerned with the impecunious and dependent adherents (parasites) of the rich, but with the adroit ...
DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and
III. Life Skills. Given below are some traits of sincere friends and flattering foes. Write them in proper columns given on the next page. 1. points out your weaknesses in a fearless but decent manner. 2. praises you even for those qualities which you do not have. 3. cannot feel comfortable if you are in trouble.
Essay on friends and flatterers
Explanation: essay essay on friends and flatterers. Friendship is one of the greatest bonds anyone can ever wish for. Lucky are those who have friends they can trust. Friendship is a devoted relationship between two individuals. They both feel immense care and love for each other. Usually, a friendship is shared by two people who have similar ...
Porsche-driving Indian teenager who killed two people ordered to ...
Porsche-driving Indian teenager who killed two people ordered to write essay - Judge also orders 17-year-old to undergo treatment for drinking habit and work with local police for 15 days
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My son has profound autism. Don't call him 'neurodiverse.'
IDEAS My son is profoundly autistic. Please don't say he's merely 'neurodiverse.' Advocates are fighting to eliminate terminology that accurately describes my son and thousands of people ...
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Friends and Flatterers by William Shakespeare

Form, Rhyme Scheme, & Meter

Rhyme Scheme

Poetic Devices & Figures of Speech

Personification

Alliteration

Inversion or Hyperbaton

Line-by-Line Analysis and Explanation

Lines 13-16

Lines 17-20

Lines 21-24

Lines 25-28

Historical Background

Questions and Answers

Similar Poems with Life Lessons

External Resources

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Friends and Flatterers Poem by William Shakespeare Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English for Students

Introduction

About the Author

Lines 13-16

Lines 17-20

Lines 21-24

Lines 25-28

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Table of Contents

Friends and Flatterers Summary & Analysis by William Shakespeare

Main Summary of the Poem Friends and Flatterers

General Meaning of The Poem

Historical Background

The theme of Friends and Flatterers

About the Writer of Friends and Flatterers

Detail analysis of Friends and Flatterers Poem

Poetical Devices

Questions & Answer Related to Friends and Flatterers

Additional Questions

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About the Poet - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Summary - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

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Themes - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Symbols - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Poetic Devices - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Vocabulary - Friends and Flatterers | English Literature (DAV) | Class 7 Literature | English

Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers

Friends and Flatterers Questions & Answers

Question 1: ‘Words are easy, like the wind; whose words are being referred to? In what sense are they ‘easy’?

(b) If words are easy, what is hard?

Question 2: Complete the sentences: According to the poet,

Question 3: How could a flatterer be a foe?

Question 4: How can we distinguish between a true friend and a false friend?

Question 5: The phrase ‘faithful friend’ occurs twice in the poem. Can you find a similar phrase which stands for its opposite?

Question 6: Which two of these words have meanings similar to ‘flatter’ and which two refer to the opposite of it?

Question 7: ‘Inversion’ refers to changing the order of words in a sentence. Poets use inversion to make words rhyme and to create special effects. ‘Bountiful they will him call’ is one example of inversion in this poem. Find others.

Question 8: ‘Faithful friends are hard to find’. The line is an example of alliteration – quick repetition of a particular sound in a line of a poem. Find other examples of alliteration in the poem.

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Plutarch , Moralia. How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend

Introduction

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DAV Class 7 English Literature Book Solutions Chapter 10 Friends and Flatterers