Friends and Flatterers Class 7 DAV English Solutions (2024-2025)

“Friends and Flatterers Class 7 DAV English Solutions (2024-2025)” offers detailed answers to the poem by William Shakespeare. It helps students understand the contrast between true friends and flattering foes, covering important themes, poetic devices, and line-by-line explanations. This guide simplifies the poem’s message for Class 7 students, enhancing their comprehension.

About the Author

Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, began his career in London as an actor and writer. He wrote many works from 1589 to 1613, including comedies, histories, and famous tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth. Later, he wrote tragicomedies and collaborated with other playwrights, retiring to Stratford in 1613, where he died in 1616.

Summary of the Poem, Friends and Flatterers: 

The poem “Friends and Flatterers” by William Shakespeare contrasts true friends and flattering foes. True friends help in times of need, share your sorrow, and remain loyal. Flatterers, however, praise you only when you have money or status. They disappear when you’re in trouble. The poet emphasizes that faithful friends are rare, and flattery is often insincere. The poet offers a lesson in this poem about the value of genuine friendship.

The poet’s Message in the poem, Friends and Flatterers: 

The poet’s message is that true friendship is valuable and rare. A real friend helps in times of need and shares your sorrow. Flatterers, however, praise you only when you are prosperous and leave when you face difficulties. The poet teaches us to recognize genuine friends and avoid those who only seek to benefit from our success.

The contrast between Friends and Flatterers in the poem by the poet

In the poem, Shakespeare distinguishes between a faithful friend and a flattering foe:

• A faithful friend helps in times of need, shares sorrow, and stays loyal.
• A flattering foe praises you when you are rich or powerful, but leaves you when you face hardships.
• Faithful friends are rare, while flatterers are common but insincere.
• True friends support you without expecting anything in return, unlike flatterers who seek personal gain.

 Paraphrase and word notes of the Poem, “Friends and Flatterers”

Explore the line-by-line and stanza-wise paraphrase and word notes of the poem ‘Friends and Flaterers” by William Shakespeare who explores the contrast between true friends who offer sincere support and flatterers who praise for personal gain. 

1st Stanza

Every one that flatters thee,

Is no friend in misery.

Words are easy, like the wind.

Faithful friends are hard to find.

Paraphrase: Not everyone who flatters is a true friend. When troubles come, flatterers disappear. Words are like the wind—light and fleeting. True friends are rare and hard to find.

Wordnotes: 

Flatters – praises/compliments insincerely

Misery – suffering

Faithful – loyal

Poetic Device:

Simile: “Words are easy, like the wind” compares words to the wind, suggesting they are light and transient.

2nd Stanza

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.

Paraphrase: People will be your friends when you have money. But if your wealth runs out, no one will help you. When money is scarce, no one will meet your needs.

Wordnotes:

Whilst – while; as long as, during

Wherewith – means, resources; funds, wealth

Store – supply, abundance;  reserve, stock

Scant – limited; scarce, insufficient

Want – need; lack, deficiency

3rd Stanza

If that one be prodigal,

Bountiful they will him call,

And with such like flattering:

‘Pity but he were a king.”

Paraphrase: If a person is wasteful, people will call him generous. They will flatter him with praises. They will even say he deserves to be a king.

Wordnotes:

Prodigal – wasteful; lavish, reckless

Bountiful – generous; charitable, giving

Flattering – excessive praise; complimenting, fawning

Pity – sympathy; compassion, regret

4th Stanza

But if fortune once do frown

Then farewell his great renown,

They that faw’n’d on him before.

Use his company no more.

Paraphrase: When luck turns against him, his fame will disappear. Those who praised him earlier will leave him. They will no longer want to be around him.

Wordnotes:

Frown – disapprove, turn against; scowl, decline

Renown – fame, reputation; glory, honor

Fawn’d – acted with excessive admiration; flattered, adored

Farewell – goodbye;  parting, leave

5th Stanza

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.

Paraphrase: A true friend will help you when you’re in need. If you’re sad, they will cry with you. If you’re awake, they won’t sleep, staying by your side.

Wordnotes:

indeed – truly, in reality; genuinely, honestly

Weep – cry; sob, lament

Wake – stay awake; rouse, stir

6th Stanza

Thus of every grief in heart

He with thee doth bear a part,

These are certain signs to know

Faithful friend from flattering foe.

Paraphrase: A true friend shares your sorrow. They feel your pain and stand by you. These are clear signs to distinguish a loyal friend from a flattering enemy.

Wordnotes:

Grief – sorrow, sadness; pain, misery

Bear a part – share, support; endure, participate

Faithful – loyal, true; dependable, constant

Flattering – insincere praise; fawning, adulating

Foe – enemy; adversary, opponent

Friends and Flatterers Questions and Answers Solutions Class 7 DAV

“Friends and Flatterers Questions and Answers Solutions Class 7 DAV” provides clear and concise answers to help students understand the poem’s themes and poetic devices. It explains the difference between true friendship and insincere flattery, making it easier for students to grasp the moral lessons in the poem.

I Understanding the Poem

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

Ans: 

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 ones.

(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

Ans: (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

Ans:  (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

Ans: (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

Ans:  (iii) one becomes poor

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

Ans: Here are four pairs of rhyming words from the poem “Friends and Flatterers” by William Shakespeare:

1. indeed – need
2. weep – sleep
3. frown – renown
4. before – more

The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB for each stanza, where the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme.

II HOTS

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?

Ans: In the third stanza, the poet says, “Pity but he were a king,” to highlight how people often flatter the rich and powerful. If a person were a king, their actions would be praised without sincerity. The poet suggests that those who flatter are insincere and only praise when there is something to gain, making the king pitiful because his worth is based on wealth and not on genuine qualities.

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 as long as you have money

6. leaves you when your fortunes are low

IV Values

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.

Ans: A sincere friend values your true qualities and helps you grow by pointing out your weaknesses. In contrast, a flattering foe praises you falsely for things you do not possess, often with selfish intentions. A personal experience of this could be when someone praised me for something I hadn’t done, just to win my favor. In ‘The Spider and the Fly,’ the fly was flattered into danger, similar to how flattering foes deceive.

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.

Ans: 

Dear [Friend’s Name],

I am truly sorry for the things I said during our quarrel. I was angry and didn’t realize that I was wrong. Your advice was honest and I should have listened. I appreciate your friendship and I hope you can forgive me. I value your support and promise to be more understanding next time.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Last Six Years Questions Answers from Friends and Flatterers

“Last Six Years Questions and Answers from Friends and Flatterers” provides solutions to key questions from the poem, helping students understand its themes of friendship and flattery.

Extract-based Questions and Answers Solutions

1. Read the extract and choose the correct answer from the given options:

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 [5the Stanza]

a.The name of the poet of this poem is

I. Mary Howitt

II. William Shakespeare

III. Langston Hughes

IV. Sigmund Srivastava

Ans:  II. William Shakespeare

b. Who will help you at times of your needs

I. Friends

II. Flatterers

III. Neighbour

IV. Security Guard

Ans:  I. Friends

c. What will your friend do when you are sorrowful

I. Smile

II. Laugh

III. Weep

IV. Play

Ans: III. Weep

d. What will your friend do when you are awake

I. Cannot eat

II. Cannot walk

III. Cannot talk

IV. Cannot sleep

Ans: IV. Cannot sleep

2. Read the extract and choose the correct answer from the given options:

‘Bountiful they will him call’ [2nd line of the 3rd stanza]

a) Name the poem from where the line is extracted.

i) Birdie, will you pet? 

ii) Friends and Flatterers

iii) The Spider and the Fly 

iv) I Dream a World

Ans: ii) Friends and Flatterers

b) The poet of the poem is –

i) William Shakespeare 

ii) W. Allingham

iii) Mary Howitt 

iv) William Wordsworth

Ans:  i) William Shakespeare

c) The word ‘they’ refers to –

i) the friends 

ii) the well wishers

iii) the flatterers 

iv) all of these

Ans:  iii) the flatterers

d) The word ‘him’ refers to a man who –

i) does not care about others

ii) ignores others

iii) spends plenty of money for others

iv) both (i) and (ii)

Ans: iii) spends plenty of money for others

3. Read the following extract and choose the correct option to answer the questions that follow:

“Everyone that flatters thee

Is no friend in misery

Words are easy, like the wind;

Faithful friends are hard to find.” [1st Stanza of the Poem]

(a) Name the poem.

(i) The Spider and the Fly 

(ii) Friends and Flatterers 

(iii) Leisure 

(iv) Our Tree

Ans:  ii) Friends and Flatterers

(b) Name the poet.

(i) W.H Davies 

(ii) Richard Harmer 

(iii) Wordsworth 

(iv) William Shakespeare

Ans: iv) William Shakespeare

(c) Name the poetic device used in line 3.

(i) Metaphor 

(ii) Simile 

(iii) Alliteration 

(iv) Personification

Ans:  ii) Simile

(d) What is the meaning of “thee”?

(i) I 

(ii) done 

(iii) you 

(iv) loyal

Ans: iii) you

(e) What do you mean by “a friend in misery”?

(i) a real friend 

(ii) sycophant 

(iii) foe 

(iv) none of these

Ans: i) a real friend

Short Type Questions and Answers Solutions

1. How can we distinguish between a true friend and a flatterer?

Ans: A true friend supports you in difficult times, shares your sorrows, and gives honest advice. They point out your weaknesses with care. A flatterer, however, praises you insincerely, especially when you have something to offer, and leaves when you are in need. A true friend stays through thick and thin, while a flatterer only stays for personal gain.

2. “ He that is thy friend indeed ” –Who is our real friend according to the poet?

Ans: According to the poet, a real friend is someone who supports you in times of need, shares your pain, and remains loyal even when you face difficulties. A true friend is someone who stays by your side through thick and thin, unlike a flatterer who leaves when you no longer have wealth or status.

3. Mention two signs to distinguish a faithful friend from a flattering foe.

Ans: A faithful friend will share in your grief and support you when you face hardship. On the other hand, a flattering foe will praise you only when you are prosperous and will abandon you when you no longer have wealth or fame.

4. Did a friend ever point out some fault of yours? How did you react? Share your feelings with your partner.

Ans: Yes, a friend once pointed out my tendency to be late for appointments. Initially, I felt embarrassed and defensive, but later, I realized they were just trying to help me improve. I appreciated their honesty and understood that a true friend wants the best for me, even if it means telling me uncomfortable truths.

 5. If a friend is looking improperly dressed up for a particular occasion, and your other friends are praising him/her, will you keep quiet and approve of what others are saying or react differently? Share your views with your friends.

Ans: If a friend is improperly dressed, I would privately talk to them and offer advice, rather than just agreeing with others. It’s important to be honest, but also considerate of their feelings. I would try to help them understand the importance of dressing appropriately, but in a way that shows I care about their well-being, not just appearances.