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
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.
Answer:
| Column A | Column B |
| (a) flatterer | 6. to try to please someone with lavish praise |
| (b) scant | 1. very little, not as much as there should be |
| (c) prodigal | 7. one who wastes money without giving any thought to the future |
| (d) grief | 4. a feeling of great sadness |
| (e) foe | 2. enemy |
| (J) bountiful | 5. generous, one who gives away large amounts of money to help others |
| (g) fawn | 3. one who says nice things about someone without having sincere feelings for the person |
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:
| Pairs | Rhyming Words |
| (i) Friend | Spend |
| (ii) Frown | Renown |
| (iii) Before | More |
| (iv) Weep | Sleep |
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?
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:
| Sincere Friend | Flattering Foe |
| 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. treats you as a king so long you have money |
| 5. shares with you the pain of your grief | 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.
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
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:
For self-attempt.
Friends and Flatterers Summary in English
William Shakespeare in his poem ‘Friends and Flatterers’ highlights the difference between true friends and flatterers. The poet says who flatters you is not your true friend. He who is not with you in the times of distress is not your true friend. Just like the wind blows, so do words flow easily from the mouth of a flatterer. It is veiy difficult to find a true friend who is faithful to you.
Everyone will be your friend, so long as you have money. But if you have lack of money, nobody will be your true friend.
If there is a person who wastes money without giving any thought to the future, they will say that he is generous and will flatter him with words.
If one loses money, then who flattered him will deny his company. They will not wish to have friendship with him any more.
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
विलियम शेक्सपियर अपनी कविता ‘फ्रेन्डस एंड फ्लैटर्स’ में सच्चे मित्र और चापलूस के बीच अंतर बताते हैं। उनका कहना है कि जो तुम्हारी चापलूसी करता है वह तुम्हारा सच्चा मित्र नहीं है। जो दुःख के समय तुम्हारे साथ नहीं है वह तुम्हारा सच्चा मित्र नहीं है। जैसे हवा बहती है इसी तरह एक चापलूस के मुख से शब्द निकलते हैं। सच्चा और वफादार मित्र ढूँढ़ना मुश्किल है।
सभी तुम्हारे मित्र होंगें जब तक तुम्हारे पास पैसा होगा । लेकिन अगर तुम्हारे पास धन की कमी होगी तो कोई तुम्हारा मित्र नहीं बनेगा।
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।