To My True Friend

by Elizabeth Pinard

Answers for all the questions from the poetry ‘To My True Friend’ included in the CHSE +2 book ‘Invitation to English – 1’.

Think it out

1. What does the poet pray for?
Answer – The poet has established a beautiful bonding with her best friend. For her, the genuineness of that bonding carries immense value. She remembers the day when she first came across her chum and prays that the friendship lasts as long as time does.

2. How did the friend encourage the poet?
Answer – As is the case with every individual that goes through the turbulent phrases of growth, the poet had to deal with her own share of personal struggles and emotional turmoil. In her vulnerable times, her best friend stood by her and played the role of a perfect guardian angel. The friend helped her traverse the internal darkness and visualize the ray of hope at the end of it. She was always welcomed with open arms by the nonjudgmental friend. The friend comforted her in her sorrows, provided a shoulder to cry on and filled her emotional void with positivity.

3. How did the friend reassure her?
Answer – There were days when the poet would lose her grip and fall into her habitual dwelling on the depressing phrases of her life. The gloomy chaos of sorrow would cloud the vast expanses of her consciousness. At times like these, she’d turn to her best friend, who would ease her pain through soothing words of positivity. The friend would make her realize that the ongoing troubles would eventually cease to exist and help her calm down.

4. Why did the poet trust her friend?
Answer – The poet loved her true friend unconditionally. She was ever thankful for the unflinching generousity of her chum. So close she was to her friend that they felt together even when separated by the distance of miles. These were reasons enough for the poet to trust her friend.

5. How did the friend inspire self-confidence in the poet?
Answer – The friend acted as a source of profound inspiration for the poet. In the context of the poem, the poet takes the form of a helpless hold and the friend plays the role of her adoring gentle guardian. The guardian, according to the child’s confession in the form of poetry, helped her learn to love and pamper herself. The friend always cheered up the poet and uplifted her spirit when she was drowned in despair.

6. How does the poet cherish the memory of her friend?
Answer – Every moment spent with the friend has peen permanently imprinted in the poet’s mind. She fondly remembers the beautiful smile that the friend always wore on her face. She vividly remembers not only the times of happiness, but also the hours of sorrow when they both wept together. She reminiscences how their friendship has carried through the ups and downs of their lives.

7. Are the friends staying close to each other? Quote the line in support of your answer.
Answer – For the two of them to develop such intimacy, they had to be physically near each other at some point of time. But, as the poet mentions in the poem, their circumstances have enforced a painfully long distance between them. The lines ‘Circumstances have pulled us apart, we are separated by many miles’ state that they are not currently in each other’s vicinity. The poet’s longing to spend time in her friend’s company is expressed in her remembrance of the beloved’s cherished smile.

8. How dos the poet value her friendship?
Answer – The friendship is invaluable to the poet. She has developed an affectionate bond with her friend that has stood the test of time. She goes on to call her friend a guardian angel, which hints at the possibility of her perceiving their friendship as some divine intervention. She wishes that the bond between them remains unscathed and perpetuates infinitely.

9. Why does she call her friend extra-special?
Answer – The friend has long been a constant source of happiness for the poet. Her world appears to be revolving around her friend. The platonic relationship between them is itched deep in the poet’s psyche that sustains her consciousness. It can be said that the poet’s experience of an inexplicable attraction towards her friend makes the person extra-special to her.

10. What is the poet’s final wish?
Answer – The poet wishes to be in the companionship of her friend for eternity. She denies to believe that she’d find anybody quite like that person in this planet. She wants to hold on to their fond memories forever. She understands that the time to cherish the friendship won’t be there forever. So she attempts to encapsulate the delightful memories in the present and embrace it for as long as possible.