Poem 2: On Friendship

Class 12 General English | PSEB | A Rainbow of English
Poet: Kahlil Gibran

1. Central Idea of the Poem

In “On Friendship,” Kahlil Gibran explains the true meaning and value of friendship. A true friend is someone with whom we can share our joys, sorrows, hopes and fears. Friendship should be based on love, trust, understanding and mutual respect.

The poet says that a friend is like a field that we sow with love and reap with gratitude. A friend provides comfort, support and peace. True friendship should help us grow spiritually and emotionally rather than serve selfish purposes.

The poet also explains that separation can make us realise the value of a friend more clearly. We should not seek friendship merely to pass time or satisfy our needs; we should value our friends and share both our happiness and difficulties with them.

The poem teaches that genuine friendship enriches life, refreshes the heart and helps us become better human beings.

2. Comprehension and Enjoyment

Q1. Give the central idea of the poem.

Answer:

The poem explains the true meaning and importance of friendship. According to Kahlil Gibran, a true friend is someone with whom we can share our joys and sorrows, hopes and fears. Friendship should be based on love, trust, understanding and selflessness. A friend provides comfort and support and helps us grow emotionally and spiritually. The poet advises us not to use friendship merely to pass time or fulfil selfish needs. True friendship brings happiness, peace and refreshment to the heart.

Q2. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

“He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the ‘nay’ in your own mind, nor do you withhold the ‘ay’.”

(a) Name the poet.

Answer: The poet is Kahlil Gibran.

(b) What is the most important thing that one can give to a friend?

Answer: The most important thing one can give to a friend is love. A true friendship grows through love, trust, understanding and care. The poet compares a friend to a field that we sow with love and reap with gratitude.

(c) When we shower our friends with love, what do we earn in return from them?

Answer: When we shower our friends with love, we earn their affection, trust, gratitude, support and understanding in return. True friendship is enriched by mutual love and care.

(d) How is a friend our fireside?

Answer: A friend is like a fireside because a fireside gives warmth and comfort. Similarly, a true friend offers emotional warmth, peace, sympathy and support when we are troubled or lonely.

Q3. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

“For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth; and only the unprofitable is caught.”

(a) A mountain appears more clear when one is on the plain, at some distance away. How does the poet relate this statement to understand the value of a friend?

Answer: The poet compares a mountain that appears clearer from a distance with the value of a friend that becomes clearer during separation. When a friend is absent, we often understand more deeply how important that person is in our life. Distance helps us recognise and appreciate a friend’s good qualities and the value of the relationship.

(b) What should be the main purpose of friendship?

Answer: The main purpose of friendship should be the deepening of the spirit. True friendship should help people grow emotionally and spiritually, become more understanding and develop better qualities. It should not be based on selfish interests or personal gain.

(c) List all the qualities a true friend should have, according to Kahlil Gibran.

Answer: According to Kahlil Gibran, a true friend should possess the following qualities:

Love: A true friend gives affection sincerely and expects no selfish reward.
Trust: Friends should be able to speak openly and honestly with one another.
Understanding: A true friend listens to another person’s thoughts and feelings without unnecessary judgement.
Support: A friend offers comfort and help in times of difficulty.
Honesty: Friends should be able to express agreement or disagreement freely.
Selflessness: Friendship should not be used merely to fulfil personal needs or gain advantages.
Respect: A true friend respects the other person’s individuality and opinions.
Emotional and spiritual growth: Friendship should deepen the spirit and help both people become better human beings.
Shared happiness and sorrow: True friends share their pleasures and difficulties with one another.
Gratitude: Friends appreciate the care and affection they receive from each other.

(d) A true friend is one with whom we can share our:

(i) Wealth and property

(ii) Fame and pleasures

(iii) Joys and sorrows

Answer: (iii) Joys and sorrows.

A true friend stands beside us in happiness as well as in difficult times. Friendship means sharing our feelings and experiences, not merely material possessions or success.

3. Important Points for Revision

The poem is “On Friendship” by Kahlil Gibran.
A true friend is compared to a field that we sow with love and reap with gratitude.
A friend offers warmth, comfort, support and peace.
Separation can help us recognise a friend’s value more clearly.
The main purpose of friendship is the deepening of the spirit.
True friendship should be free from selfish motives.
Friends should be able to share their joys and sorrows.
The poem celebrates love, trust, honesty, understanding and selfless companionship.

Exam preparation tip: Learn the central idea and practise explaining the comparisons used in the poem: a friend as a field, a fireside and a mountain seen from a distance. These images help explain the value and purpose of true friendship.