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  1. The poem explores the concept of how to tell apart a genuine, faithful friend from someone who only pretends to be our friend. In doing so, the poet provides us with several contrasting themes. For instance, our true friends will stay with us in times of trouble but the fake friends will leave us ifRead more

    The poem explores the concept of how to tell apart a genuine, faithful friend from someone who only pretends to be our friend. In doing so, the poet provides us with several contrasting themes. For instance, our true friends will stay with us in times of trouble but the fake friends will leave us if they find us amidst misfortune. The speaker further says that these fair-weather friends further push us on the path of vice to see our downfall. The speaker highlights attributes such as empathy and solidarity which one can only find in a faithful person, and not in a fake friend.

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  1. Each quatrain follows the rhyming scheme of AABB, which means that each verse is made up of two rhyming couplets. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter. Friends and Flatterers Summary

    Each quatrain follows the rhyming scheme of AABB, which means that each verse is made up of two rhyming couplets. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter.

    Friends and Flatterers Summary

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  1. The poem explores the nature of human relationships, distinguishing between genuine friendship and mere flattery. The poem provides its readers with caution against fair-weather friends who are quick to take our side and flatter us in prosperity but vanish if we are in adversity. Whereas, a real friRead more

    The poem explores the nature of human relationships, distinguishing between genuine friendship and mere flattery. The poem provides its readers with caution against fair-weather friends who are quick to take our side and flatter us in prosperity but vanish if we are in adversity. Whereas, a real friend is someone who is not materialistic and stays with us in times of misfortune. Ultimately, the poem stresses the importance of true friendship, which is characterised by empathy, consideration and support in times of both joy and sorrow.

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  1. Alliteration- Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighbouring or closely positioned words. It can be seen in phrases such as “Faithful friends from flattering foe.”, “help thee in thy”, “he be bent”, etc. Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that involves comparingRead more

    • Alliteration– Alliteration involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighbouring or closely positioned words. It can be seen in phrases such as “Faithful friends from flattering foe.”, “help thee in thy”, “he be bent”, etc.
    • Simile- A simile is a figure of speech that involves comparing two different things using the words “like” or “as” to highlight a shared quality or characteristic between them.  It can be seen in the line, “Words are easy, like the wind;” where the speaker tells how words are flattery and are spoken with ease by a fake friend.
    • Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. It can be seen in the line, “But if store of crowns be scant” which is a metaphor for misfortune.
    • Personification- Personification is a literary device in which human qualities are attributed to non-human entities or objects. It can be seen in the line, “But if Fortune once do frown,” where fortune is personified as someone who can frown.
    • Parallelism- Parallelism is the use of similar grammatical structures, phrases, or patterns in a series of words or ideas. It adds balance and rhythm to the writing. It can be seen in the lines, “If thou sorrow, he will weep; / If thou wake, he cannot sleep;”.
    • Allusion- An allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance. The poem alludes to the biblical story of The Prodigal Son.
    • Inversion- Inversion is a poetic and rhetorical technique in which the normal order of words is reversed for emphasis or stylistic purposes. It can be seen in the line, “Bountiful they will him call,”.
    • Anaphora- Anaphora is a rhetorical device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines. It can be seen in the lines, “He that is thy friend indeed,/ He will help thee in thy need:”
    • Hyperbole- Hyperbole is a figure of speech characterized by exaggeration or overstatement to emphasize a point. It can be seen in the line, “Pity but he were a king” which is an exaggerated remark by a flatterer.

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