A Friend Found in Music | CBSE Class 9 English Notes

This note covers the poem "A Friend Found in Music" by Bryanna T. Perkins: a stanza-by-stanza summary, the poetic devices, the rhyme scheme and mood, the themes, key quotations, the vocabulary and phrasal verbs taught alongside it, and answers to the textbook questions.

Who wrote the poem and what is it about?

"A Friend Found in Music" is written by Bryanna T. Perkins. It is a short poem in which the poet describes music as a constant companion in her life, present both in sadness and in happiness.

The poem is built on a series of metaphors in which music is compared, in turn, to an ocean, a rhythm, a therapy and a needed friend.

The poem speaks in the first person, using "I" and "me" throughout, which gives it a personal, confessional tone.

The poet does not merely describe music in general terms; she describes exactly what it does for her: it pulls her "to the shore", moves her "to the core", acts as "therapy" when she feels "blue", and lifts her spirits so that she can "pull through" hard times.

A companion poem, "Music" by Walter de la Mare, is printed alongside it for further reading, and also treats music as something that transforms the ordinary world and the poet's inner feelings.

What happens in the poem, stanza by stanza?

Stanza 1: Music as ocean and rhythm

The poem opens with the line "Music is the ocean / That pulls me to the shore." Here music is compared to a vast, powerful natural force that draws the poet towards safety, much as the tide pulls a swimmer towards land.

The second half of the stanza continues with "Music is the rhythm / That moves me to the core," comparing music this time to a rhythm, something felt physically, that stirs the poet's deepest, most inward feelings.

Both images in this opening stanza present music as something immense and deeply felt, not a light or occasional pleasure but a force that reaches the poet at her centre.

Stanza 2: Music as therapy

In the second stanza, the poet turns from the physical imagery of water and rhythm to the more direct idea of healing: "Music is the therapy / I need when I feel blue." The phrase "feel blue" is an idiom for feeling sad or low, and the poet openly admits that she needs music at such times, not merely enjoys it.

The stanza continues, "Music lifts my spirits / To make sure I pull through," showing that music does not just comfort her passively; it actively raises her mood and helps her to get through difficult periods, as the phrasal verb "pull through" means to succeed in overcoming something very difficult.

Stanza 3: Music as a needed friend

The final stanza shifts to happier memories: "The times when I'm most cheerful, / It's clear, music was there." The poet recalls that even her happiest moments have music present in them, suggesting that music is bound up with the whole range of her emotional life, not only the sad parts.

The closing lines give the poem its title: "Music is the needed friend / When no one seems to care." Music is presented here as a dependable companion, one that remains present even when human friends or company are absent, bringing the poem to a close on the image that gives it its name.

What poetic devices does the poet use in the poem?

The central device of this poem is metaphor. The poet repeatedly states that "Music is" something else altogether: an ocean, a rhythm, a therapy, a needed friend.

Each metaphor is a direct equation rather than a comparison using "like" or "as", which gives the statements a confident, declarative tone, as though these equivalences are simply true for the poet.

The phrase "moves me to the core" also works through personification, since an abstract thing such as music is given the power to act upon the poet physically and emotionally, almost as a person might move or affect another person.

The poet also uses repetition: the word "music" begins five of the poem's twelve lines, functioning almost like a refrain in a song, which is fitting given the poem's subject.

The poem additionally uses the idiom "feel blue" for sadness and the phrasal verb "pull through" for overcoming a difficulty, both drawn from everyday English rather than formal or literary vocabulary.

This everyday, conversational diction keeps the poem simple and accessible, matching its theme of music as an ordinary, everyday comfort rather than something distant or grand.

What is the rhyme scheme and how does it shape the poem?

Each stanza of the poem has four lines, and the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme with each other: "shore" with "core" in the first stanza, "blue" with "through" in the second, and "there" with "care" in the third.

The first and third lines of each stanza do not rhyme with each other. This gives the poem a rhyme scheme that can be described as ABCB in each stanza.

This simple, regular rhyme pattern gives the poem a musical, song-like quality, which suits its subject matter closely: a poem about music itself is written in a form that is easy to read aloud, remember and even set to a tune.

The short lines and the repeated rhyme at the end of alternating lines create a gentle, flowing rhythm that mirrors the comfort and steadiness the poet describes feeling from music.

What is the mood and tone of the poem?

The overall mood of the poem is thoughtful and reflective. The poet is not describing a single event but looking back over her life and recognising a pattern: that music has consistently been present during both her lowest and her most cheerful moments.

The tone is also warm and grateful, since the poem amounts to an extended tribute to music as a friend.

There is no anger, mockery or playfulness in the poem; instead, each stanza builds steadily on the idea that music is dependable.

The personal pronouns "I" and "me" throughout, along with specific feelings such as "feel blue" and "most cheerful", suggest that the speaker is expressing her own genuine, lived experience of music rather than a generalised or invented situation, which is also supported by the fact that the poem is credited to the poet herself, Bryanna T. Perkins.

What themes does the poem explore?

Music as a dependable friend

The most direct theme, announced in the poem's title, is that music functions as a friend that does not fail the poet.

Unlike human companions, who may not always be present or caring, music is described as a "needed friend / When no one seems to care," suggesting that it offers a reliability that people sometimes cannot.

Music as emotional therapy

A second theme is music's power to heal or soothe emotional pain. The poet explicitly calls music her "therapy" for when she feels "blue," and describes it as lifting her spirits so that she can "pull through" hard times.

Music here is not simply entertainment but an active source of emotional support.

The universal, constant presence of music in life

The poem also suggests that music accompanies every emotional state, not only sadness. The third stanza notes that music was present during the poet's "most cheerful" times as well, implying that music is woven through the whole of a person's emotional life, in joy as much as in sorrow.

What are the key quotations from the poem?

"Music is the ocean / That pulls me to the shore."

These opening lines introduce the central metaphor of the poem, comparing music to a vast, natural force. Just as an ocean's tide draws a swimmer towards the safety of the shore, music is shown drawing the poet towards comfort and steadiness in her life.

"Music is the therapy / I need when I feel blue."

Here the poet states directly that music is a necessary emotional remedy rather than an optional pleasure. The word "therapy" suggests a deliberate, healing process, and "need" shows that she depends on music rather than merely enjoying it occasionally.

"Music lifts my spirits / To make sure I pull through."

This quotation shows music actively helping the poet to overcome difficult periods in her life. The phrasal verb "pull through" means to succeed in doing something very difficult, so music is credited with giving her the strength to endure hard times, not merely to feel briefly better.

"Music is the needed friend / When no one seems to care."

The poem's closing lines give the poem its title, presenting music as a companion that remains present when people are absent. Unlike human friends, who may fail to notice or support her, music is described here as dependable and always close at hand, bringing the poem to a calm, grateful close.

What phrasal verbs and vocabulary does the chapter teach alongside the poem?

Alongside the poem, the chapter explains that the verb "pull" means "move or remove something" and the preposition "through" means "from one end or side to the other," but together as "pull through" they mean "to succeed in doing something very difficult." This is identified as an example of a phrasal verb, where a verb combined with a preposition or adverb takes on a different, combined meaning.

The chapter also discusses "moves me," noting that "move" can mean to change position, to make progress, to take action, or to cause strong feelings, and that in the poem it means "to make somebody do something" emotionally.

Further phrasal verbs built on "move" are practised using sentences such as "He's planning to move out of his parents' house" (to leave a place one has been living in), "Our new neighbours moved in yesterday" (to begin living in a new home), "it's time I moved on" (to start doing something new), "move over a bit" (to shift position to make room), "move along" (to go to a new position, making room for other people) and "the bus moved off" (to start moving, to leave).

The poem's emotional vocabulary is also classified: "lifts my spirits" and "most cheerful" are positive emotions, while "feel blue" is a negative emotion, and students are asked to choose precisely between words such as nostalgia/elation, despondence/anguish, melancholy/despair, and jubilant/euphoric to describe feelings in similar sentences.

What are the answers to the textbook questions?

Completing the poet's diary (fill in the blanks)

Using words from the poem: 1. shore; 2. rhythm; 3. core; 4. therapy; 5. spirits; 6. blue; 7. needed; 8. care.

Appreciating the poem

1. "Moves me" is an example of personification, since an abstract thing, music, is given the power to act upon the poet as a person might.

2. The metaphors are "Music is the ocean," "Music is the rhythm," "Music is the therapy," and "Music is the needed friend." As similes: Music is as vast as an ocean; Music is as stirring as a rhythm;

Music is as healing as therapy; Music is as reliable as a needed friend.

3. The rhyme scheme is ABCB in each stanza (the second and fourth lines rhyme). This gives the poem a simple, song-like, musical quality that suits its subject.

4. The poet repeats "music" to emphasise how central and ever-present it is in her life, almost like a refrain running through the poem.

5. The message is that music is a steady, comforting presence that helps a person cope with sadness and celebrate happiness, acting as a dependable friend.

6. The mood is (ii) thoughtful, as the poet reflects calmly on music's role across her life.

7. The repeated use of "I" and "me," and personal details such as "feel blue" and "most cheerful," show the speaker is expressing her own genuine experience, supporting that the speaker is the poet herself.

Critical reflection on the extract

(i) "Feel blue" indicates feeling sad or low in spirits. (ii) The line showing music makes the poet happy is "Music lifts my spirits." (iii) The last line signifies that music gives the poet the strength to overcome or succeed through difficult times.

(iv) True. (v) The central idea is A: Music brings comfort during sadness.

Further critical questions

1. Music moves the poet "to the core" because its rhythm has a deep emotional effect, touching her innermost feelings rather than staying at a surface level. 2.

The poet compares music to a "needed friend" because, like a friend, it is always present and comforting, especially when no one else seems to care. 3.

The poet's attitude towards music is one of deep affection, gratitude and dependence; she treats it as a trustworthy companion present in both sad and cheerful times. 4.

The poem has universal appeal because feelings of needing comfort, being lifted in mood, and valuing a dependable friend are common to most people, regardless of background. 5.

Readers are invited to compare their own experience of music with the poet's feelings of comfort and companionship described in the poem.

What can we learn from this poem about music as therapy?

The poem's idea of music as "therapy" connects to a wider cultural understanding of music's healing power.

The chapter notes that an ancient text called Raga Chikitsa elaborates on the healing properties of music, and a seventeenth-century work titled Sangita Sudha gives an account of the effects of music on emotions.

This suggests that the poet's personal claim that music acts as her "therapy" reflects an idea with a long history: that music can influence mood and well-being, not only as entertainment but as a kind of support.

The chapter also points out that everything in nature has a rhythm or sound vibration, even the human heartbeat, connecting to the idea in Indian classical music of the seven swaras (notes).

Read together with these ideas, the poem's central claim, that music lifts spirits and helps a person "pull through," appears not as an isolated personal feeling but as part of a much older recognition of music's emotional and even therapeutic value.

Glossary

• Metaphor — a figure of speech in which one thing is directly called another to suggest a resemblance, as in "Music is the ocean".
• Simile — a figure of speech comparing two things using "as" or "like", for example "as vast as an ocean".
• Personification — giving human qualities or actions to something non-human or abstract, such as music "moving" a person.
• Phrasal verb — a verb combined with a preposition or adverb that together convey a meaning different from the individual words.
• Pull through — to succeed in doing something very difficult.
• Feel blue — an idiom meaning to feel sad or low in spirits.
• Lifts my spirits — a phrase meaning to raise or improve someone's mood.
• Rhyme scheme — the pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem, here ABCB in each stanza.
• Mood — the overall emotional atmosphere created by a piece of writing.
• Refrain — a word or phrase repeated at intervals through a poem, here the word "music".
• Nostalgia — a sentimental longing for the past.
• Melancholy — a feeling of thoughtful sadness.
• Swara — a musical note in Indian classical music; there are said to be seven of them.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: The poem's metaphors use "like" or "as" to compare music. Correct: The poem uses direct metaphors ("Music is the ocean"), not similes; similes with "as" are only created when rewriting the metaphors as an exercise.
• Misconception: "Pull through" simply means to physically pull something. Correct: As a phrasal verb, "pull through" means to succeed in doing something very difficult, a meaning different from "pull" and "through" separately.
• Misconception: The rhyme scheme is the same throughout the whole poem (for example AABB). Correct: Each stanza follows an ABCB pattern, where only the second and fourth lines rhyme.
• Misconception: The poem describes music only as a comfort during sadness. Correct: The poem also says music was present during the poet's "most cheerful" times, not only sad ones.
• Misconception: "Feel blue" refers to a colour mentioned in the poem. Correct: "Feel blue" is an idiom meaning to feel sad, with no reference to an actual colour.
• Misconception: The speaker of the poem is a fictional character invented for the poem. Correct: Clues such as first-person pronouns and personal feelings suggest the speaker is the poet herself.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. What two things does the poet compare music to in the first stanza of the poem? [2 marks]

1. Music is compared to an "ocean" that pulls the poet to the shore.
2. Music is compared to a "rhythm" that moves her to the core.

Q2. What does the line "Music is the therapy I need when I feel blue" reveal about the poet's view of music? [2 marks]

1. It shows that she sees music as a necessary remedy, not just entertainment.
2. It shows she turns to music specifically when she feels sad ("blue").

Q3. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem and explain the effect it creates. [3 marks]

1. Each stanza follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, in which the second and fourth lines rhyme, such as "shore" with "core", "blue" with "through", and "there" with "care".
2. The first and third lines in each stanza remain unrhymed, which keeps the pattern simple rather than dense.
3. This regular, repeated pattern across all three stanzas gives the poem a steady, musical, song-like flow that is easy to read aloud or remember.
4. The effect suits the poem's subject closely, since a poem that praises music is itself written in a form close to a simple tune.

Q4. Explain how the poet shows that music is a "needed friend". [4 marks]

1. The poem's closing line calls music "the needed friend" directly.
2. It is described as present "when no one seems to care," unlike unreliable human company.
3. Music is shown helping her through sadness as "therapy" when she "feels blue".
4. It is also shown sharing her happiest moments, since music "was there" when she was "most cheerful".

Q5. Explain the metaphors used by the poet for music and rewrite two of them as similes. [4 marks]

1. Music is called "the ocean," suggesting it is vast and draws the poet towards comfort.
2. Music is called "the rhythm," suggesting it moves her deeply, "to the core".
3. Music is called "the therapy," suggesting it heals her sadness.
4. Music is called "the needed friend," suggesting it is a dependable companion present even when others are not.
5. As similes: Music is as vast as an ocean; Music is as healing as therapy.

Q6. Describe the mood of the poem and justify your answer with evidence from the text. [3 marks]

1. The mood of the poem is thoughtful and reflective rather than excited or playful.
2. The poet looks back calmly over both sad and cheerful periods of her life, recognising a pattern rather than describing a single event.
3. Lines such as "The times when I'm most cheerful, / It's clear, music was there" show quiet reflection on music's constant presence.
4. The simple, personal language, using "I" and "me" throughout, reinforces this calm, grateful tone rather than any sense of urgency or amusement.

Q7. "This poem has a universal appeal." Discuss this statement with reference to the poem. [5 marks]

1. The poem describes feelings, such as sadness and the need for comfort, that most people experience at some point in their lives.
2. Needing comfort when feeling "blue" and wanting one's spirits lifted are common human experiences, not unique to the poet alone.
3. The desire for a "needed friend" who remains present "when no one seems to care" speaks to a widely shared human need for companionship and reliability.
4. Music itself is present across almost every culture, so the comparisons the poet draws between music and comfort are widely relatable to readers everywhere.
5. The simple, everyday language, together with the song-like rhythm and rhyme, makes the poem's feelings accessible to readers of many ages and backgrounds.
6. Because the poem moves between sadness and happiness rather than describing only one mood, it reflects the full emotional range that most readers recognise in their own lives.

Q8. Based on the poem, explain how music helps the poet cope with sadness and express happiness. [5 marks]

1. Music acts as her "therapy" specifically when she "feels blue", directly easing her sadness rather than merely distracting her from it.
2. It "lifts" her "spirits", actively improving her low mood, and helps her "pull through" difficult times, suggesting sustained emotional support rather than a brief escape.
3. Music is also present during her "most cheerful" moments, since she states that "it's clear, music was there", showing it accompanies happiness as well as sadness.
4. The poem's closing lines call music the "needed friend / When no one seems to care", suggesting it steps in where human company sometimes fails her.
5. Overall, the poem presents music as a constant emotional companion across the whole range of her feelings, from sorrow to joy, rather than a remedy used only in hard times.

Key takeaways

• The poem uses direct metaphors, calling music an ocean, a rhythm, a therapy and a needed friend.
• Each stanza follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, giving the poem a musical, song-like quality.
• The repeated word "music" works like a refrain, stressing how central music is to the poet's life.
• "Feel blue" and "pull through" are idiomatic and phrasal expressions explained alongside the poem.
• The poem's mood is thoughtful, as the poet reflects on both sad and cheerful times.
• Music is presented as present during happiness as well as sadness, not only as a remedy for pain.
• The central theme is that music functions as a dependable friend when human care feels absent.
• Cultural references to Raga Chikitsa and Sangita Sudha connect the poem's idea of music as therapy to a longer tradition.

Test yourself

What does the poet compare music to besides an ocean?

She compares music to a rhythm, a therapy, and a needed friend, in addition to an ocean.

What does "feel blue" mean in the poem?

It is an idiom meaning to feel sad or low in spirits.

What does "pull through" mean as used in the poem?

As a phrasal verb, it means to succeed in doing something very difficult.

What is the rhyme scheme of each stanza?

Each stanza follows an ABCB pattern, where the second and fourth lines rhyme.

What does the closing line of the poem call music?

It calls music "the needed friend / When no one seems to care."

Does the poem show music only helping during sadness?

No, music is also shown present during the poet's "most cheerful" times, not only sad ones.

What ancient text is mentioned as describing music's healing properties?

Raga Chikitsa is mentioned as elaborating on the healing properties of music.