A Friend’s Prayer | CBSE Class 6 English Notes

This note covers Jill Wolf's poem about being a good friend: a stanza-by-stanza summary, the poetic devices, how the speaker treats her friends' wishes, why the heart matters to her, her view of judgements, the themes, key quotations, the language lessons, answers to the questions, the activities, and exam-style questions.

Who wrote A Friend’s Prayer?

The Author and the Poem

Jill Wolf is the author of the poem titled “A Friend’s Prayer”. This piece of writing is a poem that reflects on the significance of nurturing friendships.

The text serves as a personal reflection on the value of companionship. It explores how a person might feel blessed with special friends and how they wish to treat those connections.

Understanding the Title

The title refers to the speaker's desire to express a prayer for friendship. It is not merely a speech, but a heartfelt wish regarding how to be a better companion.

Through this prayer, the speaker expresses a hope to make wishes come true for others. It focuses on the importance of being a caring friend who understands and accepts others.

The title suggests a spiritual or deep emotional intention. The speaker asks to use her heart to truly realise the potential of what friends can be to one another.

What happens in the poem, stanza by stanza?

Stanzas 1 and 2: Friendship Comes First

The speaker begins with a wish regarding the role of companionship in her life. She hopes that her friendships will always remain the most significant aspect of her existence.

She expresses that having special friends makes her feel blessed. Because of this feeling, she intends to “give my very best” to those she cares about.

Stanzas 3 and 4: Going Beyond Shared Plans

The speaker expresses a desire to do much more than simply participate in the hopes and plans of her friends. She wants to be more than just a person who shares in their thoughts.

She commits to putting in the effort required of a true companion. Her goal is to “make their wishes come true” through her actions and dedication.

Stanza 5: Seeing with the Heart

To understand the true nature of companionship, the speaker intends to use her heart. She believes that emotional insight is necessary to realise what friends can be.

This approach allows her to see beyond the surface. She wants to understand the depth of her connections through feeling and empathy rather than just observation.

Stanza 6: Accepting Friends as They Are

The speaker expresses a desire to avoid making any judgements from afar. She does not want to form opinions about her friends from a distance without truly knowing them.

Instead, she chooses to love her friends exactly as they are. She accepts them for all their qualities without trying to change them or judge them.

What are the poetic devices?

Rhyme and Sound

The poem uses rhyme to create a rhythmic quality. The poet pairs specific end words to establish a pattern throughout the verses.

For example, the first stanza rhymes “be” and “me”, and the second stanza rhymes “blessed” and “best”. The second pair links the speaker's feeling of being blessed with her wish to give her very best.

In the third stanza, the words “share” and “care” form a rhyme. This connects the idea of sharing with the concept of friends who care.

The fifth stanza uses “see” and “be” as rhyming words. This links the act of using the heart to the realisation of what friends can be.

Finally, the sixth and last stanza ends with the words “afar” and “are”. This rhyme emphasises the idea of loving friends exactly as they are, without distance or judgement.

Poetic Devices

The speaker employs metaphorical language to describe how they perceive friendship. This helps convey deep emotions.

The phrase “use my heart to see” suggests that understanding a friend requires more than just physical sight. It implies that emotional insight is necessary to truly recognise a friend's nature.

How does the speaker treat friends' wishes?

Going Beyond Shared Plans

The speaker expresses a desire to be more than just a companion. She wants to do more than simply share the hopes and plans of friends who care.

This shows a caring nature. The speaker is not content with just listening to what her friends want or what they intend to do.

Instead, she aims to be an active participant in their happiness. She intends to try all that a friend can do to support them.

Making Wishes Come True

A central part of the speaker's prayer is her commitment to her friends. She expresses a strong wish to make their wishes come true.

This dedication suggests that the speaker is a caring person. She focuses on the desires and needs of those she considers special friends.

By attempting to fulfil these wishes, she demonstrates how much she values her connections. Her goal is to provide the very best to her friends.

The poem suggests that being a friend involves more than just being present. It involves a sincere effort to bring joy to others through action.

Why is the heart important to the speaker?

Using the heart to see

The speaker expresses a desire to use her heart to see. This method of perception helps her to realise what friends can be. Through this, she hopes to understand the true nature of friendship.

By using her heart, she seeks to understand her friends deeply. She wants to go beyond surface observations. This approach allows her to appreciate the special friends in her life.

The importance of feelings

The poem suggests that feelings are important to understand friendship. The speaker does not wish to make any judgements from afar. Instead, she chooses to embrace her friends as they are.

She aims to love her friends exactly the way they are. This shows a thoughtful and caring attitude toward her connections. Her focus is on acceptance rather than criticism.

The speaker wants to move past simple sharing of plans. She strives to make their wishes come true. This commitment is driven by her heartfelt desire to be a good friend.

How does the speaker view judgements?

Avoiding distant judgements

The speaker expresses a desire to avoid making judgements from afar. This suggests a commitment to understanding friends through closeness rather than through distant observation.

By choosing not to judge, the speaker shows a thoughtful nature. This approach allows for a deeper connection with those she considers special friends.

Accepting friends as they are

Instead of judging, the speaker aims to love her friends “the way they are”. This indicates an acceptance of their true selves.

The speaker wishes to realise what friends can be by using her heart. This emotional perspective helps her see the true value in her companions.

True friendship involves accepting people for all their qualities. The speaker prays to maintain this level of unconditional acceptance in her life.

The poem suggests that a good friend does not look for flaws from a distance. Instead, they embrace their friends exactly as they are.

What are the themes of the poem?

Theme 1: The significance of nurturing friendships

The poem reflects on the importance of friendship. The speaker expresses a desire for these connections to remain a priority in her life.

She hopes that her friendships will always be “the most important thing” to her. This shows a commitment to valuing these bonds.

The speaker also wishes to give her very best to her special friends. This suggests that maintaining a friendship requires active effort and care.

Theme 2: Accepting friends for all their qualities

A major message is the importance of unconditional acceptance. The speaker aims to value her friends exactly as they are.

She expresses a wish to love her friends “the way they are”. This indicates that true friendship does not require others to change.

The speaker also avoids making judgements from afar. Instead, she seeks to understand the true nature of what friends can be.

Theme 3: Being a caring and thoughtful friend

The poem highlights the role of a caring friend. The speaker wants to do more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.

She shows a caring nature by wanting to “make their wishes come true”. This demonstrates a selfless desire to support her friends.

By using her heart to see, the speaker aims to deeply understand her friends. This emotional connection helps her be a better companion.

What are the key quotations?

These lines from the poem express the speaker's desire to value and nurture the connections she shares with her special friends.

May my friendships always be

Speaker: the poet. Context: The poem begins with this wish for the importance of friendship. It shows the speaker's desire to keep these bonds central to her life.

With special friends I feel I’m blessed

Speaker: the poet. Context: The speaker expresses how she feels when she is with her special friends. These words show her sense of gratitude for their presence.

To make their wishes come true.

Speaker: the poet. Context: The poet mentions her intention to try everything a friend can do. This shows her caring nature and her desire to support her friends.

But love my friends the way they are.

Speaker: the poet. Context: The poem concludes with a wish to avoid making judgements from afar. This line shows the importance of accepting friends for all their qualities.

What are the language lessons?

Synonyms and Qualities

The lesson also has vocabulary activities on feelings and character. One activity focuses on finding words that share a meaning with being blessed.

From a provided list, the words grateful and thankful are similar in meaning to being blessed. Other options such as excited, understood, or relaxed do not match this specific meaning.

Another exercise involves identifying various qualities of good friends. These traits help define what a supportive person might be like in a friendship.

Vocabulary and Expressions

Students are also asked to use specific expressions to describe friendship experiences. Students can practice describing how a friendship started by considering when, where, and how it began.

Learning to use quotations about friendship is another language focus. These include the phrase “A friend in need is a friend indeed” and the idea that a best friend “brings out the best in me”.

Finally, the activities suggest practising social interactions through role-play. This involves using greetings, asking to participate in activities, and expressing appreciation for food shared in a tiffin.

What are the answers to the questions?

Comprehension Questions

• How does the poet feel about special friends? The poet feels blessed to have special friends.
• What does the poet use to realise what friends can be? The speaker uses her heart to see in order to realise what friends can be.
• The lines “I want to do much more than share / The hopes and plans of friends who care; / I’ll try all that a friend can do / To make their wishes come true” tell us that the speaker is: clever, caring, curious or calm? The speaker is caring, because she wants to do more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.
• How will the speaker make her friends’ wishes come true? She will make them come true by trying hard: she will try all that a friend can do.
• My friends will feel ___ if their wishes come true. Happy (or pleased, glad).
• The lines “Let me use my heart to see, / To realise what friends can be, / And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are” tell us that the speaker is: helpful, thoughtful, cheerful or hopeful? The speaker is thoughtful, because she uses her heart to understand her friends and does not judge them from afar.
• The speaker says that feelings are important to understand friendship. Which line tells us this? “Let me use my heart to see”.
• The speaker does not wish to make any ___________. The speaker does not wish to make any judgements from afar.

Reflective Questions

• Give one reason why we can say that this poem is a prayer. The poem is a prayer because the speaker expresses wishes, such as wanting friendship to be the most important thing to her.
• Why does the speaker ‘want to do more’ for her friend? The speaker wants to do more than just share hopes and plans because she wants to make wishes come true for her friends.
• Do you think that the speaker knows about the wishes of her friend? How can we say so? Yes, it seems the speaker knows about them. She says she wants to do much more than share the hopes and plans of friends who care, which shows she already knows them, and she wants to make their wishes come true.
• Do you also pray for your friend? What do you wish for? A person might pray for their friend to get well soon or to win a race.

What are the activities to do?

Listening and Speaking Activities

The listening task involves hearing a talk about Ajay and Dhiraj. These two friends enjoy various outdoor activities together.

Students listen to details about what the two friends do outdoors. They may hear about playing on swings, taking walks in the park, cycling around the neighbourhood, or eating ice-cream. One activity involves purchasing a comic book to read on a bench.

The speaking exercises require students to act out roles in pairs. They can discuss sharing tiffins at school or taking a walk in the park.

In these conversations, students might greet each other and plan activities. They can also talk about the food items they have brought.

Writing and Exploring Tasks

The writing task asks for a short paragraph of about 80 words. Students should describe how a friendship started by noting when, where, and how it happened.

The exploration section focuses on famous quotations about friendship. Students can read provided quotes, such as “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

They are encouraged to find other quotations in their own language. One activity involves writing a decorated quotation to put on a class board.

Glossary

• Blessed — Feeling grateful or thankful, used by the poet to describe how she feels when she is with special friends.
• Judgements — Opinions or verdicts formed about people, which the speaker does not want to form from afar when loving her friends.
• Hopes — Wishes or desires for the future; the speaker wants to do much more than share the hopes of friends who care.
• Plans — Intentions or arrangements for the future; the speaker wants to do much more than share the plans of friends who care.
• Realise — To understand or become aware of something, such as understanding what true friends can be.
• Special — Being better, greater, or otherwise distinctive, used to describe the type of friends that make the poet feel blessed.
• Tiffin — A light meal or lunch, mentioned in the context of sharing food with friends at school.
• Outdoor activities — Things people do outside, such as playing on swings, cycling, or walking in a park.
• Neighbourhood — The area surrounding a person's home, where Ajay and Dhiraj go cycling on Saturdays.
• Loyal — Being faithful or supportive, listed as a quality that good friends possess.
• Honest — Truthful, never telling lies, listed as a quality that good friends possess.
• Caring — Showing concern and care for others, the quality the speaker shows when she wants to do much more than share the hopes and plans of friends who care.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: The poem is a speech about the importance of friendship. Correct: The poem is a prayer where the speaker expresses wishes regarding her friendships.
• Misconception: The speaker wants to judge her friends from a distance. Correct: The speaker wishes to make no judgements from afar and instead love her friends as they are.
• Misconception: The poet only wants to share the hopes and plans of her friends. Correct: The speaker wants to do much more than just share those hopes and plans.
• Misconception: The speaker uses her mind to understand what friends can be. Correct: The speaker says, “Let me use my heart to see, to realise what friends can be”.
• Misconception: Ajay and Dhiraj only enjoy playing on the swings in the park. Correct: While they like the swings, they also enjoy walks, listening to birds, cycling, eating ice-cream, and reading comic books.
• Misconception: The speaker wants to change her friends to make them better. Correct: The speaker prays to love her friends the way they are.
• Misconception: The poem suggests that friendship is the least important thing to the speaker. Correct: The speaker wishes that her friendships would always be the most important thing to her.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. The poet says, “With special friends I feel I’m blessed”. How does the poet feel about these special friends? [2 marks]

1. The poet feels blessed when she is with her special friends.
2. She wishes to give her very best to these friends.

Q2. The speaker says, “I’ll try all that a friend can do / To make their wishes come true”. How will the speaker attempt to make the wishes of her friends come true? [2 marks]

1. The speaker intends to do much more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.
2. She will try hard, doing all that a friend can do, to make their wishes come true.

Q3. The poem includes the lines, “Let me use my heart to see, / To realise what friends can be, / And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are.” What does the speaker want to do regarding her friends and judgements? [3 marks]

1. The speaker wants to use her heart to see and realise what friends can be in order to understand the true nature of friendship.
2. She wishes to make no judgements from afar, meaning she will not judge her friends from a distance.
3. She wants to love her friends exactly the way they are, accepting them for all their qualities as they are.

Q4. In the poem, the speaker says, “I’ll try all that a friend can do / To make their wishes come true.” What does this reveal about the speaker's character? [3 marks]

1. The speaker is a caring person who wants to do much more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.
2. She shows a commitment to her friends by trying all that a friend can do to make their wishes come true.
3. Her desire to support her friends suggests she is a caring and dedicated individual who values these connections.

Q5. In the poem, the speaker mentions wanting to do more than share the hopes and plans of friends, and she also mentions using her heart to see. What are the different ways the speaker expresses her desire to be a good friend? [4 marks]

1. She wants to do much more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.
2. She will try all that a friend can do to make the wishes of her friends come true.
3. She wants to use her heart to realise what friends can be.
4. She aims to love her friends the way they are without making judgements from afar.

Q6. The speaker states, “Let me use my heart to see, / To realise what friends can be, / And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are.” What is the central theme regarding how one should treat friends? [5 marks]

1. The poem suggests that friendship should always be the most important thing to a person in their life.
2. A key theme is the importance of using one's heart to see and realise what true friends can be.
3. The speaker emphasises the need to avoid making any judgements about friends from a distance or from afar.
4. Instead of judging, the theme encourages the idea to love friends exactly the way they are.
5. The poem reflects the significance of nurturing these special friendships through understanding and acceptance of all qualities.

Q7. The speaker mentions, “With special friends I feel I’m blessed,” and expresses a wish to “give my very best.” How does the speaker view the value of special friendships? [5 marks]

1. The speaker views special friends as a blessing, stating that with them she feels she is blessed.
2. Because she feels blessed, she expresses a sincere desire to give her very best to these special friends.
3. She wishes that her friendships will always be the most important thing to her throughout her life.
4. The speaker aims to go beyond simply sharing plans to actively trying to make her friends' wishes come true.
5. This shows that she considers the bond with special friends to be a deeply significant and precious part of her life.

Q8. The poem includes activities to learn about qualities of good friends, such as being “loyal,” “helpful,” “kind,” “caring,” and “honest.” Based on the poem and these qualities, how can a person be a good friend? [6 marks]

1. A good friend is someone who is loyal and remains faithful to their friends even when mistakes are made.
2. Being helpful means providing support to a friend so that they can feel helped in their time of need.
3. Kindness means being generous and sharing things with friends, and treating them with warmth.
4. A caring friend shows care for others and wants to do much more than just share the hopes and plans of friends who care.
5. Being honest means telling the truth and never lying to friends.
6. A good friend also accepts their friends for all their qualities and loves them just as they are.

Key takeaways

• The poem by Jill Wolf is a prayer where the speaker wishes for friendships to always be the most important thing in her life.
• The speaker feels blessed when she is with special friends and expresses a desire to give her very best to them.
• A caring friend wants to do more than just share hopes and plans, aiming to make the wishes of their friends come true.
• The poet suggests using the heart to see and realise the true potential and nature of what friends can be to one another.
• The speaker expresses a desire to avoid making judgements from afar and instead loves her friends exactly the way they are.
• True friends are described as people who accept their friends for all their various qualities and characteristics.
• The poem reflects a thoughtful and caring attitude, showing that understanding feelings is important to truly comprehending friendship.
• Being blessed in friendship is linked to feeling grateful and thankful for the special people who are part of one's life.

Test yourself

What does the speaker wish for regarding her friendships?

The speaker wishes that her friendships will always be the most important thing to her.

How does the speaker feel when she is with special friends?

The speaker says, “With special friends I feel I’m blessed,” indicating a sense of being blessed.

What does the speaker intend to do for the wishes of her friends?

The speaker says she will try all that a friend can do to make the wishes of her friends come true.

How does the speaker suggest one should view their friends to understand them?

The speaker suggests that one should use their heart to see and realise what friends can be.

What does the speaker say about making judgements of her friends?

The speaker expresses a wish to make no judgements from afar, but to love her friends the way they are.

What does the poet want to do for her friends' wishes?

The poet wants to listen to the wishes of her friends and prays that she is able to make them come true.

Which two words from the list excited, grateful, understood, thankful, relaxed are closest in meaning to “blessed”?

Grateful and thankful.

What is the speaker's attitude towards her friends' personalities?

The speaker shows a thoughtful attitude by wanting to love her friends just as they are without making judgements.