Summary of the friend and flatter poem
Answers
Answer:In his poem 'Friends and flatterers' William Shakespeare distinguishes between a real friend or a pseudo;friend who would like to impress you with flattery.
Shakespeare says everyone who would flatter you will not stand by you when you are in a difficult situation. It is easy to impress one with flattering words. After all the words are just like wind but it is not that easy to find a real friend.
These false friends will be with you as long as you have money to spend. But if your wealth is gone and you are in want, no one of them will help you.
When a person spends a lot on his friends, they will call him generous and express their sorrow that he is not a king.
If a person is prone to bad habits, the false friends will lead him to worse habits and stand by him . If he is attracted to women these villains will be ever ready to supply him with the type of women he likes.
But when he suffers some kind of misfortune, his false friends are sure to leave him.The people who used to flatter him before his unfortunate days will not come near him any more. Meaning, he will be all alone.
But a person who helps you in your need is your real friend. If you are sad, your true friend will weep with you. When you cannot sleep, he will wake with you.
Thus he will be ready to share all your grief. These are certain points for you to distinguish between a true friend and a mere flatterer.