A Friend's Prayer Questions & Answers | Class 6 English | CBSE NCERT

1 marks · direct

1. 1. What does the speaker pray for in this stanza?
(a) A long and healthy life
(b) Friendships to always be the most important thing to her
(c) Success in examinations
(d) Wealth and comforts

May my friendships always be The most important thing to me. With special friends I feel I'm blessed, So let me give my very best.

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2. 2. How does the speaker feel about having special friends?
(a) Troubled
(b) Bored
(c) Blessed
(d) Jealous

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3. 3. The rhyme scheme of this stanza is:
(a) ABAB
(b) AABB
(c) ABBA
(d) ABCD

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4. 4. Fill in the blank: Because she feels blessed, the speaker says, "So let me give my very ______."

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5. 5. What does the speaker want to always remain important in her life?

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6. 6. Do you also feel 'blessed' when you are with your friends? Why?

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7. 1. What does the speaker want to do more than?
(a) More than play and study
(b) More than share the hopes and plans of friends
(c) More than talk to friends
(d) More than write letters

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.

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8. 2. These lines tell us that the speaker is:
(a) clever
(b) careless
(c) caring
(d) curious

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9. 3. In this stanza, 'hopes and plans' means:
(a) games and toys
(b) dreams and wishes for the future
(c) secrets and stories
(d) homework and timetables

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10. 4. Fill in the blank: I'll try all that a friend can do to make their wishes come ______.

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11. 5. How far is the speaker ready to go for her friends?

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12. 6. What is the difference between merely 'sharing' friends' plans and 'doing more' for them?

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13. 1. What does the speaker want to use in order to see?
(a) Her eyes
(b) A mirror
(c) Her heart
(d) A camera

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.

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14. 2. What does 'make no judgements from afar' mean?
(a) Never meet your friends
(b) Do not form opinions about friends without knowing them closely
(c) Sit far away from friends
(d) Judge friends by their appearance

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15. 3. Which pair of words rhymes in this stanza?
(a) see — afar
(b) be — are
(c) see — be
(d) heart — are

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16. 4. True or False: The speaker wants to love her friends the way they are.

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17. 5. Why does the speaker want to 'use my heart to see'?

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18. 6. How should we accept our friends, according to the last two lines?

2 marks · short

19. 1. Who has written the poem 'A Friend's Prayer', and what is it about?
The poem 'A Friend's Prayer' has been written by Jill Wolf. It is a prayer in which the speaker wishes that friendship should always remain the most important thing in her life.

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20. 2. What does the speaker want to remain the most important thing in her life?
The speaker wants her friendships to always be the most important thing to her. Nothing should ever become more precious to her than her friends.

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21. 3. How does the speaker feel with her special friends?
The speaker feels blessed with her special friends. Being with them makes her feel thankful, fortunate and happy.

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22. 4. What does the speaker want to give in return for her blessed friendships?
The speaker says, "So let me give my very best." She wants to give her very best to her friends in return for their love.

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23. 5. What does the speaker want to do 'much more than share'?
The speaker wants to do much more than share the hopes and plans of friends who care. She does not want to stop at listening — she wants to act for her friends.

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24. 6. What will the speaker try to make come true?
The speaker says she will try all that a friend can do to make her friends' wishes come true. Their happiness is her goal.

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25. 7. What does the speaker want to use to see, and why?
The speaker wants to use her heart to see, so that she can realise what friends can be. Feelings and love help a person understand friendship better than the eyes can.

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26. 8. What does the speaker not want to make 'from afar'?
The speaker does not want to make any judgements about her friends from afar. She does not want to decide what her friends are like without knowing them closely and lovingly.

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27. 9. How does the speaker want to love her friends?
The speaker wants to love her friends the way they are. She wants to accept them completely, without wanting them to change.

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28. 10. Why can we call this poem a prayer? Give one reason.
The poem is a prayer because the speaker humbly asks for something good — it begins with the word 'May' and uses 'let me', just like a wish spoken to God. She is praying for the strength to be a true friend.

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29. 11. Which words does the speaker repeat at the beginning of her requests in the poem?
The speaker repeatedly says 'May' and 'let me' — for example, "May my friendships always be", "let me give my very best", and "Let me use my heart to see". This repetition gives the poem the sound of a prayer.

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30. 12. What does the word 'blessed' mean in the poem?
'Blessed' means feeling thankful and fortunate, as if God has given something special. The speaker feels blessed because she has special friends in her life.

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31. 13. What does the phrase 'from afar' mean?
'From afar' means from a distance, without coming close. The speaker does not want to judge her friends from a distance, but wants to know and love them closely.

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32. 14. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Each stanza of the poem follows the rhyme scheme AABB, where the first two lines rhyme with each other and the last two lines rhyme with each other — for example, 'be/me' and 'blessed/best'.

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33. 15. Which line of the poem tells us that feelings are important to understand friendship?
The line "Let me use my heart to see" tells us that feelings are important. The heart stands for love and emotions, which the poet uses to realise what friends can be.

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34. 16. What qualities of a good friend do we see in the speaker of the poem?
The speaker is caring, loving, faithful and accepting. She wants to give her best, work for her friends' happiness and love them the way they are, without judging them.

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35. 17. According to the poem, what is the difference between friends who 'care' and friends who do not?
Friends who care share their hopes and plans with us and stand by us, while others may just be companions without real concern. The speaker values friends who care and wants to repay their love.

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36. 18. What does the last line of the poem teach us about friendship?
The last line, "But love my friends the way they are," teaches us that true friendship means accepting friends with their strengths and weaknesses. A true friend does not demand change.

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37. 19. Does the speaker only want to share her friends' hopes and plans, or do more? Explain.
The speaker wants to do much more than share. She says she will try all that a friend can do to make her friends' wishes come true — she wants action and effort, not just words.

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38. 20. How can you become a better friend, according to the poem?
According to the poem, I can become a better friend by giving my very best, by working to make my friends' wishes come true, and by loving and accepting them the way they are, without judging them.

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39. 1. Explain the first stanza of the poem in your own words.
In the first stanza, the speaker prays that her friendships should always remain the most important thing in her life. She says that with special friends she feels blessed, that is, thankful and fortunate. Because her friends give her so much happiness, she promises to give her very best in return. The stanza sets the loving and prayerful tone of the whole poem.

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40. 2. Explain the second stanza of the poem in your own words.
In the second stanza, the speaker says that she wants to do much more than merely share the hopes and plans of friends who care. Listening to friends' dreams is not enough for her. She promises to try everything that a friend can do to make her friends' wishes come true. The stanza shows that the speaker believes in action, not just words, in friendship.

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41. 3. Explain the third stanza of the poem in your own words.
In the third stanza, the speaker asks to be allowed to use her heart to see, so that she can realise what friends can be. She does not want to make judgements about her friends from a distance, based on their looks or faults. Instead, she wants to love her friends just the way they are. The stanza teaches acceptance and understanding in friendship.

3 marks · short

42. 4. Why is the poem titled 'A Friend's Prayer'? Justify the title.
The poem is titled 'A Friend's Prayer' because it is a wish spoken from the heart of a friend. The speaker prays for her friendships, asking that they always remain the most important thing in her life. Words like 'May' and 'let me' give the poem the form of a prayer. But it is not a prayer for herself — it is a prayer to become a better friend: to give her very best, to fulfil her friends' wishes, and to love them as they are. Hence the title fits the poem perfectly.

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43. 5. What is the message of the poem 'A Friend's Prayer'?
The message of the poem is that true friendship is one of life's greatest blessings and must be treasured above everything else. A true friend does not stop at sharing hopes and plans, but works to make the friend's wishes come true. The poem also teaches that we should never judge our friends from a distance. Instead, we should love and accept them the way they are. In short, the poem asks us to value friends, serve them selflessly and accept them fully.

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44. 6. 'Let me use my heart to see' — why does the poet contrast the heart with seeing?
Normally, we see with our eyes, but the poet wants to see with her heart. This is because the eyes only show a person's outward appearance — how a friend looks, dresses or behaves on the surface. The heart, which stands for love and feelings, understands a person from within. The poet uses this contrast to say that friendship should be understood through love and empathy, not through outward appearances or quick judgements. That is why she adds that she will make no judgements from afar.

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45. 7. What qualities of true friendship does the poem highlight? Give examples from the poem.
The poem highlights several qualities of true friendship. First, loyalty — the speaker prays that friendships should always be the most important thing to her. Second, selfless effort — she wants to do "much more than share" and make her friends' wishes come true. Third, gratitude — she feels blessed to have special friends and wants to give her very best in return. Fourth, acceptance and non-judgement — she decides to "make no judgements from afar" but to "love my friends the way they are". Together, these qualities paint a picture of an ideal friend.

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46. 8. How does the poem guide us in our daily life with friends?
The poem works like a set of gentle instructions for daily life. It tells us to keep friendship at the top of our priorities, and to thank God for the special friends we have. It reminds us not to be passive listeners when friends share their hopes — we should actually help them achieve their wishes. Most importantly, it warns us against judging classmates by their looks, marks or habits from a distance. If we accept friends as they are and give our best to them, our friendships, like the speaker's, will remain strong and blessed.

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47. 9. Do you think the speaker of the poem is a good friend? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, the speaker appears to be a very good friend. She treasures friendship as the most important thing in her life and feels blessed to have special friends. She is not satisfied with merely sharing their hopes and plans — she wants to try all that a friend can do to make their wishes come true. She is also free from pride and prejudice, for she refuses to judge her friends from afar and chooses to love them the way they are. Such selfless, accepting love is the mark of a true friend.

3 marks · short

48. 10. Which lines of the poem touch you the most, and why? (Personal response)
The lines that touch me the most are: "And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are." (Any reasoned personal choice is acceptable.) These lines touch me because they teach acceptance. Very often we make fun of a friend's clothes, marks or habits without knowing their real situation. These lines remind me that a true friend looks beyond outward things and loves the person inside, just as they are.

5 marks · broad

49. 1. What is the central theme of the poem 'A Friend's Prayer'? Explain with examples from the poem.
The central theme of the poem is the true value of friendship and the qualities that make someone a real friend. The speaker, Jill Wolf, begins by praying that her friendships should always be the most important thing in her life: "May my friendships always be / The most important thing to me." This shows that friendship should be treasured above all other things.
The second theme is selfless service in friendship. The speaker does not want to be a friend only in words. She says, "I want to do much more than share / The hopes and plans of friends who care" — she wants to actively make her friends' wishes come true.
The third theme is acceptance without judgement. In the final stanza, the poet prays, "Let me use my heart to see... And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are." True friendship, according to the poem, sees with the heart and accepts people as they are. Thus the poem is really a promise: to value friends, to work for their happiness, and to love them unconditionally.

5 marks · broad

50. 2. 'A true friend accepts friends as they are.' How does the poem prove this statement?
The poem proves this statement through its beautiful last stanza: "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." Here the speaker clearly refuses to find fault with her friends from a distance. She does not say that she will love her friends only if they are clever, beautiful or successful. She loves them 'the way they are'.
The poet also contrasts seeing with the heart against seeing with the eyes. Eyes notice only appearances — a friend's clothes, looks or mistakes — but the heart understands the person within. When we judge 'from afar', we never truly know a friend; only close, loving understanding reveals 'what friends can be'.
This idea matches real life too: every friend has some habits we may not like, but a true friend looks past these differences. The poem teaches that acceptance, not judgement, is what keeps friendship strong. If we keep correcting and criticising friends, they drift away; if we accept them, they bloom — and we realise how blessed we are to have them.

5 marks · broad

51. 3. What values do you learn from the poem 'A Friend's Prayer'? Support your answer with examples from the poem.
The poem teaches several important values. The first value is gratitude — the speaker counts her blessings and says, "With special friends I feel I'm blessed." She does not take her friends for granted; she is thankful for them.
The second value is selfless effort. The speaker promises, "So let me give my very best" and "I'll try all that a friend can do / To make their wishes come true." Friendship, for her, is about working for the other person's happiness, not just receiving love.
The third value is acceptance and tolerance. She prays to "make no judgements from afar" and to love her friends "the way they are". This teaches us not to criticise or change our friends but to accept them.
The fourth value is correct priority — she wants friendship to be "the most important thing" in her life, showing that relationships matter more than material things. Together, these values tell us that a good friend is thankful, hardworking, accepting, and devoted — and that praying for the wisdom to be such a friend is itself a beautiful habit.

5 marks · broad

52. 4. How can you apply the lessons of this poem in your daily life?
The poem gives practical lessons for everyday living. First, I can learn to value my friends above gadgets and games, just as the speaker wants friendship to be "the most important thing" in her life. I can give time to my friends daily, listening to them and helping them.
Second, the poem teaches action, not just sympathy. When a friend shares a hope — like doing well in a match or an exam — I can actually help, for example by practising with them or sharing notes, remembering "I'll try all that a friend can do to make their wishes come true."
Third, I can stop judging classmates 'from afar'. Instead of laughing at someone's clothes or weaknesses, I can use my 'heart to see' — understand their situation with kindness and befriend them as they are.
Fourth, I can begin each day with a small prayer of thanks for my friends, feeling blessed like the poet. Over time, these habits will make me more loving, more accepting and a true friend — the very qualities the prayer asks for.

5 marks · broad

53. 5. Write a character sketch of the speaker of the poem.
The speaker of the poem is a warm, sincere and loving person, whom we can easily imagine as a young student like ourselves. Her most striking quality is her devotion to friendship. She opens the poem by praying that her friendships may always be the most important thing in her life — showing that she has her priorities clear.
She is humble and prayerful. Instead of demanding things from God, she asks for the ability to be a better friend: "So let me give my very best." This shows that she measures her own conduct, not her friends'.
She is generous and hardworking in friendship. She is not content with sharing "the hopes and plans of friends who care"; she wants to "try all that a friend can do" to make their wishes come true. This marks her as a person of action, not just sweet words.
Above all, she is accepting and free of prejudice. She prays to "make no judgements from afar" but to "love my friends the way they are". She sees with the heart, not with judging eyes. Grateful, selfless, humble and kind — the speaker embodies every quality of an ideal friend.

5 marks · broad

54. 6. Imagine you are the speaker of the poem. Write a diary entry about one day spent with your special friend.
Dear Diary,
Today I spent the whole day with my dearest friend, and tonight my heart is full. In the morning, I remembered my prayer — "May my friendships always be the most important thing to me" — and I realised how blessed I am to have such special friends.
In the afternoon, my friend shared a hope with me: she wants to take part in the school music competition, but she is frightened of singing in front of everyone. I remembered my promise to do "much more than share" the hopes of friends who care. So I did not just say "all the best" — I practised the song with her for two hours, clapped for every attempt, and told her that her voice is lovely.
By evening, her fear had turned into excitement, and she hugged me happily. Watching her smile, I understood the line, "I'll try all that a friend can do / To make their wishes come true." I also noticed how easily I could have judged her — 'she is too shy', 'she sings too softly' — but I said nothing of the kind. I wanted to use my heart to see, and love her the way she is.
Tomorrow we practise again. I said a small prayer before bed: let me always give my very best to my friends.
— The Speaker

5 marks · broad

55. 7. The poem teaches us to 'make no judgements from afar'. Have you ever judged someone hastily and later changed your opinion? Describe what happened and what you learnt.
Yes, this happened to me last year, and it taught me an important lesson. A new boy joined our class who kept to himself, never spoke much and always sat alone. From a distance, all of us judged him to be proud and unfriendly. We made fun of his silence and never invited him to play.
One day, our teacher made him my partner for a science project. Working closely with him, I discovered that he was not proud at all — he was simply shy because he had just moved to the city and missed his old school. He was actually kind, hardworking and full of ideas, and he knew many wonderful things about birds.
I felt ashamed of my earlier judgement. I had seen him 'from afar' and decided what he was like, without using my heart to see. That day I remembered the poet's words: "And make no judgements from afar, / But love my friends the way they are." Today, he is one of my closest friends. I learnt that hasty judgements can cheat us of beautiful friendships, and that understanding a person closely, with kindness, reveals what friends can truly be.