Friendship Poem by Henry David Thoreau

Hello Readers!

Welcome to my blog. This is one of my B.A. studies blog  in which I wrote about most famous poem "Friendship" written  by Henry David Thoreau. In the poem "Friendship" by Henry David Thoreau, he addresses the theme of love and how love is shown in our world. ... "Love is to me a world, Sole meat and sweetest drink, and close connecting link." By making love into this real, tangible thing, it helps the reader see how important love is to Thoreau.

Henry David Thoreau 

American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher, Henry David Thoreau was a New England Transcendentalist and author of the book Walden. Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. He began writing nature poetry in the 1840s, with poet Ralph Waldo Emerson as a mentor and friend. In 1845 he began his famous two-year stay on Walden Pond, which he wrote about in his master work, Walden. He also became known for his beliefs in Transcendentalism and civil disobedience, and was a dedicated abolitionist. Click here to read more about Henry Thoreau.

"Friendship "Poem by Henry Thoreau 

Friendship

I think awhile of Love, and while I think, 

Love is to me a world, 

Sole meat and sweetest drink, 

And close connecting link 

Tween heaven and earth. 

I only know it is, not how or why, 

My greatest happiness; 

However hard I try, 

Not if I were to die, 

Can I explain. 

I fain would ask my friend how it can be, 

But when the time arrives, 

Then Love is more lovely 

Than anything to me, 

And so I'm dumb. 

For if the truth were known, Love cannot speak, 

But only thinks and does; 

Though surely out 'twill leak 

Without the help of Greek, 

Or any tongue. 

A man may love the truth and practise it, 

Beauty he may admire, 

And goodness not omit, 

As much as may befit 

To reverence. 

But only when these three together meet, 

As they always incline, 

And make one soul the seat, 

And favorite retreat, 

Of loveliness; 

When under kindred shape, like loves and hates 

And a kindred nature, 

Proclaim us to be mates, 

Exposed to equal fates 

Eternally; 

And each may other help, and service do, 

Drawing Love's bands more tight, 

Service he ne'er shall rue 

While one and one make two, 

And two are one; 

In such case only doth man fully prove 

Fully as man can do, 

What power there is in Love 

His inmost soul to move 

Resistlessly. 

Two sturdy oaks I mean, which side by side, 

Withstand the winter's storm, 

And spite of wind and tide, 

Grow up the meadow's pride, 

For both are strong 

Above they barely touch, but undermined 

Down to their deepest source, 

Admiring you shall find 

Their roots are intertwined 

Insep'rably.

In the poem "Friendship" by Henry David Thoreau, he addresses the theme of love and how love is shown in our world. He describes how he views love, and how love is expressed in nature.

Friendship is one of the favourite subject of poet,  Here the title "Friendship" is a short, simple and meaningful as the poem highlights me elements of Friendship. 

Theme of the poem

Thoreau convince his felling emotions  and sentiments by the way of this poem. He has beautifully described love through friendship. According to him love and friendship are both on the same level and are synonyms to each other. 

Content of the poem

Friendship is a well meaning poem. The poet has analyse friendship from it's roots and fount out they are equal and there is no difference between the two love and friendship both are equally important in a relationship, love is the relates feeling in the world as Thoreau begins this poem;

"I think a while of love, and while I think,

love is to me a world"

Love is the base of every relationship. No feeling is superior to love in life. A person with love in his  heart can win anyone and anything in his life. Love can be found many relationship ,such as in couple husband and wife, between parents and children, man and nature, man and animal etc. but love is incomplete without friendship. The poet state mate he is very happy the convey it his friend, he feels love more lovely. He writes,

"I fain would ask my friend how it can be,

But when the time arrives,

Then love is more lovely

Then anything to me,

And so I'm dumb".

The poet argues that the true love can not speak but thinks. A man love the truth practise it, he may admire duty but he can not easily express the true love. The poet also give examples at to  strong asks which stand side by side. They face the winters storm, wind and tide but  they are both strong by root which are inseparable.

In his attempt to determine the limit at friendship Thoreau emerges himself in the Ocean of friendship. His deep exploration makes him realise that the roots at friendship are intertwined, inseparable and undetermined. Intertwined roots of friendship indicate there is no define base of friendship. It can happen between anyone for example there are not set rule to start your friendship with someone in older to have successful friendship. 

Friendship laid on the ground of love will always be successful. End of friendship means and of love. If there is no love there is no friendship. Vise versa true friendship laid on the ground of love is described as inseparable just like no time or age can separate love between two people,similarly true friendship never dies. 

Style of the poem

Thoreau is basically a thinker, philosopher like Emerson. There his poetry governed by taught on Idea rather than feelings. In the present poem friendship he discusses two key element of human life. Love and friendship. 

He has designed the poem into stanza of five lines each most of the lines are short and simple.

"I only know it is, not how or why,

My greatest happiness, 

However hard I try,

Not if I were to die,

Can I explain".

The poet has made use of example of day to day life to convey his idea about love and friendship example The Oak tree.

To sum up

It is Rightly commented ,

"Life without friendship is like wine without taste".

It indicate the role of friendship in our life H.D.Thoreau has also highlighted the same relationship in this poem. This poem conveys a fine massage about the role of love and friendship in our life.

Citation :

“Henry David Thoreau.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 21 June 2019, www.biography.com/.amp/writer/henry-david-thoreau.


Friendship’ Poem by Henry David Thoreau.” Thoreauhenrydavid [Licensed for Non-Commercial Use Only] / "Friendship" Poem by Henry David Thoreau, thoreauhenrydavid.pbworks.com/w/page/73071764/"Friendship" poem by Henry David Thoreau.

                    Thank you!