A Friend Found in Music Class 9: Explanation and Questions
Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked
A Friend Found in Music by Bryanna T. Perkins, the poem in Kaveri Unit 6, describes music as an ocean, a rhythm, a therapy and a 'needed friend'. It comforts the speaker when she feels blue, lifts her spirits, is present in her happiest moments and stays with her when no one seems to care.
What A Friend Found in Music is about
A Friend Found in Music is a short lyric by Bryanna T. Perkins in Unit 6 of Kaveri, the unit on music that also contains the play *Twin Melodies*. In twelve lines (three quatrains) the speaker uses a chain of metaphors to say what music means to her: an ocean that pulls her to the shore, a rhythm that moves her to the core, a therapy when she feels blue, and a needed friend when no one seems to care. The second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme (ABCB), and the word 'music' is repeated again and again.
The textbook asks students to rewrite the metaphors as similes, identify the rhyme scheme and mood, explain the repetition of 'music', and find evidence that the speaker is the poet herself. In the R1 paper, a poetry extract (Q11, 5 marks), a 2-mark short answer (40-50 words) or a 5-mark long answer (120-150 words) may come from it, often linked with *Twin Melodies*.
Weightage: Class 9 English is a school examination of 80 marks, but CBSE prescribes the paper design. Section C (Literature, 30 marks) in R1: one prose/drama extract and one poetry extract (5 marks each), five of six short answers (40-50 words, 2 marks each) and two long answers (about 120-150 words, 5 marks each). R2 has three extracts, five of seven short answers and one long answer.Source: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27, Question Paper Design R1 and R2
A Friend Found in Music: explanation
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
Stanza 1: ocean and rhythm. Music is 'the ocean' that pulls the speaker to the shore. An ocean is vast and powerful, and being pulled to the shore suggests being drawn towards safety and calm. Music is also 'the rhythm' that moves her 'to the core', touching her deepest feelings.
Stanza 2: therapy. Music is the therapy she needs when she feels blue, that is, sad. It lifts her spirits and makes sure she 'pull[s] through', or gets through difficult times. Music here heals and strengthens.
Stanza 3: friend. She notes that whenever she has been most cheerful, music was clearly there. Music is 'the needed friend' when no one else seems to care. It is present in both her happy and lonely moments, like a loyal friend.
How the poem is built. Each stanza opens with a bold claim beginning 'Music is' and closes with a rhyming line that shows what music does for the speaker: it pulls, moves, lifts and stays. The poem therefore moves from what music is like (an ocean, a rhythm) to what it does (heals) and finally to what it means (a friend). The simple words, short lines and gentle rhyme make the poem sound like a song itself.
Central idea: Music is a constant companion. It comforts in sadness, adds to joy and never abandons us. The speaker values music not as entertainment but as a source of strength and friendship, an idea many readers share, which gives the poem universal appeal.
Themes and message
Music as a healer
The speaker calls music 'the therapy' she needs when she feels blue. It lifts her spirits and helps her pull through. The poem presents music as emotional medicine, an idea echoed in the unit's note on Raga Chikitsa.
From the text: 'Music is the therapy / I need when I feel blue.'
Music as a faithful friend
The title and last lines present music as a friend who is there in good times and bad. When people seem not to care, music stays.
From the text: 'Music is the needed friend / When no one seems to care.'
The deep emotional power of music
Music 'pulls' and 'moves' the speaker. Verbs of motion show how strongly it acts on her, reaching 'to the core' of her being.
From the text: 'That pulls me to the shore.' and 'That moves me to the core.'
Music in joy and in sorrow
Music comforts her when she is sad and is present when she is most cheerful. It belongs to every mood, which is why it feels like a lifelong companion.
From the text: 'The times when I'm most cheerful, / It's clear, music was there.'
The speaker and the people in the poem
The speaker (the poet herself)
A music lover who explains what music means to her.
- Sensitive and emotional
- Grateful to music
- Honest about sadness and loneliness
- Uses the first person throughout ('me', 'I', 'my'), suggesting the poet speaks for herself
'Music lifts my spirits'; 'I need when I feel blue'.
Music (personified as a friend)
The 'friend' of the title.
- Comforting
- Uplifting
- Always present
'Music is the needed friend'.
Poetic devices
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Metaphor | 'Music is the ocean'; 'Music is the rhythm'; 'Music is the therapy'; 'Music is the needed friend' | Each metaphor shows a different role of music: vastness, emotional movement, healing and companionship. |
| Repetition (anaphora) | 'Music is...' at the start of several lines | Keeps music at the centre of every stanza and gives the poem a chant-like rhythm. |
| Rhyme scheme ABCB | shore/core, blue/through, there/care | Gives a song-like, musical quality that suits the subject. |
| Personification | Music as a 'friend' that 'lifts my spirits'; music 'moves me' | Music behaves like a caring person. |
| Idiom | 'feel blue'; 'pull through'; 'lifts my spirits' | Everyday expressions make the feelings easy to relate to. |
| Contrast | 'when I feel blue' vs. 'when I'm most cheerful' | Shows music's presence in every mood. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
Music is the ocean
Speaker: First line.
Music is vast, deep and powerful.
That moves me to the core.
Speaker: Stanza 1.
Music touches her deepest feelings.
I need when I feel blue.
Speaker: Stanza 2.
Music helps when she is sad.
Music is the needed friend
Speaker: Stanza 3.
The central metaphor of the title.
When no one seems to care.
Speaker: Last line.
Music stays when people do not.
A Friend Found in Music in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Music as therapy
Suppose your younger sister cannot sleep because she is upset after a fight with a friend.
How might the poem's idea help you comfort her? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Music as therapy when blue.
- Choose calm, familiar songs.
- Talk once she feels better.
Answer: The poem calls music 'the therapy / I need when I feel blue'. I could play her favourite gentle songs to calm her and lift her spirits. Once she felt better, we could talk about the fight and how to make up.
Memory hook: When words fail, let a song speak.
Music as a friend in loneliness
Imagine your grandfather now lives alone after your grandmother's death and feels no one visits.
Suggest how music could be a 'needed friend' for him. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Music stays when people are absent.
- Old favourite songs bring comfort.
- Combine with visits and calls.
Answer: I could set up a small speaker with his favourite old songs. As the poem says, music is 'the needed friend / When no one seems to care'. Along with our regular calls and visits, it would keep him company and lift his spirits.
Memory hook: A song can sit with you when no one else can.
Phrasal verbs from the poem
Suppose you are writing a get-well card for a classmate recovering from surgery.
Use 'pull through' and 'lift your spirits' correctly in two sentences.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- pull through = recover/succeed in a difficulty.
- lift spirits = cheer up.
Answer: We all know you will pull through this quickly. We hope these songs we recorded for you lift your spirits until you are back in class.
Memory hook: Pull through the hard part; lift spirits on the way.
Topics in this chapter
How the school exam asks A Friend Found in Music
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Poetry extract (Q11 in R1, 5 marks) | Stanza 2 or 3 with parts: what 'feel blue' indicates; the line showing music makes her happy; what 'pull through' signifies; true/false (music plays a vital role); the central idea (music brings comfort in sadness). | Know the idioms: feel blue = sad; lift spirits = cheer up; pull through = succeed in getting through a difficulty. |
| Short answer (Q12, 2 marks, 40-50 words) | How music moves the poet 'to the core'; why music is a 'needed friend'; the poet's attitude to music; the poem's universal appeal. | Quote the metaphor and explain what it shows about music's role. |
| Long answer (Q13/Q14, 5 marks, 120-150 words) | Compare your experience of music with the poem; link the poem with Twin Melodies; music as therapy. | Use all four metaphors, then your own example, then a conclusion. |
| Appreciation items | Rewrite metaphors as similes; rhyme scheme and effect; purpose of repeating 'music'; mood (thoughtful); evidence the speaker is the poet. | Simile: 'Music is like a friend'. Rhyme ABCB. First-person pronouns as evidence. |
| Vocabulary and writing from the unit | Phrasal verbs (pull through, move on, move in); an invitation letter to grandparents for a World Music Day recital. | Informal letter format: address, date, Dear..., well-being, event details, request, Yours affectionately. |
Tricks to remember A Friend Found in Music
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
O-R-T-F
Ocean, Rhythm, Therapy, Friend: music's four metaphors in order.
Use it when: Recall the poem's sequence.
Rhyme pairs
shore-core, blue-through, there-care (ABCB).
Use it when: Rhyme scheme questions.
Three idioms
Feel blue (sad), lift spirits (cheer up), pull through (get through).
Use it when: Meaning questions.
A Friend Found in Music: extract-based questions
Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.
Extract 1: Music as therapy
Music is the therapy
I need when I feel blue.
Music lifts my spirits
To make sure I pull through.
(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
The phrase 'feel blue' indicates:
(a) feeling cold
(b) feeling sad
(c) feeling sleepy
(d) feeling proud(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Identify the line that shows music makes the poet happy.
(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
What does 'pull through' signify?
(4) · 1 mark · MCQ
The central idea of the extract is:
(a) music brings comfort during sadness
(b) music is needed only in happiness
(c) music helps us pull heavy loads
(d) music is a source of knowledge(5) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Rewrite 'Music is the therapy' as a simile.
Show the answersAnswers
- (b) feeling sad
- 'Music lifts my spirits'
- Getting through a difficult time successfully.
- (a) music brings comfort during sadness
- Music is like a therapy (or: Music heals like therapy).
Extract 2: The needed friend
The times when I’m most cheerful,
It’s clear, music was there.
Music is the needed friend
When no one seems to care.
(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Which two words in the extract rhyme?
(2) · 1 mark · MCQ
'Music is the needed friend' is an example of:
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) alliteration
(d) onomatopoeia(3) · 1 mark · Very short answer
When does the poet find music most needed as a friend?
(4) · 1 mark · Assertion-reason
Assertion (A): Music is present in the poet's happiest moments.
Reason (R): She says 'It's clear, music was there' when she was most cheerful.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
What does the extract suggest about music compared with people?
Show the answersAnswers
- 'there' and 'care'.
- (b) metaphor
- When no one seems to care (when she feels lonely).
- (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
- Music is more constant: it stays even when people do not seem to care.
A Friend Found in Music: exam-level solved questions
Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: Moved to the core · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
How is music able to move the poet 'to the core'? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Music is 'the rhythm'.
- Rhythm matches inner feelings/heartbeat.
- Touches her deepest self.
Answer: The poet calls music 'the rhythm' that moves her. Rhythm seems to match her heartbeat and emotions, so music reaches beyond her ears to her deepest self. It stirs feelings she cannot easily express, touching her 'to the core'.
Example 2: The poet's attitude · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Explain the poet's attitude towards music. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Grateful and loving.
- Music is necessary, not just pleasant.
- Constant friend in joy and sorrow.
Answer: The poet's attitude is loving and deeply grateful. She sees music not as entertainment but as something she 'needs': a therapy when she is blue and a friend when no one cares. For her, music is a constant, faithful companion in joy and sorrow.
Example 3: Why repeat 'music'? · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
What is the poet's purpose in repeating the word 'music'? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Keeps music at the centre.
- Introduces each new metaphor.
- Creates rhythm, like a refrain.
Answer: Repeating 'music' keeps it at the centre of every stanza and introduces each new metaphor: ocean, rhythm, therapy, friend. The repetition works like a refrain, giving the poem a musical rhythm and showing how constantly music fills the poet's thoughts.
Example 4: Universal appeal · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
Support the opinion that the poem has universal appeal. Answer in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Universal experiences: sadness, joy, loneliness.
- Music used by people everywhere for comfort.
- Simple language and idioms.
- Metaphors anyone can picture.
- Conclusion.
Answer: The poem speaks to almost everyone because it deals with feelings every person knows. All of us feel blue at times, have moments when we are 'most cheerful', and sometimes feel that 'no one seems to care'. People of every age and culture turn to music in such moments: a lullaby, a festival song, a favourite track on the way home. The poet's metaphors are easy to picture: music as an ocean, a rhythm, a therapy and a friend. Her language is simple and uses common idioms like 'feel blue' and 'pull through', so no special knowledge is needed. Even the rhyme gives it the feel of a song. Because its emotions and images are shared by readers everywhere, the poem has a truly universal appeal.
Example 5: Poem and play · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
How does 'A Friend Found in Music' connect with Shruti's experience in 'Twin Melodies'? Answer in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Both in Unit 6, both about music's power.
- Shruti finds joy in fusion; 'how much I enjoy'.
- Music builds friendship (the group) and heals family conflict.
- Poem: music as friend and therapy.
- Conclusion.
Answer: Both texts in Unit 6 show music as a source of joy, comfort and connection. In 'Twin Melodies', Shruti is torn between her passion for fusion and her father's views, yet she says in an aside, 'Oh, how much I enjoy performing this piece.' Music clearly lifts her spirits, as the poem says. Music also gives her real friends: Iqbal, Avinash and Peter encourage her when she is anxious. Finally, music heals the family conflict, because Nabin, hearing the soulful performance, is moved and gives his support. The poem describes music as 'the therapy' and 'the needed friend'; the play shows these ideas in action. Together they suggest that music does more than entertain: it carries us through difficult times and brings people closer.
Example 6: Your own music friend · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose you are feeling anxious the night before an exam. Using the poem, explain how music could help you, in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Music as therapy: calms anxiety.
- Lifts spirits.
- Short, calm listening; then sleep.
Answer: Like the poet, I could use music as 'therapy'. Ten minutes of soft instrumental music would calm my anxious mind and lift my spirits. Feeling relaxed, I could revise calmly and sleep well, helping me 'pull through' the exam the next day.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
What does the last line of the 'therapy' stanza signify? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: 'To make sure I pull through' = music gives strength to get through hard times; healing role. | 1 |
| Expression. | 1 |
Compare your experience of music with the feelings in the poem (120-150 words). (5 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: the poem's metaphors and feelings. | 1 |
| Content: your own examples linked to them. | 1 |
| Content: similarity/difference and conclusion. | 1 |
| Expression. | 1 |
| Accuracy. | 1 |
Where students lose marks in A Friend Found in Music
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Taking 'feel blue' literally
Not knowing the idiom.
Wrong working
The poet sees the colour blue.
Right working
'Feel blue' means feel sad.
Do this: Learn the idiom.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Calling the metaphors similes
Not checking for 'like/as'.
Wrong working
'Music is the ocean' is a simile.
Right working
It is a metaphor.
Do this: No 'like/as' = metaphor.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong rhyme scheme
Assuming AABB.
Wrong working
AABB
Right working
ABCB.
Do this: Mark line endings.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying music helps only when sad
Ignoring stanza 3.
Wrong working
Music is needed only in sadness.
Right working
Music is present in her most cheerful times too.
Do this: Quote 'The times when I'm most cheerful'.
Usually costs: Content marks.
Practice questions on A Friend Found in Music
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
What is music compared to in the first line?
(a) a friend
(b) the ocean
(c) a river
(d) the skyHint
Line 1.
Answer
(b) the ocean
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Hint
Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza.
Answer
ABCB.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Why does the poet compare music to a 'needed friend'? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
What do friends do?
Answer
Value points: always present; comforts when blue; shares cheerful times; stays when no one seems to care; loyal like a true friend.
Model answer: A true friend stays with us in good and bad times. Music does the same for the poet: it comforts her when she feels blue, is present when she is most cheerful and stays with her when no one else seems to care.
Q4 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level
Identify the mood of the poem: (a) nostalgic (b) thoughtful (c) amused (d) playful
Hint
Reflective tone.
Answer
(b) thoughtful
Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Give evidence that the speaker is the poet herself.
Hint
Pronouns.
Answer
The first-person pronouns 'me', 'I' and 'my' throughout ('Music lifts my spirits').
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Rewrite two metaphors from the poem as similes and explain what is lost in the change. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Add 'like' or 'as'.
Answer
Value points: 'Music is like the ocean'; 'Music is like a friend'; similes compare, metaphors identify; metaphors are stronger and more direct.
Model answer: 'Music is like the ocean' and 'Music is as dear as a friend'. The similes only compare, while the metaphors say music is the ocean and the friend. The metaphors are stronger and show how completely music fills her life.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Compare your own experience of music with the feelings in the poem. Answer in about 120-150 words.
Hint
Use at least two of the poem's metaphors.
Answer
Value points: personal example of music in sadness; personal example in happiness; link to 'therapy', 'lifts my spirits', 'needed friend'; any difference in your experience; conclusion.
Model answer: Like the poet, I turn to music when I feel blue. When I did poorly in a science test last term, I came home and played my grandfather's old Hindi songs. They felt like 'therapy', calming me until I was ready to plan my revision. Music also fills my happiest moments; at my cousin's wedding the dhol and dance made the joy complete, just as the poet says 'music was there' when she was most cheerful. Unlike the poet, I have never felt that no one cares, because my family is close. Still, there are evenings alone when a song feels like company. So I agree that music is a friend who never leaves, and I understand why the poet calls it 'needed'.
Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a friend says music is a waste of study time. Using the poem, write a reply in 40-50 words.
Hint
Therapy, spirits, pull through.
Answer
Value points: music is therapy; lifts spirits; helps pull through stress; short breaks improve focus; balance.
Model answer: Music is not a waste when used wisely. As the poem says, it is 'therapy' when we feel blue and it 'lifts my spirits'. A short music break can reduce stress and help us return to study refreshed, helping us pull through.
Q9 · 5 marks · Long answerExam level
Writing task: Write an invitation letter (about 120 words) to your grandparents asking them to attend your sitar recital on World Music Day, 21 June.
Hint
Informal letter format.
Answer
Value points (format): sender's address, date, 'Dear Grandpa and Grandma', complimentary close 'Yours affectionately', name. Content: ask about their well-being; event (musical evening, World Music Day), date 21 June, time, venue; your sitar recital; request to attend; arrangement for their travel or seating. Language: warm, personal, first and second person.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Who wrote A Friend Found in Music?Show answer
Bryanna T. Perkins.
2.What does music pull the poet to?Show answer
The shore.
3.What does music move the poet to?Show answer
The core.
4.When does she need music as therapy?Show answer
When she feels blue.
5.What does music lift?Show answer
Her spirits.
6.What is music when no one seems to care?Show answer
The needed friend.
7.What is the rhyme scheme?Show answer
ABCB.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you list the four metaphors in order?
- Can you explain three idioms from the poem?
- Can you state the rhyme scheme with rhyming pairs?
- Can you explain why 'music' is repeated?
- Can you give evidence the speaker is the poet?
- Can you link the poem to Twin Melodies?
A Friend Found in Music: frequently asked questions
Who wrote A Friend Found in Music?
Bryanna T. Perkins. It is the poem in Unit 6 of the Class 9 English textbook Kaveri.
What metaphors does the poet use for music?
Music is the ocean, the rhythm, the therapy and the needed friend.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
ABCB: the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme (shore/core, blue/through, there/care).
What does 'feel blue' mean?
To feel sad or low.
Why does the poet call music a 'needed friend'?
Because music is always there for her, comforting her when she is sad and lonely and sharing her happiest moments, just as a true friend does.
What is the message of the poem?
Music is a constant source of comfort, healing and joy; it can be a true friend when people are not there.
Based on: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27 (R1 and R2); NCERT Kaveri, Textbook of English for Grade 9 (First Edition 2026), Unit 6: A Friend Found in Music