Everyone's Friend
Everyone's Friend - meaning Summary
Reputation Versus Reality
The poem ironically contrasts a man’s nickname, "Everyone’s Friend," with his actual social reality. It shows that people are friendly while he has money to lend, that his reputation evaporates when he falls on hard times, and that he dies alone. The poem condemns conditional kindness and social hypocrisy, suggesting that public labels can hide loneliness and that generosity often depends on material advantage.
Read Complete Analyses“Nobody's enemy save his own” — (What shall it be in the end?) Still by the nick-name he is known — “Everyone’s Friend.” “Nobody’s Enemy” stands alone while he has money to lend, “Nobody’s Enemy” holds his own, “Everyone’s Friend”. “Nobody’s Enemy” down and out — game to the end — And he mostly dies with no one about — “Everyone’s Friend.”
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