Article #328-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from A Heap o' Livin', by Edgar A. Guest

I do not say new friends are not considerate and
true,
Or that their smiles ain't genuine, but still I'm
tellin' you
That when a feller's heart is crushed and achin'
with the pain,
And teardrops come a-splashin' down his cheeks
like summer rain,
Becoz his grief an' loneliness are more than
he can bear,
Somehow it's only old friends, then, that really
seem to care.
The friends who've stuck through thick an'
thin, who've known you, good an' bad,
Your faults an' virtues, an' have seen the
struggles you have had,
When they come to you gentle-like an' take
your hand an' say:
"Cheer up! we're with you still," it counts, for
that's the old friends' way.

The new friends may be fond of you for what
you are to-day;
They've only known you rich, perhaps, an' only
seen you gay;
You can't tell what's attracted them; your
station may appeal;
Perhaps they smile on you because you're doin'
something real;
But old friends who have seen you fail, an' also
seen you win,
Who've loved you either up or down, stuck
to you, thick or thin,
Who knew you as a budding youth, an' watched
you start to climb,
Through weal an' woe, still friends of yours
an' constant all the time,
When trouble comes an' things go wrong, I
don't care what you say,
They are the friends you'll turn to, for you
want the old friends' way.

The new friends may be richer, an' more stylish,
too, but when
Your heart is achin' an' you think your sun
won't shine again,
It's not the riches of new friends you want, it's
not their style,
It's not the airs of grandeur then, it's just the
old friend's smile,
The old hand that has helped before, stretched
out once more to you,
The old words ringin' in your ears, so sweet an',
Oh, so true!
The tenderness of folks who know just what
your sorrow means,
These are the things on which, somehow, your
spirit always leans.
When grief is poundin' at your breast--the
new friends disappear
An' to the old ones tried an' true, you turn for
aid an' cheer.

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of Edgar A. Guest’s "A Heap o’ Livin’" (Excerpt)*

Context & Background

Edgar Albert Guest (1881–1959) was a prolific American poet known as the "People’s Poet" for his accessible, heartfelt verse that celebrated everyday life, family, and friendship. His work often appeared in newspapers and was beloved for its warmth, simplicity, and moral clarity. "A Heap o’ Livin’" (1916) is one of his most famous collections, and this excerpt focuses on the enduring value of old friends over new acquaintances, especially in times of hardship.

Guest’s poetry was deeply influenced by his working-class upbringing in Detroit, and his themes resonated with ordinary people. This poem reflects a universal human experience: the comfort of long-standing relationships when life becomes difficult.

Themes in the Excerpt

The Superiority of Old Friends in Adversity
- The poem contrasts new friends (who may be drawn to success, wealth, or social status) with old friends (who have seen a person’s struggles, failures, and growth).
- The central argument: When suffering strikes, only old friends truly understand and offer meaningful support.
Loyalty vs. Superficiality
- New friends may be "fond of you for what you are to-day"—implying their affection is conditional, tied to current circumstances (wealth, happiness, success).
- Old friends, however, have "seen you fail, an’ also seen you win"—their loyalty is unconditional and tested by time.
Comfort in Shared History
- Old friends provide emotional security because they know your past struggles ("watched you start to climb").
- Their support is genuine because it’s rooted in shared experiences, not just present appearances.
The Illusion of New Friendships in Hard Times
- The poem suggests that new friends "disappear" when grief arrives, while old friends remain steadfast.
- This reflects a cynical but realistic view of human nature—many relationships are fair-weather, but true friendship endures.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

Conversational Tone & Dialect
- Guest writes in colloquial, informal language ("ain’t," "feller," "an’," "becoz") to mimic everyday speech, making the poem feel personal and relatable.
- The rhythm is simple and musical, almost like a folk song or ballad, reinforcing its emotional appeal.
Repetition for Emphasis
- "Old friends" is repeated throughout, reinforcing the poem’s central message.
- Phrases like "thick an’ thin" and "up or down" emphasize constancy and endurance.
Imagery & Metaphor
- "Teardrops come a-splashin’ down his cheeks like summer rain" → Compares sorrow to natural, overwhelming rain, suggesting grief is uncontrollable and heavy.
- "Your heart is achin’" → Physical pain metaphor for emotional suffering.
- "The old hand that has helped before, stretched out once more" → Visualizes comfort and familiarity in a simple gesture.
Contrast (Juxtaposition)
- New friends (rich, stylish, conditional) vs. Old friends (loyal, understanding, constant).
- "Only seen you gay" (happy) vs. "seen you fail" → Highlights the depth of old friendships.
Apostrophe (Direct Address)
- The speaker directly engages the reader ("I don’t care what you say"), making the argument personal and persuasive.
Symbolism
- "The old friend’s smile" → Represents genuine care, not superficial charm.
- "The old words ringin’ in your ears" → Symbolizes familiar comfort, like a soothing refrain.

Line-by-Line Breakdown & Analysis

Stanza 1: The Pain of Grief & the Comfort of Old Friends

"I do not say new friends are not considerate and true, / Or that their smiles ain't genuine, but still I'm tellin' you"

The speaker acknowledges that new friends can be kind, but qualifies this with a "but"—setting up the poem’s argument.
The casual tone ("I'm tellin' you") makes it feel like wise advice from a trusted friend.

"That when a feller's heart is crushed and achin' with the pain, / And teardrops come a-splashin' down his cheeks like summer rain,"

"Crushed and achin’" → Physical metaphors for emotional distress.
"Teardrops like summer rain" → Natural imagery suggests grief is inevitable and heavy, yet also temporary (like rain).

"Becoz his grief an' loneliness are more than he can bear, / Somehow it's only old friends, then, that really seem to care."

The turning point: In extreme suffering, only old friends truly matter.
"Seem to care" implies that new friends may not offer the same depth of support.

"The friends who've stuck through thick an' thin, who've known you, good an' bad, / Your faults an' virtues, an' have seen the struggles you have had,"

"Thick an’ thin" → Idiomatic phrase for unwavering loyalty.
Old friends know both sides of a person—flaws and strengths—making their support more meaningful.

"When they come to you gentle-like an' take your hand an' say: / 'Cheer up! we're with you still,' it counts, for that's the old friends' way."

"Gentle-like" → Soft, compassionate tone.
"Cheer up! we're with you still" → Simple but powerful words of reassurance.
"It counts" → Emphasizes that this kind of support is what truly matters.

Stanza 2: The Conditional Nature of New Friendships

"The new friends may be fond of you for what you are to-day; / They've only known you rich, perhaps, an' only seen you gay;"

"For what you are to-day" → Suggests superficial attachment to current status.
"Rich... gay" → Implies new friends are drawn to success and happiness, not the real person.

"You can't tell what's attracted them; your station may appeal; / Perhaps they smile on you because you're doin' something real;"

"Station" → Social status or wealth.
"Doin’ something real" → Could mean achievements or authenticity, but the speaker is skeptical of their motives.

"But old friends who have seen you fail, an' also seen you win, / Who've loved you either up or down, stuck to you, thick or thin,"

Repetition of "seen you fail/win" → Old friends have witnessed the full journey.
"Up or down, thick or thin" → Parallel structure reinforces unconditional loyalty.

"Who knew you as a budding youth, an' watched you start to climb, / Through weal an' woe, still friends of yours an' constant all the time,"

"Budding youth" → Old friends have known you since the beginning.
"Weal an’ woe" (prosperity and sorrow) → They’ve been there through all of life’s phases.

"When trouble comes an' things go wrong, I don't care what you say, / They are the friends you'll turn to, for you want the old friends' way."

"I don’t care what you say" → Defiant certainty—the speaker is convinced of this truth.
"The old friends’ way" → Implies a unique, irreplaceable kind of support.

Stanza 3: The Empty Grandeur of New Friends vs. the Warmth of Old Ones

"The new friends may be richer, an' more stylish, too, but when / Your heart is achin' an' you think your sun won't shine again,"

"Richer, more stylish" → Material advantages of new friends.
"Sun won’t shine again" → Metaphor for despair, suggesting hope is lost.

"It's not the riches of new friends you want, it's not their style, / It's not the airs of grandeur then, it's just the old friend's smile,"

"Airs of grandeur" → Pretentiousness of new, wealthy friends.
"Just the old friend’s smile" → Simplicity and sincerity matter most in pain.

"The old hand that has helped before, stretched out once more to you, / The old words ringin' in your ears, so sweet an', Oh, so true!"

"Old hand... stretched out" → Physical and emotional support recalled from past struggles.
"Old words" → Familiar comfort, like a reassuring mantra.

"The tenderness of folks who know just what your sorrow means, / These are the things on which, somehow, your spirit always leans."

"Know just what your sorrow means" → Old friends understand deeply because of shared history.
"Spirit always leans" → Dependence on their support in hard times.

"When grief is poundin' at your breast—the new friends disappear / An' to the old ones tried an' true, you turn for aid an' cheer."

"Poundin’ at your breast" → Violent imagery for overwhelming grief.
"New friends disappear" → Harsh but realistic—fair-weather friends vanish.
"Tried an’ true" → Old friends are reliable, like a tested tool or ally.

Significance & Universal Appeal

Timeless Truth About Human Relationships
- The poem captures a fundamental human experience: true friendship is proven in adversity.
- It resonates because everyone has faced loneliness or betrayal, making the message deeply relatable.
Critique of Superficial Society
- Guest subtly criticizes materialism—new friends may be drawn to wealth or status, but old friends value the person themselves.
- This was especially relevant in the early 20th century, a time of rapid social change and industrialization, where traditional bonds were often strained.
Comfort in Nostalgia
- The poem idealizes the past, suggesting that long-term relationships provide stability in an uncertain world.
- This nostalgic longing for steadfast friendship is a recurring theme in literature.
Moral Lesson
- The poem encourages gratitude for old friends and warns against taking them for granted.
- It also validates the pain of loneliness, offering solace in the idea that true friends will always be there.

Conclusion: Why This Poem Endures

Edgar A. Guest’s excerpt from "A Heap o’ Livin’" is more than just sentimental verse—it’s a profound meditation on loyalty, grief, and the nature of true friendship. Through simple language, vivid imagery, and emotional honesty, Guest conveys a universal truth: When life becomes unbearable, it’s the old friends—the ones who’ve seen your struggles and loved you anyway—who truly matter.

The poem’s enduring popularity lies in its accessibility and emotional resonance. It doesn’t rely on complex metaphors or intellectual depth; instead, it speaks directly to the heart, reminding readers of the irreplaceable value of those who stick by us through thick and thin.

In a world where social media "friends" can be numerous but superficial, Guest’s words serve as a timeless reminder of what real friendship looks like—and why it’s worth cherishing.

Questions

Question 1

The poem’s depiction of new friends as "fond of you for what you are to-day" (line 9) primarily serves to:

A. Highlight the transient nature of human happiness and its dependence on external validation.
B. Suggest that new friendships are inherently parasitic, feeding on the host’s success.
C. Contrast the materialism of modern society with the spiritual purity of rural life.
D. Imply that new friends are incapable of empathy due to their lack of shared history.
E. Underscore the conditional nature of relationships untempered by adversity.

Question 2

The repeated phrase "the old friends’ way" (lines 8 and 20) functions most significantly as:

A. A nostalgic idealization of the past, ignoring the flaws of long-term relationships.
B. A rhetorical device to create a refrain-like cadence, reinforcing the poem’s musicality.
C. An appeal to tradition, suggesting that older generations possess superior moral wisdom.
D. A subtle critique of modernity’s emphasis on novelty over continuity.
E. A shorthand for an unspoken, experiential bond that transcends verbal explanation.

Question 3

The imagery in "teardrops come a-splashin’ down his cheeks like summer rain" (line 4) is most effectively analyzed as:

A. A sentimental cliché that weakens the poem’s emotional impact by over-familiarity.
B. A natural metaphor that frames grief as both overwhelming and cyclical, like seasonal weather.
C. An example of pathetic fallacy, where the external world mirrors the speaker’s internal turmoil.
D. A contrast between the purity of rain and the impurity of human sorrow.
E. A biblical allusion to the Flood, suggesting grief as a cleansing but destructive force.

Question 4

The speaker’s assertion that "the new friends disappear" (line 30) when grief arrives is best understood as:

A. A cynical overgeneralization that undermines the poem’s credibility.
B. A literal observation about human behavior in times of crisis.
C. A reflection of the speaker’s personal bitterness rather than a universal truth.
D. An ironic reversal of the poem’s earlier acknowledgment that new friends can be "considerate and true."
E. A thematic culmination of the poem’s argument about the fragility of untested relationships.

Question 5

The poem’s closing lines ("you turn for aid an’ cheer") imply that the value of old friends lies primarily in their ability to:

A. Provide material support that new friends, despite their wealth, cannot offer.
B. Restore the sufferer’s social status by reaffirming their worth to others.
C. Distract the grieving individual from their pain through shared nostalgia.
D. Offer philosophical insights that reframe suffering as a necessary part of growth.
E. Anchor the sufferer in a continuity of care that validates their identity beyond the present crisis.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The poem explicitly contrasts new friends, who are tied to the present ("what you are to-day"), with old friends, who have weathered adversity alongside the sufferer. The line "for what you are to-day" underscores the conditional nature of these relationships—they are contingent on current circumstances (wealth, happiness, success) rather than enduring loyalty. This aligns with the poem’s central argument that only tested relationships persist in hardship.