The friendship in "Ode to My Socks" is between Maru Mori, who knits a pair of woolen socks, and the speaker, to whom she gives them. This simple act of gift-giving is one of the most basic, and important rituals for maintaining friendships. Even if you didn't realize it, all those friendship bracelets you made at camp were part of a long tradition of honoring friends, and this poem memorializes that human relationship. So, bust out those bracelets, everyone! Let's bring those back—like Swatch watches!
Questions About Friendship
- What does friendship seem to mean for the speaker in "Ode to My Socks"?
- How does the image of a pair of socks relate to the theme of friendship?
- If you were to choose an object you have received as a gift to write an ode about friendship, what would it be?
Chew on This
Friends, shmends. In "Ode to My Socks," the speaker doesn't need any friends, because he (or she) finds beauty and companionship in all the objects around him (or her).
Friend… good! Friendship is at the core of "Ode to My Socks," because part of the socks' beauty is the fact that they were hand-made by the speaker's friend.