The Ball Poem, Class 10th English

 

The Ball Poem, Class 10th English

1-Introduction

2-About The Poet

3-Stanza Wise Explanation

4-Poetic Devices

5-Word-Meaning

6-Textbook Exercises

7-Previous Year Question/Answers

8-To Conclude

1-Introduction

This is a very beautiful poem which is written by John Berryman. In this poem the poet describe the grief of a boy over the loss of his ball. Loss holds importance because when we lose something then only we realise it’s importance. Our material possessions as well as the people who we love will not remain as forever. Through this poem the poet wants to convey the message that one has to understand the nature of loss and learn to cope up with that loss. Loss is just a part of life and life never ends with that loss. 

Class 10th English 

2- About The Poet

John Berryman was an American poet and a scholar. He was born on 25 October 1914 in Oklah in United States of America. Some of his renowned works are “The Dream Songs” , “77Dream Songs” and “Berryman’s Shakespeare”.

He was awarded with Pulitzer and National Book Award. The Ball Poem is a very remarkable poem written by him.

The poet realises that it is very difficult to cope up with loss and move forward. But this is life and we all should be prepared enough to bear these loss.

3- Stanza Wise Explanation

Stanza 1

What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,

 What, what is he to do? I saw it go

 Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then

Merrily over- there it is in the water!

 No use to say ‘O there are other balls':

Explanation

In the above lines, the poet wants to know about the boy who has lost his ball. He also wants to know what he would do after losing the ball. The poet himself saw the ball bouncing happily down the street and then falling into the water. The poet said that there is no use to tell the boy that there are other balls because he was associated with the memories of that lost ball.

Stanza 2

An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

 As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

 All his young days into the harbour where

 His ball went. I would not intrude on him; 

A dime, another ball, is worthless.

Explanation

In the above lines, the poet describes the condition of the boy after losing his ball.  After losing the ball the boy feels very sad. He was standing like a statue, shivering and staring down the ball. He was filled with sorrow and staring in One Direction in which his ball has gone. According to the poet, it is of no value to tell the boy that he could purchase another ball for only $0.10. Because since childhood he was very much attached to his lost ball.

Stanza 3

.................................Now

He senses first responsibility

 In a world of possessions. people will  take

 Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.

 And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

 Explanation

 In these lines, the poet says that in this world of possessions the boy is learning his first responsibility of taking care of his things. Big balls and these balls lost. In other words, the boy will keep losing things and would buy another one to replace the lost thing. Money is external because it cannot buy memories attached to the lost things.

Stanza 4

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,

 This Epistemology of loss, how to stand up

 Knowing what everyman must one day know

 And most know many days, how to stand up.

Explanation

 Now the boy is learning the meaning of loss. He is also learning how to stand up from the Loss.  With the passage of time, the boy will also learn how to stand up and leave the losses behind. He would definitely know the nature and meaning of loss.

4- Poetic Devices

• Metaphor- Is comparing two unlike objects or things that have some common qualities in them.

 The lost ball- boys childhood

 With the loss of the ball the childhood of the boy is also lost.

• Alliteration- It is the occurrence off the same sound at the beginning of the closely connected words.

What, what ( Stanza 1 )

Buys a ball back ( Stanza 3 )

Balls, Balls ( Stanza 3 )

• Repetition- Repetition of words or phrases in the same line.

What,what

Balls,balls

• Assonance- Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds.

Boy, now, who, lost (Stanza 1- 1st line)

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes (Stanza 4- 1st line)

5- Word-Meaning

•merrily- happily

• ultimate- final

• rigid- stiff like a statue

• trembling- shivering

• a dime- a ten cent coin(U.S.)

• external- extrinsic

• desperate- hopeless

6- Textbook Exercises

I-Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?

Ans- The poet says, “I would not intrude on him” because he does not want to interfere in the natural process of learning. He wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own.

 He doesn’t offer him money to buy another ball because he wants the boy to learn the meaning of responsibility and also accept that losses are part of life.

II- “.....staring down

All his young days the harbour where his ball went....”

Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to the memories of days when he played with it?

Ans- Yes, the boy has had the ball for a long time. It is also linked to the memories of priceless days when he played with it.

 When his ball went into the water, all his memories flashed in front of him. This also led to a realisation that those moments were priceless. 

III- What does ‘in the world of possessions’ mean?

Ans- ‘In the world of possessions’ is a phrase which means today’s world encourages materialism and a sense of possession. So it is very important that boy should learn the lesson that loss is also an integral part of life. He should bear any loss in life.

IV- Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.

Ans- No, it seems that the boy had not lost anything earlier. He senses first responsibility in a world of possessions. The above words prove this.

V- What does the Poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.

Ans- The boy is feeling bad and learning to grow up in this world of possessions. There are so many things in the world that are lost and cannot be brought back. Now the boy is experiencing his first responsibility as he has lost the ball. Gradually the boy will learn how to stand up and leave the losses behind.

7- Previous Year Question/Answers

i-What does John Berryman want to convey through this poem? C.B.S.E. 2011

OR

Write the sum and substance of the poem “The Ball Poem”. C.B.S.E.2016

Ans- The poet through this poem wants to convey the Importance of  loss. The poet also wants us to learn that things will get lost from time to time and money cannot replace them all.

ii- “Money is external”. what does the poet mean by this expression? C.B.S.E. 2014

Ans- The poet intention is to make the boy understand about his responsibility and that the loss is part of life. By this phrase, the poet means that every loss cannot be replaced by money. Money cannot buy the memories associated with that thing, for example the boys lost ball.

iii- Why was the boy upset on losing his ball? C.B.S.E.2019

Ans- The boy was upset on losing his ball because he was attached to it. It had been with him for a long time and he had many memories with it. Now the ball was lost forever with him. He could buy a new ball but the memories attached with the last ball is lost forever.

iv- Why is it important for everyone to experience loss and to Stand up after it? C.B.S.E. 2014

Ans- It is very much important for everyone to experience loss because one needs to stay strong he as is staying strong is the only way to survive. One should understand that the past is gone and it will never come back.

The poem teaches us that loss is a universal truth. At some point of time we have two lose something. The boy must know how to stand up after a loss. Here the ball signifies losing something valuable that cannot be bought or replaced. The poet wants us to understand the real meaning of loss.

8-To Conclude

I hope the above article would be a great help in your upcoming exams. If any doubt you can reach me through the comment section below and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Visit my page for class 10th English syllabus. Thank you and all the best...