The ball poem
Who is the poet of the poem?
John Berryman is the poet of the poem ‘the ball poem’
What has the boy lost in the water?
The boy has lost his ball in the water.
Where did the ball land finally?
The ball finally landed in the water.
Where was the boy staring down?
He was staring down in the water body where he had lost his ball.
What was the reaction of the boy at the loss of his ball?
The boy was deeply shocked at the loss of his ball, he stood rigid, trembling, and staring down.
What does ‘ in the world of possession’ means?
Here ‘ the world of possession’ means a place where every action and everything is made to possess something.
What lesson does the boy learn?
The boy learned that in the word of possession things will be lost, and people will take things, he also learned that money is external.
Why are the boy’s eyes desperate?
The boy's eyes are desperate because he has just lost his ball and he knew that he is not going to get that back. He also senses his first responsibility.
Short type question
What is the theme of the poem - ‘The Ball Poem’
The poem is about the grief of losing some valuable possession. It is also about growing and understanding one’s responsibility. This poem also highlights the point that money is external.
Why does the poet say, ‘ balls will be lost always’
The poet says that balls will be lost because in the world of possession throughout our lives we will lose things or persons we love. The poet wanted to emphasize the fact that nothing is eternal.
A ball is an easily available inexpensive thing, then why is the boy so sad?
Though a ball is an easily available and inexpensive thing yet the boy was sad because no matter how much money he pay he knew he will not be able to get back the same ball again.
What shows that the ball was valuable for the boy?
When the boy realized his ball has been lost he went into shock and stood trembling looking down, this shows that the ball was valuable to the boy.
‘He senses first responsibility’- what responsibility is referred to here?
The little boy is learning the responsibility to keep himself moving even if loses some valuable things.
Why did the poet not console the boy?
There might be two reasons for which the poet did not console the boy, firstly the boy was shocked by the loss and he was not ready to listen to anyone, secondly, he was trying to bear the grief by himself and understand the real meaning of loss.
What was the effect of the loss of the ball on the boy?
The boy was shocked and griefed by the loss of the ball. He stood trembling, looking down where he had lost the ball.
Why does the poet decide not to give money to the boy or buy another ball for him?
The poet does not offer the boy any money or another ball as the boy can never truly recover what he has lost. The poet wants the boy to learn about responsibility and to keep on moving forward even in the face of suffering and loss.
Explain the line, “And no one buys a ball back. Money is external”
The line signifies that no one can buy you something that has been completely lost. Money is external means it works as means to possess a thing, it can never compensate for the sense of loss.
Does the lost ball stand as a metaphor for the boy’s lost childhood? How?
In the poem, The Ball Poem, the lost ball is a symbol for lost childhood because it depicts innocence, attachment and something which if gone never returns back. The poet believes that childhood and its innocence cannot be bought with money. It is something that a person often thinks of and becomes sad.
