Important Questions for The Ball Poem(Poetry) Class 10 First Flight English
Important Questions1
What message does John Berryman want to convey through
this poem?
Answer
The message that the poet wants to convey is the importance
of loss and responsibility in life. We should not forget the importance
of possessions.
2
How does the boy feel at the loss of his ball?
Answer
The boy is very much troubled at the loss of his ball. His
ball falls in water. He is much upset as he has a long association with the
ball.
3
âMoney is external.â What does the poet mean by this
expression?
Answer
He makes the boy understand about his responsibility as the
loss is immaterial. He can purchase another ball. He explained that the world
is full of possessions and money is an external item.
4
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
This epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up.
Answer
The poet suggests that from the loss of the ball, the boy is
learning how to stand up in a world of possessions. The boy is learning what it
means to lose something. The poet says that knowing that every man has to stand
up after such losses, the boy too will learn how to stand up and leave the
losses behind as he would have understood the true meaning and nature of loss.
5
Why did the boy feel so sad at the loss of his ball?
Answer
When the boy lost the ball, he plunged in grief. He stood
staring down the harbor where his ball was lost. The boy was affected
profoundly by the loss of his ball because it had been with him for a long time
.It was linked to the memories of the days when he played with it.
6
Why did the poet not offer the boy money to buy another
ball?
Answer
The poet watched the boy who was plunged in grief at the
loss of his ball. He did not offer the boy money to buy another ball. He felt
that another ball could not console the boy. It seemed the boy had had the ball
for a long time .The poet also wanted to make the boy realize the Epistemology
of loss.
7
Why does the poet say, âI would not intrude on himâ? Why
doesnât he offer him money to buy another ball?
Answer
The poet wants the boy to experience the loss. He should
learn that it is the part of life. Thatâs why the poet doesnât want to
interfere the boy and doesnât want to offer him money to buy another ball.
8
â⊠staring down/All his young days into the harbor
where/His ball wentâŠâ 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?
Answer
Yes, it seems like the boy has had the ball for a long time.
When it bounced into the water, all his memories of the days of childhood
flashed in front of him. This led to a realization that those moments would not
come back, just like the ball. He can buy new balls and can similarly create
new moments, but those that are gone would not return.
1
Describe the stanza
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.
Answer
When the young boy loses his ball, it bounces away and lands
in the harbor. The boy is very much troubled at the loss of his ball and
plunges into grief. He stands stiff and trembling while staring at his ball. He
is upset as he looks into the gloomy water because he cannot find the ball. The
boy is profoundly affected by the loss of his ball because it has been with him
for a long time. When the ball bounces into the water, all his memories of the childhood
days flashes in front of him. This leads to a realization that those moments
would not come back, just like the ball. Moreover, the poet says that he does
not want to intervene the boyâs thoughts as through this experience the boy
will learn the meaning of loss on his own. Further the poet doesnât offer him
money to buy another ball because that would be worthless.
2
What is the central idea of the poem âThe Ball Poemâ.
Answer
The poem gives a message for the children to look after
their belonging. It is not difficult to buy another thing to replace the lost
one but they have to learn the lesson of taking proper care of their belonging.
In this poem a boy loses his ball. He watches it go in the harbor . But
ultimately he has to realize that the balls cannot be purchased the moment they
are lost. And he should understand the Epistemology of loss.