Call : 94779 94779

First Flight – Poem 5: The Ball Poem

Complete NCERT Solutions | CBSE Class 10 English (First Flight)

Class 10- Science Solutions

Class 10- English Solutions

Class 10-        Maths Solutions

Class 10- Social Science Solutions

Class 10 (CBSE) - SYLLABUS

Class 10 (CBSE) - PYQ

NCERT Class 10 English | First Flight – Poem 5: The Ball Poem – Complete Solutions
The Poem
The Ball Poemby John Berryman
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':
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. 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.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
To know what is lost and what is his own.
About the Poet
John Berryman(1914–1972)
John Berryman was an American poet and scholar, known for his confessional style of poetry. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1965 for "77 Dream Songs." His poetry often deals with themes of loss, grief, identity, and the human condition.
Summary of the Poem
SummaryKey Points
Summary: "The Ball Poem" is about a young boy who loses his ball. The ball falls into the harbour and is gone forever. The poet watches the boy's reaction — he stands rigid, trembling, and stares down into the water. The poet does not try to console him by offering another ball or money. He understands that the boy is experiencing a deeper loss — not just the loss of a toy, but the loss of innocence. The boy is learning his first lesson about responsibility, loss, and the nature of possessions. Money cannot replace what is truly lost; the boy must learn to accept loss and move on.
Theme of the Poem
ThemeCentral Idea
Theme: The central theme of the poem is the inevitability of loss and the importance of accepting it. The poem explores how losing something valuable teaches us responsibility and helps us grow. The boy's loss of his ball symbolizes the loss of childhood innocence. The poet suggests that material possessions (like money or a new ball) cannot replace the emotional value of what is lost. Learning to cope with loss is an essential part of growing up.
Literary Devices
DeviceExamples from the Poem
1. Repetition: "What, what is he to do?" — repetition of 'what' emphasises the boy's confusion.
2. Imagery: "Merrily bouncing, down the street," "stands rigid, trembling, staring down" — vivid visual imagery of the ball's movement and the boy's posture.
3. Personification: The ball is described as "merrily bouncing" as if it has a joyful life of its own.
4. Symbolism: The ball represents childhood innocence, possessions, and the first experience of loss.
5. Enjambment: Many lines run into the next without punctuation, creating a natural, flowing rhythm.
6. Oxymoron: "Ultimate shaking grief" — grief that shakes the boy to his core.
7. Metaphor: "All his young days into the harbour where his ball went" — the loss of the ball symbolises the loss of childhood.
Word Meanings (Vocabulary)
WordMeaning
Merrily: cheerfully, happily
Ultimate: final, extreme
Rigid: stiff, unable to move
Intrude: to interrupt or enter without invitation
Dime: a ten-cent coin (small amount of money)
Worthless: having no value
Responsibility: being accountable for something
Possessions: things that someone owns
External: outside, not part of one's inner self
Desperate: having a great need or desire
Epistemology: the theory of knowledge, how we know what we know
Thinking About the Poem (Page 93)
Q12 marks
Why does the poet not offer the boy money or another ball to console him?
Answer: The poet does not offer the boy money or another ball because he understands that the boy is not just grieving the loss of a toy. The boy is experiencing a deeper emotional loss — his first lesson about losing something precious. Money or a replacement ball would be worthless because they cannot replace the emotional value of the original ball or the boy's sense of loss.
Q23 marks
What does the poet mean by "the epistemology of loss"? How is the boy learning it?
Answer: "The epistemology of loss" means the understanding or knowledge of what loss truly is. The poet uses this philosophical term to show that the boy is learning about loss in a deep, personal way. He is learning that money cannot replace what is lost, that possessions are temporary, and that he must accept loss as a part of life. The boy is learning this through his own painful experience of losing his ball.
Q33 marks
What is the significance of the ball in the poem? Why does the poet focus on this simple object?
Answer: The ball is significant because it symbolizes childhood innocence, attachment, and the first experience of loss. The poet focuses on this simple object because it represents something deeply personal and emotionally valuable to the boy. The loss of the ball is a metaphor for the losses everyone faces in life — the loss of loved ones, opportunities, or cherished possessions. By focusing on a simple ball, the poet makes a profound statement about human experience.
Extra Questions for Practice
Q13 marks
How does the boy react when he loses his ball? Describe his emotional state.
Answer: The boy is deeply grieved. He stands rigid, trembling, and stares down into the harbour where his ball has gone. He is experiencing "ultimate shaking grief" — a profound sense of loss that shakes him to his core. He does not speak or cry out; his grief is silent and internal. His reaction shows that he is not just losing a toy but losing a part of his childhood.
Q23 marks
What does the poet mean when he says "Money is external"?
Answer: The poet means that money is external, or outside of a person's inner self. It cannot buy emotional security, happiness, or replace what is truly valuable. While money can buy material things, it cannot buy back lost memories, relationships, or emotional attachments. The boy's lost ball had emotional value that money cannot replace.
Q34 marks
What message does John Berryman convey through the poem "The Ball Poem"?
Answer: The poem conveys that loss is an inevitable part of life, and learning to cope with it is an essential part of growing up. The boy's loss of his ball represents the first step in understanding responsibility and the nature of possessions. The poet suggests that one must learn to accept loss rather than trying to replace what is lost with material substitutes. The poem teaches that true growth comes from facing loss and learning to stand up again.
NCERT Class 10 English | First Flight – Poem 5: The Ball Poem | Complete solutions and study material.

Study materials

Send Us A Message






    Latest posts

    Facebook Twitter Youtube Icon-instagram-1

    Thank You For Registering !

    Our Team Will Reach You Soon

    Enter Your Contact Details To Download the PDF

      This form uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your data is processed.

      REGISTER NOW

      👉 (Limited Seats Available) 👈