The Ball Poem is the fifth poem from the Book First Flight Class 10th. This is a poem that needs an intellectual approach not only from the teacher but also form the student. This poem has a message to understand the real life without any fantasy or fallacy. This poem has discussed a naked but profound truth.
Poem is written by John Berryman [John Allyn McAlpin Berryman] was an American poet and author. This poem is 18 lines long in a single paragraph without any rhyme pattern i.e. Free Verse.
Theme
Major theme of this poem is to know loss, how to understand loss and growing up as an individual. Suffering is inevitable with loss but suffering has its limits. Life moves ahead. Our own transformation after understanding loss is necessary to grow as an individual.
Main Points of The Ball Poem
- A boy is the main protagonist of this poem. He was playing with his ball near the harbor. He was happy and excited to play with ball.
- Suddenly the ball went down into the harbor and lost in the deep sea. He has no other ball to play with. He has some association with the ball.
- Now he has lost his ball. He started trembling because of this loss.
- Poet created an imagery through the child because this is not the story of the boy who had lost his ball, it is the story of each individual who lost something everyday.
- Poet is trying to tell us that nothing is permanent. All things are tend to be lost one day. Our money, designation, relations – nothing is permanent.
- All students must learn the word- meaning i.e. Trembling, Intrude, Dime, Possession, Desperation, Epistemology.
This is a world of possession but we should not forget that all our possessions are likely to be lost one day.
Moral of the poem
Question asked in Board Examinations
- What does poet notices at the beginning of the poem? [A-2017]
- John Berryman tells us about our reaction at some material loss. Discuss? [B-2017]
- What has the boy lost? How does the boy react to this? [B-2018, A-2020]
- What is the theme of the poem? [C-2018]
- What does ‘in the world of possession’ means? [A-2019]
- Write the brief summary of this poem? [D-2019]
- Why does not the poet offer to give money or but another ball for the boy who has lost his ball? [D-2020]
Analysis
- In previous 4 years, 8 questions came in the board examinations i.e. 7 questions are unique and 1 question is repeated.
- Question 3 was repeated in 2020 after 2018. This question is simple because we know that boy lost his ball and he was sad because of that loss. He was trembling and under intense grief.
- There are 3 key terms which we believe as most important from examination point of view i.e. Money is external, world of possession & Epistemology of loss. Students must learn these phrases with a critical approach.
- If we closely analyze the questions asked in board examinations, maximum questions can be answered if a student works as per point no. 3.
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Question Came in Code | A, B | B, C | A, D | A, D |
In every year, questions from this poem came in the board examinations. More than 2 sets have questions from this poem. Set A is most preferable for The Ball Poem.
Comprehension or Passage
No use to say …………………………………………………………………………… where his ball went. [D-2017] Major synonym were asked for the words Final and Sorrow that means Ultimate and Grief from the text.
He senses first responsibility …………………………………………………………………. money is external. [A-2018, B-2020]. Meaning of Money is external from the text is asked.
Trends are showing that except 2019, Comprehension passage came in 2017, 2018 and 2020. Just like questions, comprehension too revolved around mental condition of the boy and epistemology of loss.
Following is the text taken by NCERT First Flight for Class X and analysis is carried out on the basis of Board of School Education, Haryana previous year question papers. Read the Text of the chapter for enhancing reading and speaking skills.