The Ball Poem Summary Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5

About the Poet 

John Berryman was an American poet and scholar who became known for his work in the confessional school of poetry. He attended South Kent School, Columbia University, and the University of Cambridge. His most famous book is "The Dream Songs." Berryman endured a tragic event at the age of 12 when his father committed suicide outside his window, which deeply affected him. He later adopted his stepfather's surname when his mother remarried. Despite the challenges he faced, Berryman achieved significant recognition for his poetry, winning both the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the National Book Award for poetry.

Key Points of the Poem

• "The Ball Poem" by John Berryman explores the theme of loss through the metaphor of a boy losing his ball. The poet illustrates the boy's sadness when the ball falls into the water, symbolizing the universal experience of loss. 
• Berryman suggests that no replacement can alleviate the boy's sorrow, emphasizing the profound impact of loss on human emotions. Through the boy's experience, the poet imparts the lesson that everyone must learn to bear the pain associated with loss in life. 
• The poem serves as a reminder of the inevitability of facing various types of losses as part of the human condition. Berryman encourages readers to acknowledge and accept the reality of loss as an integral aspect of existence. 
• Overall, "The Ball Poem" offers a poignant reflection on the significance of coping with loss and learning to navigate the challenges it presents. 

Detailed Summary

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’:

In the poem, a young boy experiences the profound loss of his beloved ball, which holds significant sentimental value to him. When the ball unexpectedly rolls away from him and bounces into the water, it represents more than just the physical loss of a toy. To the boy, the ball is a cherished possession, deeply intertwined with memories of joyous days spent playing with it. While others might perceive the loss as insignificant, to the boy, it carries immense emotional weight. This simple event serves as a poignant reminder of the attachments we form to objects and the memories they evoke.

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.

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 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. Moreover the poet doesn’t offer him money to buy another ball because that would be 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 

The boy cannot find his ball in the gloomy water. This is when he gets his first sense of responsibility. The poet suggests that from the loss of the ball, the boy is learning what it means to lose something in the world of possessions, where he will lose things, he will buy some more to replace the ones lost, but would never be able to buy back the thing that he had lost. The poet, thus, makes the boy understand about his responsibility as the loss is immaterial. Money is external as it cannot buy memories, nor can it replace the things that we love, the things that really matter.

He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up.

The poet implies that the boy's experience of losing his ball is a lesson in navigating a world filled with material possessions. Through this loss, the boy is gradually coming to understand the concept of loss itself. By witnessing how others must cope with similar losses, the boy begins to grasp the inevitable nature of loss and the resilience required to move forward. As he learns to stand up and face the challenges presented by loss, he gains a deeper understanding of its true significance and the transient nature of possessions. Ultimately, the poet suggests that this experience will equip the boy with the strength and wisdom needed to navigate future losses and leave them behind, having learned their profound lessons.

Theme/Message 

Theme

• This poem can be termed as a ‘coming of age’ poem that deals with the theme of loss and suffering. 
• The poem explores the themes of loss, growing up and transformation of an individual. 
• The poem also touches on the importance of coping with the loss of things that money can’t buy and moving ahead in life.

Message 

• The poet gives us the message that loss is inevitable and one must learn to bear with such loss with patience and courage.
• This poem teaches us the philosophy of life through the loss of the ball. It tells us to accept loss and move ahead in life.

Literary Devices 

• Symbolism – A figure of speech where an object, person or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning.
  Ball – the ball symbolises the boy’s happy innocent days.
• Repetition – Repetition of words or phrases in the same line.
  What , what
  Balls, Balls
• Anaphora – When two consecutive lines begin with the same word
  What is the boy to do now,
  What , what is he to do?
  Merrily bouncing down the street
  Merrily over – there it is in the water!
• Alliteration– Repetition of the initial consonant sounds in the same line
  What , what
  Balls, balls,
  Buys a ball back
• Asyndeton – omission or absence of conjunction between parts of a sentence
  A dime, another ball, is worthless
• Rhetorical question – A question asked just for the sake of asking
  What is he to do?
• Imagery – creating pictures through words
  ‘Merrily bouncing down the street’
• Personification – human attributes given to immaterial things
  ‘Merrily bouncing down the street
• Metaphor – the ball is the metaphor for things lost
• Transferred epithet- (When an adjective is used to describe a noun but it actually refers to another noun)
  desperate eyes – the boy is desperate not the eyes

Difficult Words 

• Merrily: cheerful
• Bouncing: jumping up and down
• Grief: sorrow
• Rigid: fixed
• Trembling: shaking
• Harbour: dock, port
• Intrude: invader
• Dime: 10 cents (U.S)
• Worthless: valueless, useless
• Possessions: Ownership
• External: Here, things with which feelings are not attached
• Desperate: hopeless
• Epistemology: The Greek word episteme means ‘knowledge’