NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 - The Ball Poem

Q1: Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?

Ans: The poet says, “I would not intrude on him” because he does not want to intervene in the natural process of learning. He wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own. He also doesn’t offer him money to buy another ball because that would be worthless. He wants the boy to learn the lesson of responsibility.

Q2: “… staring down/All his young days into the harbour where/His ball went…” Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to memories of days when he played with it?

Ans: Yes, the boy has had the ball for a long time. When it bounced into the water, all his memories of the days of childhood staring down all his young days. This led to a realisation 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

Q3: What does “in the world of possessions” mean?

Ans: "In the world of possessions" means that the world is full of materialistic things. Here, everything and every action is made to possess something, whether it is the possession of land, property, money, or any other thing.  In the poem, the poet indicates that losing the ball by the boy may be a very small thing, but this would give him a realisation of loss and the experience of losing memories associated with it.

Q4: Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.

Ans: No, it seems that the boy did not lose anything earlier. It is evident from the words ‘He senses first responsibility in a world of possessions’. This line shows it’s his first experience of loss.

Q5: What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.

Ans: The poet tries to convey through his poem that the boy has learnt an important lesson to cope with the loss of his ball. He is experiencing grief and sadness as he grows up in this world full of possessions.  He learns that there are several important things in life that are lost and cannot be brought back. He also senses his first sense of responsibility as he loses the ball. The boy learns to stand up and leave the loss behind as he moves ahead in his life and understands the true meaning and nature of loss. 

Q6: Have you ever lost something you liked very much? Write a paragraph describing how you felt then, and saying whether — and how — you got over your loss.

Ans: Yes, I had lost my pet dog in a road accident when he was just five years old. One day, I was playing with my puppy with a ball in my garden. I threw the ball in the air while playing with him, my dog jumped to catch the ball, but it bounced back and rolled to the street nearby. As my dog went to fetch the ball, a speeding car ran over my puppy, and I could hear it crying in pain. I rushed to the spot and found my pup covered in blood. I rushed him to the hospital immediately, but it was too late, and he was bleeding profusely and succumbed to injuries. I was very upset and grief-stricken by this incident. With the due course of time, I recovered from my loss, but that incident is fresh in my memories, and I still love my dog and miss him dearly. 

(Note: Students can write this answer as per their personal experiences.)