CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5- Summary of The Ball Poem

CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball – Poem Summary: Here is Poem 5 from Class 10 English First Flight. Summary and detailed explanation of the poetry, as well as a video and the definitions of tricky words. The literary devices utilized and a summary of the poem are also included in the explanation. All of the tasks have been completed, as well as the Ball Poem Questions and Answers at the end of the session.

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CBSE Class 10 English First Flight- Summary of The Ball Poem 

A boy loses a ball in this poetry, The Ball. He is in a bad mood. He can replace the ball because it was not a costly one. However, the boy did not purchase a new ball. He is bereft of joy and sorrow. The poet tries to grasp what the youngster has lost and what he has learned by losing a ball in the poem.

CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball Summary Explanation Notes

The “Ball Poem” can be found below for students to read. Following the poetry, we’ve included a full explanation for students’ convenience.

The Ball Poem Explanation Notes

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 in saying ‘O there are other balls’:

Ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy

As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

All his young days in the harbor 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

Knowing what every man must one day know

And most know many days, how to stand up.

BY JOHN BERRYMAN

The Ball Poem Summary & Notes – The poet refers to a young boy who has misplaced his ball. He was kicking around his ball. The ball slipped from his grasp and landed in a nearby body of water. According to the poet, seeing the youngster lose his treasured ball caused him to reflect on the boy and his reaction to the event. He goes on to claim that the youngster was looking forlorn into the ocean, where his ball had vanished.

He was depressed and shaking from terror. He became so engrossed in his grief that he stood by the harbor for an extended period of time, searching for his ball. The poet offers to console him by stating that he may receive new balls or that he may be given money to purchase another ball.

But he restrains himself because he believes that while the money will buy a replacement ball, it will not replace the memories and feelings associated with the lost ball. He goes on to add that now is the time for the boy to understand his duties.

The poet is implying that the youngster is about to learn the most difficult lesson of his life. The importance of facing the hard realities of life, such as the fact that we will one day lose our loved ones and possessions.

The Ball Poem Class 10 English by John Berryman

About the Poet

John Berryman was a poet and academic from the United States. He is well known for his collection of 385 poems Dream Songs (1969). For his dream songs, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He was also the recipient of the National Book Award.

You can Download NCERT Books and solutions for CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball.

• NCERT Solutions for 10th English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball
• Download CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball Summary PDF

CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball – Poem Important Word Meanings

Here you can check the word meaning for CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 5 The Ball – Poem

• Merrily – in a cheerful way.
• Grief – intense sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death.
• Trembling – shaking involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty.
• Rigid – unable to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible.
• Dime – a ten-cent coin.
• Intrude – put oneself deliberately into a place or situation where one is unwelcome or uninvited. Possessions – the state of having, owning, or controlling something.
• Epistemology – the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.
• Desperate – feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with.

The Ball Poem Questions Answers

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 does not want to interfere with the boy’s opportunity to grasp the true meaning of life. He must learn to accept his fate. The most significant thing or relationship is lost in this case.

Q2- “… staring down/All his young days into the harbor where/His ball went …” 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?

Ans- Yes, we can claim that the boy had possession of the ball for an extended period of time. The line itself illustrates how the lad remembers his childhood days of playing with the ball. The ball was undoubtedly associated with happy memories of his playing with it.

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

Ans- The world of possessions denotes a world replete with materialistic items. Materialistic items are those that provide us with comfort and luxury.

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

Ans- The poem’s sentence “now he recognizes his first duty” informs us that the youngster has never lost anything.

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 implies that the boy will discover the true meaning of life. Despite suffering significant losses, he will learn how to go on in life. Everyone goes through this at some point in their lives when they lose something or someone. The terrible reality that lost items never return makes people strong enough to live their lives while embracing this reality.

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