NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 3 The Ball Poem Poem

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English for The Ball Poem Poem 

Thinking about the Poem

2. “… 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?
Answer
Yes, it seems like the boy has had the ball for a long time. When it bounced into the water, all his memories of the days of childhood flashed in front of him. 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.

4. Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.
Answer
No, it seems that the boy had not lost anything earlier. The words that suggest so are ‘senses first responsibility in a world of possessions’.

5. What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.
Answer
The poet says that the boy is learning to cope up with the loss of the ball. He is experiencing grief and learning to grow up in this world of possessions. He learns that there are so many things in life that are to be lost and cannot be brought back. It is useless to feel sorrow for it.

The Ball Poem Poem Summary Class 10 English

In “The Ball Poem” poet John Berryman is beautifully describing a boy who has lost his ball. He gave a lesson that is full of wisdom through the loss of everyone, must learn to bear the pain associated with loss. The poet assumes a boy who is playing with a ball. Once the ball bounces out of his control and consequently falls into the water. The boy became sad. The poet feels that no other ball will be sufficient to lessen his sadness. Here, the lost ball stands for the general loss of a human being.
The losses may be the loss of personal possession or the death of some near and dear one or due to the separation from the beloved one. As long as there is life, everyone has to bear many types of losses. Therefore we need to learn the way for bearing those losses.