The ball poem

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’:
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. 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.
Lines 1-2: "What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
What, what is he to do?"
The speaker questions the boy’s current state after losing his ball. This reflects confusion and a sense of helplessness, emphasizing
the emotional turmoil he is experiencing.
Lines 3-4: "I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then"
The speaker recalls the ball’s cheerful movement as it rolls away, contrasting the boy’s current sorrow with the ball's carefree
journey. This highlights the sudden shift from joy to loss.
Lines 5-6: "Merrily over — there it is in the water!"
The ball has ended up in the water, a symbol of finality. The cheerful image is now tinged with despair, reinforcing the boy's
sense of loss and helplessness.
Line 7: "No use to say ‘O there are other balls’:"
The speaker recognizes that offering the boy a replacement (other balls) is futile. This reflects a deeper understanding that the loss
is not just about the object but about emotional attachment.
Lines 8-9: "An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down"
The boy is immobilized by profound grief. The use of "ultimate shaking grief" suggests that this is a pivotal moment in his
emotional development, marking a transition in his understanding of loss.
Lines 10-11: "All his young days into the harbour where
His ball went."
The boy gazes into the water, contemplating his childhood. The harbour symbolizes a place of both loss and reflection, where he
begins to understand the depth of his feelings.
Line 12: "I would not intrude on him;"
The speaker respects the boy’s space during this emotional moment. It highlights the importance of allowing the boy to experience
his feelings without interference.
Line 13: "A dime, another ball, is worthless."
Offering money or a new ball is meaningless in the face of his genuine loss. This underscores that material replacements cannot
fill the emotional void left by losing something significant.
Lines 14-15: "Now he senses first responsibility
In a world of possessions."
The boy is beginning to understand the concept of responsibility that comes with ownership. This realization is crucial as he learns
about the implications of having and losing possessions.
Lines 16-17: "People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy."
This line reflects a broader truth about life. Loss is inevitable, and the boy must learn that it is a common experience everyone
faces. It introduces the idea that material things are temporary.
Line 18: "And no one buys a ball back."
This line emphasizes the permanence of loss. Once something is gone, it cannot be regained, reinforcing the lesson about
acceptance and the nature of loss.
Lines 19-20: "Money is external."
The speaker points out that money cannot address emotional loss. It is an external solution that does not provide comfort or
fulfillment in matters of the heart.
Lines 21-22: "He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up"
The boy is beginning to understand the philosophy of loss. The phrase “epistemology of loss” suggests he is learning about the
nature and meaning of loss—how to cope with it and stand firm despite it.
Line 23: "Knowing what every man must one day know.
And most know many days, how to stand up"
This final lines tie the boy’s personal experience of loss to a universal truth: everyone must confront loss at some point in their
lives. It signifies the boy’s movement toward maturity and a deeper understanding of life. The final line indicates that the
experience of loss is universal, and the ability to cope is a vital part of growing up.

Summary of Themes
 Loss and Responsibility: The poem illustrates the emotional weight of losing something cherished and how it teaches
responsibility.
 Childhood vs. Maturity: The boy’s journey reflects the transition from childhood innocence to the complex realities of
adulthood.
 Materialism vs. Emotional Value: The poem contrasts the significance of material possessions with the deeper emotional
lessons learned through loss.

Q.1Why 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 interfere with the boy's learning experience, allowing
him to discover the significance of loss on his own. Rather than offering money for a replacement ball, which would be futile, he
hopes the boy learns a valuable lesson about taking responsibility.

Q.2 “ …. 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 the 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 childhood memories flashed before him.
This realization hit him: those moments are gone forever, just as the ball is lost. He can buy new balls and form new memories,
but the ones that have passed cannot be revived.

Q.3 What does “in the world of possessions” mean?

Ans. “In the world of possessions” refers to a materialistic society where everything revolves around owning things, whether it’s
land, property, money, or other items. The poet implies that losing a seemingly insignificant item like a ball will help the boy
grasp the deeper meaning of loss and what it feels like to lose something he once owned.

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

Q.5 What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.
The poet suggests that the boy is beginning to deal with the loss of the ball. He is feeling grief and starting to mature in a
materialistic world. He realizes that many things in life can be lost and cannot be recovered. Through losing the ball, he is sensing
his first taste of responsibility. The boy will learn how to rise above his losses, gaining a deeper understanding of what loss truly
means

The poem contains several figures of speech as discussed below:

1. Personification:
The ball is described as "merrily bouncing," attributing humanlike qualities of joy and playfulness. This emphasizes the carefree
nature of childhood before the loss occurs.
2. Repetition:
The phrase "what, what" at the beginning creates a sense of urgency and confusion, reflecting the boy's emotional turmoil and
helplessness.
3. Imagery:
Phrases like "standing rigid, trembling, staring down" evoke vivid mental images, allowing readers to visualize the boy's
emotional and physical state as he grapples with his loss.
4. Metaphor:
"All his young days into the harbour where / His ball went" serves as a metaphor for the loss of innocence and childhood,
suggesting that the loss of the ball signifies a deeper, more significant loss.
5. Symbolism:
The ball symbolizes childhood and the innocence associated with it, while its loss represents the inevitable transition into
responsibility and awareness of loss.
6. Contrast:
The light hearted imagery of the ball bouncing contrasts sharply with the boy’s deep grief, highlighting the transition from
innocence to the weight of reality.
7. Alliteration:
The line "ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy" features alliteration with the 'g' sound, emphasizing the heavy burden of his
emotional state.
8. Paradox:
The phrase "money is external" presents a paradox, suggesting that while money can replace a lost object, it cannot replace the
emotional significance tied to that loss.