The Ball Poem — Class 10 English

Chapter summary

The story in steps

1. A boy loses his ball in the harbour, and the poet sees his deep sadness.
2. The boy stands rigid and trembles, staring at the water where his ball has gone.
3. The poet thinks no other balls or money can truly remove the boy’s sense of loss.
4. He says the boy is learning the first real meaning of losing something he owned.
5. The poet explains that everyone must learn to accept losses and keep living.
6. He decides not to interrupt, because the boy must learn this lesson himself.

Key ideas & terms

The boy

A child who loses his ball and learns about loss.

Loss

The central theme — losing what cannot be replaced.

The ball

A symbol of the things one loses while growing up.

Responsibility

The lesson of standing up and coping after loss.

Growing up

The maturity gained by learning to accept loss.

John Berryman

The poet who wrote “The Ball Poem”.

शब्दार्थ · Word meanings

harbour

place where ships stay safely

merrily

happily and lightly

grief

deep sorrow

rigid

stiff; not moving

trembling

shaking with emotion

epistemology

study of knowledge

possessions

things someone owns

desperate

without hope; helpless

stand up

face something bravely

know

understand deeply from experience

Extra questions & answers