Class 10 English Poem 5 Solution – The Ball Poem | SEBA Assam

Class 10 English Poem 5 – The Ball Poem – All Textual Solutions | ASSEB Assam (English Medium)

Class 10 English Poem 5 – The Ball Poem Complete Textual Question Answers and Solutions (ASSEB / SEBA Assam – English Medium)

The fifth poem of the Class 10 English textbook ‘First Flight’, titled ‘The Ball Poem’ by John Berryman, is a deeply philosophical and moving piece. Based on the latest guidelines of the new ASSEB (Assam State School Education Board) syllabus and the New Education Policy (NEP) for upcoming board exams, we have prepared complete textual question answers and solutions for this poem. This special compilation includes very short answers (VSA), short questions, long answers, and poetic device explanations. At Ospin Academy, these solutions are provided in an easy, accurate, and completely exam-oriented format.

This poem describes a young boy who has lost his ball in the harbor water. Through this seemingly simple incident, the poet highlights the profound ‘epistemology of loss’—teaching the boy how to stand up, cope with grief, and accept responsibility in a materialistic world where things (and people) will inevitably be lost. For board candidates, understanding the symbolic meaning of the ball, the psychological growth of the boy, and the core message of the poem is extremely important. Our textual solutions cover not only the textbook exercise questions but also extra important questions and answers that may appear in the exams, helping students prepare thoroughly.

What you will learn and get from these textual solutions:

• Detailed summary and analysis of the poem’s central theme regarding loss and responsibility.
• Perfect answers for 1-mark very short questions (VSA objective type) and 2-3 mark short questions.
• Simple and standard solutions for 4-5 mark long questions and extract-based stanza explanations.
• Proper knowledge of poetic devices like repetition, blank verse, and symbolism used in the poem.
• Solutions for the latest pattern MCQ questions along with important questions according to the new syllabus.

Special benefits of these Ospin Academy solutions:

• Complete textual solutions prepared on the basis of the latest ASSEB new syllabus.
• 100% accurate, high-quality notes written in simple English that are easy for students to memorize (Class 10 English Notes).
• Specially curated easy-to-understand answers for quick revision before exams.
• A special collection of extra important questions from ‘The Ball Poem’ for the board examinations.

Keeping in mind the academic upliftment of the students, Ospin Academy has brought forward these special textual solutions. Start your board exam preparation now and step forward towards scoring the highest marks in English.

Chapter 5 The Ball Poem

Thinking about the Poem

Q.1 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 wants the little boy to experience the meaning of loss in life. He knows that his loss cannot be compensated by another ball. The poet does not offer him money to buy another ball because he wants to make him realize that nothing is permanent in this world and one has to accept the loss as a part of life and give up on things one lovesin order to survive.

Q.2 “……………starting 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? Isit linked to the memories of days when he played with it?

Ans.: Yes, the boy has had the ball for a long time i.e. from the very beginning of his childhood days. Since it has been a part of his life, he admires playing with that ball. He has numerous memories of the days when he played with it.

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

Ans.: The phrase “in the world of possessions” means that people in this world are driven by materialistic goods where everyone wants more and more. Money is the tool that encourages people to buy these materialistic possessions but sadly it does not possessthe power to buy things one dearly loves.

Q.4 Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer?

Ans.: No, the boy has not lost anything earlier. The boy seems to rejoice merrily playing with the ball before it fell in the water. The line mentioned in the poem i.e. “He senses first responsibility” throws light on the fact that it was the first instance when the little boy was surrounded by feelings of grief on the loss of the ball.

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.

Ans.: According to the poet, the boy is understanding the meaning of loss on account of losing his ball. Through this loss, he is understanding the worldly ways and trying to cope up with them. In this way, he is learning that one has to lose many things in life that may never come back. Therefore, in order to survive one needs to let go of things they love.

Q.6 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 have lost many things that were dear to me which I never wanted to lose. But among them, it was the loss of a watch that I could not bear since it was given to me by my dearest uncle who is no more now. He gave it on my 14th birthday which was really very special. When I went to visit the Lotus Temple in Delhi with my family, I lost it unknowingly being part of a large crowd. I found about the lost watch after returning home. At that time, I experienced feelings of dismay which I could not overcome for a long period of time.