SEBA Class 10 English Poem 5 – The Ball Poem Solutions & Summary
Looking for Class 10 English Poem 5 – “The Ball Poem” solutions? Ospin Academy provides a detailed summary, theme, and important questions in Assamese Medium.
📖 Poem Overview:
“The Ball Poem” by John Berryman is a reflective poem about loss and growing up. It tells the story of a young boy who loses his ball and realizes the deeper meaning of loss and responsibility in life.
📌 Key Themes:
- Loss and Acceptance
- Learning through Experience
- Emotional Growth and Maturity
📌 Important Questions for Exams:
- What is the main theme of “The Ball Poem”?
- How does the boy react to the loss of his ball?
- What lesson does the poem convey about growing up?
📝 How Ospin Academy Helps:
- Detailed Assamese Medium Solutions
- Easy-to-Understand Summary
- Exam-Oriented Questions and Answers
Get complete SEBA Class 10 English Poem 5 – “The Ball Poem” solutions on Ospin Academy and prepare effectively for your exams!
Class 10 English (First Flight & Footprints) PDF Solutions 2025-26 | SEBA Assam
Download Class 10 English (First Flight & Footprints) PDF with textbook solutions, MCQs, and extra exercises for SEBA Assam 2025-26.
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.
SEBA Class 10 English Poem 5 – The Ball Poem FAQs
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