The Ball Poem Class 10 English Chapter 3 (Poem) Question Answer | SEBA HSLC

This page provides complete solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3 (Poem) “The Ball Poem” by John Berryman from the textbook First Flight. It includes a detailed summary, answers to all textbook questions, theme analysis, literary devices, and bilingual explanations. Prepared for SEBA HSLC exam preparation.

পাঠৰ তথ্য

About the Poet

John Berryman (1914-1972) was an American poet and scholar. He is known for his deeply personal and psychological poetry. “The Ball Poem” reflects his ability to capture profound human emotions through simple, everyday events.

Theme of the Poem

The poem explores the theme of loss and the process of growing up. It shows how losing a cherished possession teaches a child about responsibility, the ephemeral nature of material things, and the need to cope with grief. The poet emphasizes that true learning comes from experience, not from external consolation. The poem highlights that loss is an essential part of life and cannot always be compensated with money.

Literary Devices

• Imagery: Vivid images of the boy staring into the water.
• Repetition: The word “ball” is repeated to emphasize the central object.
• Symbolism: The ball symbolizes childhood, innocence, and cherished memories.
• Alliteration: “buys a ball back” – repetition of the ‘b’ sound.
• Enjambment: Lines flow into each other, reflecting the boy’s continuous thoughts.

Summary of the Poem

The poet describes a young boy who has lost his ball. It bounced down the street and fell into the water. The poet watches the boy’s reaction: he stands helplessly, staring into the water, which symbolically becomes a harbour representing the depth of his loss. He is overwhelmed by grief. The poet considers comforting him by saying he can get a new ball or giving him money, but he refrains. He knows that a new ball cannot replace the memories and feelings attached to the old one. The poet understands that this moment is crucial for the boy to learn an important life lesson – that loss is inevitable and one must learn to accept it and move on. The boy is experiencing his first sense of responsibility in a world of possessions.

মূলভাৱঃ কবিয়ে এটা সৰু ল’ৰাৰ কথা কৈছে, যি নিজৰ বলটো হেৰুৱাইছে। বলটো বাটে বাটে খেলি গৈ পানীত পৰিল। কবিয়ে ল’ৰাটোক বলটোৰ ফালে থৰ লাগি চাই থকা দেখে। সি গভীৰ শোকত ম্ৰিয়মাণ। কবিয়ে কৈছে যে তেওঁ ল’ৰাটোক এটা নতুন বলৰ কথা ক’ব পাৰে বা পইচাও দিব পাৰে, কিন্তু তেওঁ তেনে নকৰে। কাৰণ নতুন বলটোৱে পুৰণি বলটোৰ সৈতে জড়িত স্মৃতিবোৰ ঘূৰাই দিব নোৱাৰে। এই ঘটনাই ল’ৰাটোক দায়িত্ববোধ শিকাব আৰু জীৱনৰ এক ডাঙৰ শিক্ষা দিব – সকলো বস্তু ক্ষণস্থায়ী, আৰু হেৰুওৱাৰ বেদনা সহ্য কৰি আগুৱাই যাবলৈ শিকিব লাগে।

Thinking about the Poem

1. Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?

উত্তৰঃ The poet says, “I would not intrude on him” because he does not want to interfere in the boy’s natural process of learning. He wants the boy to understand the meaning of loss on his own. He does not offer money because buying a new ball would not bring back the memories and feelings attached to the lost ball. The boy must learn to cope with loss and take responsibility.
অসমীয়া অৰ্থঃ কবিয়ে কৈছে, “মই তাৰ মাজত সোমাব বিচৰা নাই” কাৰণ তেওঁ ল’ৰাটোৰ স্বাভাৱিক শিকন প্ৰক্ৰিয়াত বাধা দিব নিবিচাৰে। তেওঁ বিচাৰে যে ল’ৰাটোৱে নিজেই বস্তু হেৰুওৱাৰ অনুভৱ বুজি পাওক। তেওঁ তাক পইচা দি নতুন বল কিনিবলৈ নকয় কাৰণ নতুন বলটোৱে পুৰণি বলটোৰ সৈতে জড়িত স্মৃতিবোৰ ঘূৰাই দিব নোৱাৰে। ল’ৰাটোৱে বস্তু হেৰুওৱাৰ বেদনা সহ্য কৰিবলৈ আৰু দায়িত্ব ল’বলৈ শিকিব লাগে।

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?

উত্তৰঃ It is suggested that the boy was emotionally attached to the ball, as seen in the line “All his young days into the harbour”, which indicates that the ball carried memories of his childhood. When it fell into the water, all those memories flashed before him. He realized that those moments, like the ball, cannot be brought back. The ball symbolizes the innocence and joy of his younger days.
অসমীয়া অৰ্থঃ “All his young days into the harbour” – এই শাৰীটোৱে প্ৰমাণ কৰে যে ল’ৰাটোৰ বলটোৰ লগত গভীৰ আৱেগিক সম্পৰ্ক আছিল। বলটোৱে তাৰ শৈশৱৰ স্মৃতিবোৰ কঢ়িয়াই আনিছিল। যেতিয়া বলটো পানীত পৰিল, তাৰ শৈশৱৰ সকলো স্মৃতি তাৰ মনলৈ আহিল। সি বুজি পাইছিল যে সেই মুহূৰ্তবোৰ, বলটোৰ দৰেই, ঘূৰাই অনাটো সম্ভৱ নহয়। বলটোৱে তাৰ কেঁচুৱা কালৰ নিৰ্দোষতা আৰু আনন্দৰ প্ৰতীক আছিল।

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

উত্তৰঃ “In the world of possessions” refers to the materialistic world where everything is owned and valued. People attach emotions to things they possess. The poet suggests that even a small loss like a ball can teach a child about the nature of loss and the reality that nothing lasts forever.
অসমীয়া অৰ্থঃ “সকলোৰে দখলত থকা পৃথিৱী” বুলিলে বস্তুবাদী পৃথিৱীখনক বুজাইছে য’ত প্ৰত্যেক বস্তুৰ ওপৰত কাৰোবাৰ দখল থাকে আৰু সেইবোৰক মূল্য দিয়া হয়। কবিয়ে কৈছে যে এটা সৰু বল হেৰুৱাৰ ঘটনাই ল’ৰাটোক বুজাই দিব যে সকলো বস্তু চিৰস্থায়ী নহয়, আৰু হেৰুওৱাৰ বাস্তৱতা কেনেকৈ গ্ৰহণ কৰিব লাগে।

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

উত্তৰঃ No, the boy has not lost anything earlier. The words “He senses first responsibility in a world of possessions” indicate that this is his first experience of loss. It is a new feeling for him, marking a step toward maturity.
অসমীয়া অৰ্থঃ নাই, ল’ৰাটোৱে আগতে কোনো বস্তু হেৰুওৱা নাছিল। “সি প্ৰথমবাৰৰ বাবে দায়িত্ববোধ অনুভৱ কৰিছে বস্তুবাদী পৃথিৱী এখনত” – এই শাৰীটোৱে প্ৰমাণ কৰে যে সি প্ৰথমবাৰ কিবা এটা হেৰুৱাইছে। এই অনুভৱ তাৰ বাবে নতুন আৰু ই তাক পৰিপক্কতাৰ ফালে আগবঢ়াই নিছে।

5. What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.

উত্তৰঃ The poet says the boy is learning to cope with loss and grief. He is learning that material things can be lost and cannot always be replaced. He is also experiencing his first sense of responsibility – the responsibility to stand up, accept the loss, and move on. This lesson is essential for becoming mature in a world where possessions are valued but are ultimately impermanent.
অসমীয়া অৰ্থঃ কবিয়ে কৈছে ল’ৰাটোৱে বলটো হেৰুৱাই বস্তু হেৰুওৱাৰ বেদনা কেনেকৈ সন্মুখীন হ’ব লাগে শিকিছে। সি শিকিছে যে জীৱনত কিছুমান বস্তু হেৰাই যায় আৰু সদায় সেইবোৰ ঘূৰাই পোৱা নাযায়। সি প্ৰথমবাৰৰ বাবে দায়িত্ববোধ অনুভৱ কৰিছে – হেৰুওৱাৰ যন্ত্ৰণা সহ্য কৰি থিয় দি আগুৱাই যোৱাৰ দায়িত্ব। এই শিক্ষা তাক পৰিপক্ক কৰি তুলিব।

Message of the Poem

• Loss is an unavoidable part of life.
• Money and material substitutes cannot replace emotional attachments.
• Experience, especially the experience of loss, is the best teacher.
• Growing up involves learning to accept and move forward from loss.

Short Summary (for quick revision)

A boy loses his ball. It falls into the water. He stands still, lost in grief. The poet watches but does not comfort him with money or new balls because he knows the boy must learn on his own. The loss teaches the boy responsibility and the reality that some things cannot be replaced. It is his first lesson in growing up.

Word Meaning

• intrude = to interrupt or interfere
• harbour = a place where ships dock; here, metaphorically represents the depth of loss
• possessions = things that someone owns
• responsibility = duty, accountability
• desperate = showing hopelessness
• ephemeral = lasting for a short time