First Flight Poem ch05 The Ball Poem

CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
Revision Notes
Chapter 5
The ball (poem)

This poem, by John Berriman, is about losing something that you love, and learning to grow up. It is about a little boy, who, for the first time in his young life, is learning what it is like to experience grief at the loss of a much beloved possession-his ball. To us, the loss of a ball is of minor consequence, and our reaction to it is to say ‘O there are other balls’. But to a little boy, this is not so. A dime, another ball, is worthless. Money is external; it cannot buy back our love, nor replace the things that we love: the things that really matter.

The little boy has lost his ball.
He can buy many new balls but he has a very deep emotional attachment and memories associated with that ball.
So he regrets over the loss of the ball.
The poet is indirectly trying to tell us that we should learn how to cope up with the loss.
And money is external i.e. we can’t buy memories with money.
We all should learn our responsibility and learn to cope up with the loss.

First Flight Poem ch05 The Ball Poem - CBSE Revision Notes