The Ball Poem

1. He was playing with his ball (a routinely habit) but suddenly it went bouncing down the street and went into the water.

2. John Berryman

3. Introduces a boy who has just lost his ball

4. He is in grief and stands rigid, trembling and staring down - he realizes that he's lost something irreplaceable. (that can't be replaced)

5. The poet thinks it is pointless to console him, saying 'o there are other balls' when he clearly knows that another ball is worthless. This ball meant something to him.

6. The poet says 'I would not intrude on him' as he doesn't want to intervene the natural process of learning. He wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own.

6.1. His "young days" went into the harbour where his ball went.

7. He doesn't offer him 'money' to buy because he knows another ball is worthless. Money can only buy the worldly things, not the sentiments attached to it. He wants him to know money cannot buy everything.

8. Goes through the transformation that turns him into an adult-someone who is wise about the ways of the world and knows how to take care of the things that mean the most.

9. The boy feels the first responsibility 'in a world of possession'. learns about perseverance, standing up and facing loss.

10. ball- symbol of possession, things can't remain same forever , everything we have is transitory. No matter how much we take care of it, we'll lose it eventually.

11. The child is representative of all people as they move through life and see things they love, family members, friends, their own youth, drift away from them.

12. The boy is no longer the same he used to be. He is now learning to stand up, knows the meaning of loss, cope with loss. learn the world of brutal truth and yet continue with his life