NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem - The Ball Poem provides suitable means to help students understand the profound message behind this seemingly simple poem by John Berryman. A boy loses his ball, and through this minute incident, the poet teaches a life lesson regarding loss and growing up. The poet expresses that tom foolery is part and parcel of life and everybody loses something in their lives, we learn to accept this over a period of time.
These NCERT Solutions help students understand the meaning and the feelings of the speaker in the poem. The language is simple, and all aspects are explained clearly to help students enhance their understanding, improve their writing skills, and examine all possible options for exams at school. The solutions also cover all the exercises and assignments in the NCERT format so students can depend on the solutions to provide right, and important, help.
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3 The Ball Poem in our free PDF, crafted by subject experts for clear understanding and quick revision.
"The Ball Poem" is a short but powerful poem that explores loss, grief, and the process of learning to accept reality. The poem tells the story of a boy who loses his ball while standing by the sea. The speaker watches the boy’s reaction and reflects on what it means to lose something valuable. Instead of offering consolation through cliché phrases, the poem recognises that true consolation comes from the inner growth that follows a personal loss.
The speaker acts like a sympathetic observer. He sees the boy’s stunned silence and understands that the loss has shaken the boy’s sense of security. The boy’s tears show how deeply attached he was to the ball — not because of its material value but because of what it represented: play, confidence, and the small certainties of childhood.
Throughout the poem, loss is shown as a natural but painful part of life. The speaker suggests that when we lose something important, we must learn to value what remains — especially our capacity to face reality courageously. Grief becomes a teacher: it forces the young boy to grow, to pay attention, and to develop a more honest relationship with the world.
Thinking About the Poem
Ans. The poet says, "I would not intrude on him" because he does not want to intervene in the natural process of learning. He wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own. He also doesn't offer him money to buy another ball because that would be worthless. He wants the boy to learn the lesson of responsibility.
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?
Ans. Yes, the boy has had the ball for a long time. When it bounced into the water, all his memories of the days of childhood flashed in front of him. This led to a realisation that those moments would not come back, just like the ball. He can buy new balls and can similarly create new moments, but those that are gone would not return.
3. What does "in the world of possessions" mean?
Ans. "In the world of possessions" means that the world is full of materialistic things. Here everything and every action is made to possess something, whether it is the possession of land, property, money, or any other thing. The poet suggests that losing a ball, which is a very small thing, would make the boy understand what it is like to lose something that one possessed
4. Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.
Ans. No, it seems that the boy had not lost anything earlier. The words that suggest so are 'He senses first responsibility in a world of possessions'.
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. The poet says that the boy is learning to cope up with the loss of the ball. He is experiencing grief and learning to grow up in this world of possessions. He learns that there are so many things in life that are lost and cannot be brought back. He is sensing his first responsibility as he has lost the ball. The boy will learn how to stand up and leave the losses behind as he would have understood the true meaning and nature of loss.
(Session 2025 - 26)