The Ball Poem — John Berryman
First Flight, poetry · Class 10 CBSE English.
Read the poem itself in your textbook, First Flight (NCERT), aloud, twice. This lesson is SOYL's explanation; it does not reproduce the poem.
In this lesson you will
- Explain the central idea of the poem in your own words
- Explain the boy's first experience with loss and responsibility
- Interpret the symbolism of the ball and describe the tone
- Explain why the speaker does not replace the ball
- Answer extract-based and 40–50 word questions on the poem
| In the board paper | Question form | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reference to context | an extract with short questions on meaning, tone and devices (answer A or B) | 5 |
| Short answer (First Flight) | 40–50 words, any 4 of 5 | 3 each |