The poem describes a boy who loses his ball into the harbor. The boy is overcome with grief and stands rigidly staring at where his ball fell. The author does not want to intrude on the boy's sorrow, as no replacement ball or money could make up for losing the one with sentimental value. The boy is learning an important life lesson about loss and responsibility through this painful experience of how to cope with loss, a lesson every person must eventually learn.

1. JOHN BERRYMAN
Presented by
Berachah Babu A

2. What is the boy now, who has lost his
ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and
then
Merrily over — there it is in the water!
Word meanings
Merrily : cheerful
Bouncing : jumping up and
down

3. • The author says that a boy lost his ball, and
standing with silence. But author saw that the
ball was happily jumping and going towards
the port , now the ball is in the water. So what
the boy is going to do?
Explanation

4. No use to say ‘O there are other balls’: An
ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy As he stands
rigid, trembling, staring down All his young
days into the harbour where His ball went. I
would not intrude on him; A dime, another ball,
is worthless. Now He senses first responsibility
Word meanings
Grief : sorrow
Rigid : fixed
Trembling : shaking
Harbour : dock, port
Intrude : invader
Dime : 10 cents (U.S)

5. • The boy became very sad and shivering. He
becomes sad whenever he thinks of his childhood
days standing near the port. Author says there is no
use of telling him that there are other balls, because
no other ball can replace the ball which fell in the
water . Now the boy realizes his mistake, that he
should be very careful about the things.
Explanation

6. In a world of possessions. People will take
balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
and no one buys a ball back. Money is external.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up.
Word meanings
Possessions : ownership
External : Here, things with which feelings are not attached
Desperate : hopeless
Epistemology : The Greek word ‘episteme’ means ‘knowledge’

7. • The poet rightly says the world grabs what we have.
Loosing things is very common. Once we loose the
things, its hard to get it back. We can’t buy
everything through money. The boy gets the
knowledge how to stand up after experiencing the
lose of his ball. And every man must know how to
stand up in difficult situation.
Explanation

8. Thank you