The Ball Poem

John Berryman
 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!
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
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
 Speaker: John Berryman

• Born in McAlester, Oklahoma

• October 25, 1914 - January 7,
1972
• Best known for the Dream Songs
• Suffered a great loss at 11 when
his father shot himself in front of
him
• Jumped off the bridge in 1972, at
the age of 57
• Was awarded with Pulitzer prize for
poetry & National book award for
poetry
 Theme
John Berryman’s poetry “The Ball Poem” has childhood, grief,
and the search for innocence as its themes. The poem also deals
with the theme of loss and suffering. It explores the themes of
loss, growing up and transformation of an individual with a small
incident which transformed the boy and even led him to learn
important lessons such as the importance of coping with the loss
of things that money can’t buy and moving ahead in life.
Rhyming Scheme
No rhyming scheme. Poem is
written in free verse.
 Stanza 1
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!
• The grief stricken
boy due to loss of
ball
• Ball bouncing away
merrily
• merrily- happily
 Stanza 2
No use to say 'O there are other • Ball symbolizing his Childhood
balls': innocence & young days
An ultimate shaking grief fixes • Boy feeling helpless
the boy • Boy trembles because of grief
As he stands rigid, trembling, • Poetic device in 2nd line-
Transferred epithet
staring down • shaking grief- sadness which
All his young days into the greatly affects the boy
harbour where • harbour - (here represents)
His ball went. vastness of life
 Stanza 3
I would not intrude on him,
A dime, another ball, is
worthless. Now
He senses first responsibility
In a world of possessions. People
will take balls,
Balls will be lost always, little
boy,
• Poet prefers not to interfere
• Loss of ball teaches a lesson to
boy
• Loss is a part of life
• Intrude- interfere
• a dime- ten cents (U.S.)
 Stanza 4
And no one buys a ball back. Money is
external. • Money can replace things but can
He is learning, well behind his not buy the original one.
desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand • epistemology of loss-
up understanding the nature of loss
Knowing what every man must one day • Lessons learnt by boy-
know • how to cope up with loss
And most know many days, how to • stand up to move on
stand up
 a) alliteration

Literary b) transferred

devices
epithet
c) repetition

d) symbolism
 e) personification
Literary
devices
f) anaphora

g) emjambment
 Alliteration

• Balls, balls will be lost always

• and no one buys a ball back
Transferred Apithet

• shaking grief
(here, it is not the grief that shakes but the boy)
 Repitition
• what, what is he to do?
• Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
• Knowing what every man must one day know
and most know many days, how to stand up
• 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
 Symbolism
• Ball used a symbol of the possessions a
person may have & the childhood innocence
of the boy.
 Personification
• merrily bouncing down the street
 Anaphora
• 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 he water!
Presentation by
Neha