The Ball: Analysis, Central Idea, and Theme: 2022

The Ball: Analysis

This poem can be interpreted both literally and metaphorically. If taken literally, it is a soulful picture of a little boy growing up and learning to deal with the loss of the first thing he has ever held dear. If taken metaphorically, it is the story of mankind learning to deal with the loss of their loved ones. The ball is a metaphor for everything that we think is irreplaceable in our lives. Obviously, anything irreplaceable is precious to us, and it is our responsibility to take care of those things. People taking away one’s ball or one’s ball getting lost is a metaphor for death. What is most precious to us is a person whom we love dearly. Hence, we always try to take care of them. But sooner or later, every man must die, for man is a mortal creature. We can do nothing to stop this process, and hence it is something we must learn to deal with. The loss of a loved one can spell a period of intense grief and depression for some of us. However, just like the little boy is brought back to his senses by the sound of the whistle, we must overcome our grief and keep living. The poet’s message is that life goes on despite the death of our loved ones.

The Ball: Annotations

Please note: N= noun, V=verb, Adj=Adjective, Adv=Adverb, P=Preposition
Merrily (Adv): In a cheerful way
Bouncing (V): Present participle form of the word “bounce,” that is, (with reference to an object, especially a ball) to move quickly up, back, or away from a surface after hitting it.
Ultimate (Adj): Being or happening at the end of a process; final
Grief (N): Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death
Fixes (V): Third person present tense of the word “fix,” that is, to be directed steadily or unwaveringly towards
Rigid (Adj): (Of a person or part of their body) stiff and unmoving, especially as a result of shock or fear
Trembling (V): Present participle form of the word “tremble,” that is, to shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or frailty
Harbour (N): A place on the coast where ships may moor in a shelter, especially one protected from rough water by piers, jetties, and other artificial structures
Intrude (V): Put oneself deliberately into a place or situation where one is unwelcome or uninvited
Dime (N): A ten-cent coin
Responsibility (N): The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone
Possessions (N): Plural form of the word “possession,” that is, something that is owned or possessed
External (Adj): Coming or derived from a source outside the subject affected
Desperate (Adj): Feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with
Epistemology (N): The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion
Whistle (N): An instrument used to produce a shrill, high-pitched sound, especially for giving a signal
Explore (V): Travel through (an unfamiliar area) in order to learn about it
Floor (N): The bottom of the sea, a cave, or an area of land
Suffer (V): Experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant)
Move (V): Arouse a strong feeling, especially of sorrow or sympathy, in (someone)

The Ball: Poetic Devices

Rhyme scheme:
The poet does not follow any identifiable rhyme scheme in this poem.
Rhetorical devices:
Metaphor:
This rhetorical device is used when a covert comparison is made between two different things or ideas. In this poem, the poet uses the device of metaphor in the 8th line when he compares the boy’s young days or childhood with the lost ball.
Apostrophe:
This rhetorical device is used when a poet addresses their poem to an absent audience. In this poem, the poet uses the device of an apostrophe in the 13th line as he directly speaks to the little boy and tells him that balls are always liable to get lost, but we never see the boy responding to him.
Transferred epithet:
This rhetorical device is used when emotion is attributed to a non-living thing after being displaced from a person, most often the poet. In this poem, the poet uses the device of the transferred epithet in the 15th line when he writes the phrase “desperate eyes.” It is not that the boy’s eyes are sad, but that the boy himself is sad and that his eyes are expressing that emotion on his face.

The Ball: Central Idea

The poet watches a young boy playing with his ball. The next minute, his ball rolls away from him and falls into the water of the harbor. As the boy watches his ball disappear, he can also feel his childhood slip away from him. He feels himself growing up very fast as he learns that loss is a part of everyday life and that life goes on despite it. The sight of the sad little boy pains the poet, but he knows that growing up is an unavoidable process.

The Ball: Theme

Loss of innocence:
For the little boy in this poem, his ball is the first thing he has ever held dear. However, he has never even considered the possibility that he might one day lose his ball. It is only when he realizes that it is his responsibility to keep the ball safe that he has failed. The boy quickly realizes that everything he will ever own will be his responsibility. He also realizes that things will get lost from time to time, and money cannot replace them. As he is learning these lessons, he is growing up. He will never again be as innocent as he was before the loss of his ball. He will never be naive enough not to feel the pressure of his responsibilities. This is an excruciating thing for the poet to watch.
Loss of a loved one:
This poem has a surface meaning as well as a deeper meaning. If we read between the lines, we will see that the ball symbolizes our family or friends whom we love, and the loss of the ball symbolizes their death. As we grow older, we will become more and more accustomed to seeing our loved ones die. We will learn how to deal with such a loss and move on from it as well. Death may grieve us or cause us to feel depressed, but sooner or later, we must overcome those feelings and start living our normal lives again.

The Ball: Tone

The tone of this poem is very somber and sad. The way in which the poet describes the boy’s feelings upon losing the ball makes us feel great sympathy for the boy. Even more than that, we can all relate to the experience that the boy is going through. That is perhaps why the poem does not overly depress us. We can also feel the boy’s resignation since death is not something that any man can escape.

“The Ball Poem” is very relatable. That is why we cannot help but be touched by the story that the poet tells us. Everything the boy is going through, we have all been through. What is unique about the poem is its symbolism. A thing as simple as a ball can signify everything that we human beings hold dearly is amazing. How the poet describes every minute expression on the boy’s face also gives us the feeling that he himself had been in the boy’s position at one time and that he is writing from his own experience. It also makes us feel that the poet can see directly into the human heart and read it every beat accurately. A poet who can arouse such empathy is a poet of much skill, and this is what we feel about John Berryman after reading this poem.

You can also refer to the summary of The Ball.

You can also check out the summary of Crossing the Bar here.
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