‘And no one buys a ball back.’ – Explain with reference to The Ball Poem.
Answers
Answer:
Explain the line, “And no one buys a ball back. Money is external”. Ans. This line means that no one can buy something that is lost forever.
This line is from the poem "The Ball Poem' by John Berryman. In it he describes the state of mind of a boy who has lost his ball playing. He also gives a lesson full of wisdom that through loss every man or woman learns to bear the pain associated with loss.
The poet sees a boy who is playing with a ball. The ball bounces out of his control and falls into the water. The boy becomes sad at this. The poet feels no other ball given to the boy will lessen his sadness.
The lost ball stands for the general losses a human being suffers as he grows old. The losses may be the loss of a personal possession or the death of a dear one or separation from a beloved one. Using this metaphor the poet highlights the main point of coming to terms with the losses. As long as there is life, there will be many types of losses; what each one has to learn is bearing those losses.