Question

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) The poet uses the ball as a symbol of the boy’s
(a) sense of adventure.
(b) carefree childhood days.
(c) ability to bounce back.
(d) extended family.

(ii) The poet feels that there is no point consoling the boy as
(a) it would give him false hope.
(b) he might demand for a new ball.
(c) it might distress him further.
(d) whatever he has lost is irretrievable.

(iii) The word ‘harbour’ DOES NOT have a meaning similar to
(a) port.
(b) pier.
(c) dock.
(d) cargo.

(iv) ‘Merrily over — there it is in the water!’ The dash here is meant to convey
(a) some familiar experience.
(b) a feeling of excitement.
(c) a sense of unexpected interruption.
(d) some thoughtful moments.

(v) The word that DOES NOT indicate a physical manifestation of sorrow in the boy, is
(a) worthless.
(b) shaking.
(c) trembling.
(d) rigid. ​

Answer 1

Answer

(i) (b) carefree childhood days.

(ii) (d) whatever he has lost is irretrievable.

(iii) (c) dock

(iv) (d) some thoughtful moments.

(v) (a) worthless

Answer 2

The correct answers are-:

(i) (b) carefree childhood days

• The poet John Berryman of the poem "The Ball Poem" used the ball as a symbol indicating the carefree childhood days of that child. He used to play with his ball until it got slipped from his hands and went into the water. The poet is trying to portray that just like the ball, one day all our belongings and loved ones shall slip off our hands and we need to tackle and cope with it.

(ii) (d) whatever he has lost is irretrievable

• The poet has said that he might have consoled that boy but he wanted to make the boy understand to start taking up responsibilities. What is lost cannot be achieved again and one must give up their materialistic nature to live life. The childhood phase comes only once in a person's life and it cannot be lived again.

(iii) (d) cargo

• The word has similar meanings to port, dock and pier and not cargo as the harbour is a sort of a place wherein ships are tied up on the coast.

(iv) (c) a sense of unexpected interruption

• It is a sense of interruption which was unexpected as the boy was playing with the ball happily and then suddenly it slipped off his hands and it went into the water and he lost his ball all of a sudden.

(v) worthless

• The words shaking, trembling and rigid indicate that the boy was going through grief and sorrow regarding the loss of his ball and here worthless is of no such indication.

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