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Thinking about the Poem

Q1. Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”? Why doesn’t he offer him money to buy another ball?
Answer: The poet does not want to intrude on the boy because he wants him to learn to deal with the loss on his own. He doesn’t offer him money because another ball would be worthless. The boy needs to learn the meaning of loss, and a new ball won’t help him learn that lesson.

Q2. “… staring down/All his young days into the harbour where/His ball went …” Do you think the boy has had the ball for a long time? Is it linked to the memories of days when he played with it?
Answer: Yes, the line suggests that the boy has had the ball for a long time. The ball is linked to the memories of his childhood and the happy days he spent playing with it. The loss of the ball is not just the loss of a toy, but the loss of his childhood memories.

Q3. What does “in the world of possessions” mean?
Answer: “In the world of possessions” means that the world is full of material things that people can buy and own. The poet is saying that people will always lose things, but they must learn to stand up to the loss and move on, because money is external and can’t buy back feelings or memories.

Q4. Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier? Pick out the words that suggest the answer.
Answer: The line “He senses first responsibility” suggests that this is the first time the boy has experienced such a deep sense of loss.

Q5. What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.
Answer: The poet says the boy is learning “the epistemology of loss”, which means he is learning what it means to lose something and how to stand up to that loss. He is realizing that some things in life are irreplaceable, and he must learn to cope with sadness and move on.

Q6. Have you ever lost something you liked very much? Write a paragraph describing how you felt then, and saying whether and how you got over your loss.
Answer: (Sample response)
Yes, once I lost a wristwatch that had been gifted to me on my birthday. At first, I felt very sad and even blamed myself for being careless. It was not just a watch but a memory of a special occasion. Slowly, I realized that holding on to the memory was more important than holding on to the object. With time, I got over the loss by treasuring the feelings associated with the gift rather than the watch itself.