CBSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

Detailed explanation-1: -Apostrophe-It is a literary device in which a physically absent person is addressed. The poet addresses the boy who was not physically present with him-“Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy."

Detailed explanation-2: -Metaphor in “The Ball Poem": Balls will always be lost-The poet is indicating that possessions will always be lost. The balls signify the future loss that the boy has to face with responsibility taking over in life.

Detailed explanation-3: -According to the poet, the boy is learning about responsibility from the loss of the ball. By losing the ball, the boy has also lost all the childhood memories associated with that ball. Simply buying a new ball cannot bring back these memories.

Detailed explanation-4: -Assonance: repeated use of vowel ‘o’ (boy, now, who, lost). Imagery: when poet says merrily bouncing down the street. Repetition: ‘what’ & ‘ball’ repeated. Asyndeton: no use of conjunction in a sentence (A dime, another ball, is worthless).

Detailed explanation-5: -a) The poet says that balls will be lost always. Balls here means the things which we possess and love a lotb. According to the poet, these things will not remain with us forever . One day we will lose them like the boy lost his ball .