Summary
A boy loses his ball and feels deep grief. Though the ball was inexpensive, it symbolized his youth and innocence. Through this loss, he begins to understand the nature of responsibility and emotional resilience.
Themes
- Loss and growing up
- Material vs. emotional value
- Life lessons through experience
Vocabulary
- Epistemology – study of knowledge
- Grief – deep sorrow
- Desperate – feeling hopeless
Comprehension Questions with Answers
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Why does the poet say, “I would not intrude on him”?
The poet respects the boy’s moment of loss and realization. He knows this is a personal learning moment.
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Do you think the boy had the ball for a long time?
Yes. The line “All his young days into the harbour” shows that the ball represents his childhood memories.
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What does “in the world of possessions” mean?
It refers to the material world where people own things and feel sorrow when they lose them.
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Do you think the boy has lost anything earlier?
Probably not. The intensity of his grief suggests this might be his first real experience of loss.
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What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball?
He is learning the harsh truth of life - that things are lost, and we must accept and move on. This is part of growing up.
