What, what is the boy now
who has lost his ball.
What, what is he to do.
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'.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:16 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) The repetition of "merrily" suggests that the ball bounced away cheerfully and carelessly, indifferent to the boy's loss — highlighting an ironic contrast between the ball's light movement and the boy's grief.
(ii) Before the ball falls, the mood is lively and carefree, as the ball bounces "merrily" down the street. After it falls into the water, the mood shifts to helplessness and sorrow. The repeated "What, what" reflects the boy's shock and confusion at the irreversible loss.
(iii) The poet uses the ball as a symbol of the boy's childhood.
(iv) (A) Words of consolation are inappropriate.
Source: The Ball Poem, John Berryman
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Explanation
- (i) Focus on the word "merrily" — its tone is joyful/carefree, which ironically contrasts with the boy's sadness. One line is enough for 1 mark.
- (ii) For 2 marks, examiners want a clear before vs. after contrast. Mention the carefree mood before and the grief/helplessness after. ~40 words, no padding.
- (iii) "Childhood" is correct — the ball symbolises the joys and innocence of childhood, not adventure. This is a factual recall question.
- (iv) Option A is correct. The poet's point is that no replacement can undo the emotional loss; material consolation misses the deeper meaning of what was lost.