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(b) And no one buys a ball… (Class 10 English 2024, Q7b)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 2/3/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 7(b)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 2/3/1, section C, question 7(b), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q7(b) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedThe Ball Poem

(b) And no one buys a ball back, Money is external
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes
The epistemology of loss, how to standup.

  1. (i)

    When the poet says that "no one buys a ball back", what does he refer to in the context of the poem?

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Complete the sentence with an appropriate option:
    The lines from the poem tell us that the boy is experiencing ______.

    1. (A)distress
    2. (B)terror
    3. (C)realisation
    4. (D)elation
    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    What is the significance of the term "desperate" used to describe the boy's eyes in the poem, and how does it contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem?

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    Identify and discuss the poet's use of metaphor in the poem "The Ball Poem".

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 2/3/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Ask whether money can bring back everything a person loses.

Hint 2

The boy is understanding something, not simply suffering or celebrating.

Hint 3

For (iv), think about what the ball stands for beyond a toy.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) 'No one buys a ball back' refers to the loss of irreplaceable things such as memories and relationships. Money cannot replace what is truly lost.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) (C) realisation. The boy is understanding what loss means and how to stand up after it.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) 'Desperate' shows the boy's helpless yearning to get his ball back.

    1 mark

  4. (iii) It deepens the sombre, sad and stoic mood and tone of the poem.

    1 mark

  5. (iv) The ball is a metaphor for loss. It stands for any lost possession and the emotional pain that follows, and the loss helps the boy grow and mature.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) irreplaceable loss, not fixable with money; (ii) C (realisation); (iii) desperate = helpless yearning, deepens sad, sombre tone; (iv) the ball as a metaphor for loss and growth

Where the marks are

  • Reference to irreplaceable loss (1 mark)
  • Option C realisation (1 mark)
  • Desperate shows helpless yearning (1 mark)
  • Contribution to sombre, sad tone and mood (1 mark)
  • Ball as metaphor for loss leading to growth (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: The Ball Poem (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from The Ball Poem, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 board paper, set 2/3/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.