Q1. [5]
In a world of possessions. People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up.
Read the following extract and answer the questions:
- (i) Fill in the blank with one word.
In a world of possessions, people will take balls, Balls will be lost ______. [1]
- (ii) The poet says that money is external. What inference can be drawn from this statement? Answer in about 40 words. [2]
- (iii) What is the poet's attitude towards material possessions? [1]
- A indifferent
- B emotional
- C casual
- D respectful
- (iv) What does the phrase 'epistemology of loss' mean in the context of the poem? [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2024 2/5/1 Q7(a)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:17 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) always
(ii) The poet means that money cannot replace emotional attachments. A new ball can be bought with money, but it cannot replace the one that was lost. Loss is deeply personal and emotional, and material wealth is unable to heal that inner pain.
(iii) B — emotional
(iv) 'Epistemology of loss' means the understanding or knowledge of loss — learning how to accept and cope with losing something precious, a lesson every person must face at some point in life.
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Explanation
- (i) It is a direct lift from the extract: "Balls will be lost always."
- (ii) For 2 marks, examiners expect two clear points: (a) money is only external/material, and (b) it cannot replace emotional or personal loss.
- (iii) The poet is personally invested and emotionally engaged with the boy's pain — option B is correct. 'Indifferent' or 'casual' would contradict the poem's tone.
- (iv) 'Epistemology' means the theory/study of knowledge. In context, it refers to understanding/learning the hard truth about loss — keep this explanation brief and contextual for 1 mark.
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