English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question

Theme of Loss in "The Ball Poem" and "The Sermon at Benaras"

In "The Ball Poem," a young boy loses his ball in the water. The poet uses this small loss to convey a deeper truth — loss is an inevitable part of life, and one must learn to accept it. The boy's grief is real, yet it teaches him that material things cannot be retrieved, and he must take responsibility for his losses.

In "The Sermon at Benaras," Kisa Gotami loses her son and is overwhelmed with grief. The Buddha sends her to fetch mustard seeds from a house where no one has died. Through this, she realizes that death and loss visit every home — no family is untouched.

Both poems share the central idea that loss is universal and inescapable. Whether it is a child's ball or a mother's son, grief is part of the human condition, and acceptance is the only path forward.

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• Examiners look for parallel treatment of both texts — don't spend 80% on one.
• Key phrase to use: "loss is universal/inevitable" — this directly answers the theme question.
• In "Ball Poem": ball = symbol of loss; boy = learning to cope independently.
• In "Sermon at Benaras": mustard seed errand = Buddha's method to show universality of death.
• Conclude by linking both — the thematic connection earns the final mark.