Analysis Of Ex Basketball Player By John Updike

Updike’s poem, “Ex-Basketball”, is a poem that remembers the heyday of Flick, while at the same time illustrating a descriptive picture for the reader. He commences with a description of a journey down a street that could represent Flick’s life; full of turns and promises but dead ends because of a lack of training. Moreover, John Updike composes this poem with figurative language, correct diction, and imagination using valuable elements to create an excellent effect on the tone and meaning of this poetic style poem. I could say that the theme of “Ex-basketball” focuses on the fact that if one does not work hard on achieving their goals, they will not succeed in reaching their dream. In fact, the outcome of not reaching your goals can lead to frustration and disappointment in life. Evidently, Flick shows a reflection of people who once were successful in sports when he was in high school, but has drastically different future than one might think.

The poem begins with using “melodies” as an image. In the first phrase, “Like melodies draw it to me softly through the mind,” the word “melodies” seems to be symbolic of thoughts or memories. These melodies are like a tune that you cannot get out of your head, a memory that he is unable to forget.

Everyone has had an extraordinary dream. For some it is to be a movie star or to be in a professional sports team. However, while great goals they are, they are not likely. About 1 and 70,000 people make it to be a major movie star (study.com). Also the likelihood of getting into the NBA from high school is 3 and 100,000. The great majority have to find something else to pursue and get good at. Since people's dreams are usually so out of reach, it is hard for them to succeed with their goal. John Updike is seen using personification many times in Ex Basketball Player. In the poem, the main character is described with numerous examples of personification. With it, the description shows great characterization of the main character, Flick Webb

In the poem Ex-basketball Player, by John Updike, Flick Webb, a man who use to be a star basketball player, lets his talents go to waste as he now leads an unhappy life as a gas station attendant. John Updike uses a critical tone to emphasize that the present excels the importance of the past.

The poem tells the story of the life of the former high school basketball standout, Flick Webb and his fall from grace and fame. The speaker takes us on a journey through Flick’s life, beginning with the main street in town, developing to Flick’s fall from fame to his lowly job, and then ends by telling us of his menial daily habits. He was once the best basketball player in his area. However, he has since his fall from grace he is now just a lowly gas attendant who checks oil, and changes flat tires for a living.

The organization of the poem is interesting. Each line is either an incomplete sentence or it finishes a sentence. The stanzas are each about three or four lines long which contain some arduous words. An example is the word “weir”. Lowell writes, “...the sea lapped/ the raw little match-stick/ mazes of a weir” (ll. 9-11). After research on it, the word means, a fence or enclosure set in a waterway for taking fish (Merriam Webster). This word is important to know because of the imagery it represents. The raw little match-sticks mean that it’s burnt out and so is their love for eachother. The weir is where the rock would be next to. They’d see the fish being trapped. This shows how the speaker the was fish. They were emotionally trapped in the town and the relationship.

Hoop Dreams was a documentary made in 1994, directed by Steve James. The film follows two boys named Arthur and William from eight to twelfth grade as they chase their dream of becoming professional basketball players. They both go to Saint Joseph’s High School, the prestige suburban school famous for their basketball team. But when Arthur has to go to a regular public high school because of economic issues, the film becomes a documentation of both the boys, with the help of their families, battling the physical and social obstacles that are blocking their path.

There are over 5,000 different types of sports. Basketball, a popular and world renowned athletic is a subculture Paul cuffee student Ramses cruz is part of. Especially now when the season is just beginning and being part of the Junior Varsity team is his main focus.

Remember that boy in high school that was the star of the basketball team? He still holds most of the records for the team. He scored more points than anyone else in the school’s history. He never studied much because he was an athlete. His basketball skills were going to take him places. But high school ended and there are no more games to be played. Where is that former all-star now? In his poem “Ex-Basketball Player,” John Updike examines the life of a former high school basketball star. Flick Webb was a local hero, and he loved basketball. He never studied much in school or learned a trade because he was a talented athlete. Now years later, the only job Flick can find is working at the local gas station. He used to be a star, but now

I can't do the splits which was my ultimate goal. I can still do some

Most everyone has had an extraordinary dream; for some, it is to be a movie star or to be on a professional sports team. Nevertheless, while great goals they are, they are not likely. For example, about 1 in 70,000 people become a major movie star (study.com). Entering the NBA from high school (Gerund) has a likelihood of 3 in 100,000 (ehow.com). Therefore, the great majority are obligated to find something else to pursue. As a result of people's dreams being so out of reach, it is difficult for them to succeed with their goals (infinitive). Because this scenario is so common, it is often the central conflict in movies or literature. For example, this problem occurs for the persona Flick Webb in John Updike’s poem “Ex-Basketball Player”. Consequently, Flick, the main character in the poem (Appositive), is one from the great majority that did not make it in pursuing basketball. In high school, Flick was an extraordinary basketball player. In fact, he was so good that he set high school records for points scored. Now after he is out of high school (Preposition), Flick has nothing. Relying on basketball in high school, (Participle) he never learned a trade in the real world to use.. He sits in the same town, but now he is ignored, as a gas station employee. As John Updike characterizes Flick, in the story of his high school fame (Preposition)to modern day gloom, he realistically develops the characterization of Flick. John Updike uses personification

John Updike’s Ex Basketball Player highlights Flick having nothing to fall back upon by demonstrating his failures in life. “Flick stands tall among the idiot pumps,” John writes, portraying how Flick never really desired to learn. The quote symbolizes how Flick was the one to stand out among the crowd but never really attempted to make himself better. The fact that Flick was supposed to stand out emphasized how Flick was supposed to “make it in life”. “He never really learned a trade, he just sells gas.” Flick made it out to work at a gas station, but he is not actually living a good life. Working at a gas station is not at the top of the list of future jobs for someone. “Flick seldom says a word to Mae, just nods.” John wrote this sentence

In the first stanza(,) rhyme is used to point out the emotional state of the speakers outlook,

Most everyone has had an extraordinary dream; for some, it is to be a movie star or to be on a professional sports team. Nevertheless, while great goals they are, they are not likely. For example, about 1 and 70,000 people become a major movie star (study.com). Additionally, the likelihood of entering the NBA from high school is 3 and 100,000 (ehow.com). Therefore, the great majority are obligated to find something else to pursue. As a result of people's dreams being so out of reach, it is difficult for them to succeed with their goals (infinitive). Because this scenario is so common, it is often the central conflict in movies or literature. For example, this problem occurs for the persona Flick Webb

Stanza 4 is the crossroads in the poem. It essentially says, even though he was a great basketball player it took him nowhere in life. Instead of being productive and earning money by going to school, he has not used his resources and is stuck with a low paying job at Berth’s Garage changing tires. The metaphor that is very important in this stanza is “As a