Ex Basketball Player

It is Daisy's view on parenting that causes her to turn to Cal as a tutor for Donny in the hopes that he has all the answers. At Cal's house, Donny and the other teenagers are drawn to the the basketball court. Basketballs are a reoccurring symbol throughout the story. The narrator states, “Spring came, and the students who hung around at Cal's drifted out to the basketball net above the garage” (Tyler 192). Spring often represents new life and youth. The narrator continues, “They'd find him there with the othersspiky and excited, jittering on his toes beneath the backboard” (Tyler 192). Donny is “jittering” and “excited” while playing basketball during the spring. Hence, the basketball symbolizes happiness during Donny's youth. A basketball is mentioned again at the end of the story: “It's something fleet and round, a balla basketball. It flies up, it sinks through the hoop, descends, lands in a yard

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.

In the poem, “Ex – Basketball Player” by john Updike, (which is a narrative poem) illustrates the nature of life on how life is potentially is seen has a mirror to other people’s life, especially people who play sports. Life is the physical and mental experience of an individual. An in the poem the main character Flick, supply the poem with a good example of how life is potentially a mirror for other people. This poem is formally organized, even though it locks some qualities, it still haves the qualifications of a good poem. The “Ex Basket Player” is an interested poem because it has a good theme, tone and lots of figurative languages.

The poem begins with an extended metaphor comparing “Pearl Avenue” and Flick’s career as a basketball player. Pearl Avenue “bends with the trolley track, and stops, cut off / Before it has a change to go two blocks” (2-3). Pearl Avenue implies fresh and cleanliness relating to Flick’s days as a star high school basketball player. When Pearl Avenue comes to a sudden end, it connotes to the sudden and rather unpleasant end of Flick’s career. Flick’s seemingly

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.

Have you ever wondered who truly was the greatest NBA player of all time was? There are very many players that could be selected for this title. Some names that you would be likely to see when discussing this topic are: Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan (Top 10 Players in NBA History). Most people can recognize most of these names but one of these people may be the most well known people in all of sports. The reason for this is because he is you doubtfully the best person to every play the game of basketball. This man is Michael Jordan and he was the greatest player to ever be apart of the NBA because of his accomplishments in basketball, his impact on

The use of imagery to depict a Golden Age is evident in John Updike’s poem “Ex-Basketball Player.” This piece of poetry tells the story of a man named Flick Webb, who works at a garage pumping gas and repairing cars. As the poem continues, we learn that Flick once was an incredible basketball player; he holds the county record for points in a season. However, after high school, he never continued with his abilities, and never studied another trade. There is one stanza of the piece—the third stanza—that focuses on Webb’s ball-playing days. Updike describes his incredible abilities with beautiful language, comparing Flick’s hands to “wild birds” in the sense that they were delicate yet impressively skilled; as the poet describes them later on,

According to the NCAA, only about 0.03% of high school basketball players get drafted out by an NBA team. 0.03% is such a little percentage that it is the same chance of someone getting four of a kind in a first round of poker (www.norwichcsd.org/Downloads/ ProSportsOdds.doc). With this striking percentage it is amazing to think so many young players hope to make it to the pros. In the end, regret and defeat are much too common, a theme that John Updike features in his poem, “Ex Basketball Player”. The poem's persona, Flick Webb, was surely not one of those lucky 0.03%. Flick Webb was the star basketball player at his high school. Now older, he works at a gas station, sometimes reliving his old dream by gloomily bouncing a tire by himself.

Next, by an athlete staying and completing their education teaches the athlete maturity levels and raises maturity levels of an athlete. By staying in college an athlete can grow, develop, and mature throughout the course of their years in college. The athletes brain is more developed. The athlete has a more mature, developed mindset that benefits the athlete by allowing them to see game plans in a different perspective and allows the athlete to face challenges with a clearer mind, because college has equipped them with more experience in tough situations. For example, Michael Jordan, also known as MJ, received a full athletic scholarship to North Carolina University in 1981. Jordan played for the North Carolina Tar Heels for 3 years. Although Jordan was drafted in the 1984 NBA draft, he was only a junior in college.

In "Ballplayer" by Evie Shockley and "Spelling Bee" by Laurence Chambers Chinn, both competitors are affected by the presence of an audience. In "Ballplayer", by Evie Shockley watches his friend play basketball. The player played his best because he knows that his friend is watching. He also value the presence of his friend because he "slap his[my] palm and beam"(31) and "receive the grin i gave you like a trophy"(32). In Spelling Bee, Ellen tried to lose because she didn't want "to go to Washington"(15) without her mother. She tried to lose the first round but she replied the homonym word instead causing her to advance. When there was 3 contestant left over, Ellen saw that her mother has come watch her which made her want to win and go to

In the second stanza, Updike uses personification to compare the gas station and basketball. He describes Flick as tall man, which implies he had the physique to be a good basketball player. However in the same line he uses the phrase “idiot pumps” (7), implying Flick has the physical abilities but not the intelligence to be successful in the real world. The only players Flick competes with now days are the five “old bubble-head style” (8) gas pumps at the station. The number five is used here to represent the five players on a basketball team. The pumps take on a human form. They are described as having “rubber elbows hanging loose and low” (9). The letters on the front of the pump form the faces of these make believe players. Updike compares the gas station and basketball to emphasize the change in Flick’s life. Flick used to be a star on the basketball court, but now he works alone. He sees his past in everything around him including the imaginary gas pump players.

The career of being a NBA basketball player in the 80’s and 2000’s. It was a lot different back in the day, the fouls were different, the uniforms, and courts. Todays game is less physical than it was in 1980.

In “Knoxville, Tennessee” she uses a theme of summer along with imagery which allows her to give us a clear picture or short movie in our heads.We read the words she writes but we can see them as well, we can imagine being there ourselves and relate to her experience. We may not see exactly what she did but we use our own images to form a story. She uses basic words and phrases that most people can

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 contrast to the imagery used by Housman, Updike stresses the athlete’s fading glory as the athlete has lived past his triumphant days. As “To An Athlete Dying Young” begins the poem through the imagery that shows the athlete’s success and his gain of honor, whereas “Ex-Basketball Player” indicates that the athlete’s life is no longer filled with glory. The road leading to the place where he works shares with the readers how meaningless and empty the athlete’s life has become as the road “runs past the high-school lot, bends with the trolley tracks, and stops, cut off” (2). Flick, the subject of the poem, has had his years of glory when he played for his high school since he had the skills and talent to break records. He had extra talent that made him become one with the basketball and handle it like no one else could as “his hands were like wild birds” (18). Although Flick had his glorious years, unlike the athlete in “To An Athlete Dying Young” Flick’s glory does not last because he now “checks oil, and changes flats” (20). “To An Athlete Dying Young” emphasizes that it is better