John Updike's Poem Ex-Basketball Player

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.

In this paper we are looking at the poem “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike and; looking at these questions relating to the poem does the poem's speaker pity or admire Flick? Are readers meant to pity or admire Flick?

Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, and when he was still a toddler, his parents moved to Wilmington, North Carolina.

What really defines a dreamer? Is it the children who have unrealistic dreams of playing in the big leagues or is it someone who has a plan and will go out of his or her way to achieve it? Both of these options can be true. Dreamers are special in this world because they have hope for something they believe in. Nothing is more fascinating than seeing an individual who never gave up and worked extremely hard to reach their goal. Having read only three sections so far, I have explored the individual’s purpose and passion for the work they pursue. The “Dreamers” section has made me analyze what I have and want with my future career. Overall, the elements of the book defining dreamers explains the meaning of a risk taker, the hard work and dedication involved, and the passion it takes to reach your goals.

Many people do not have the chance to live out their dream; a sundry amount have to settle for more attainable goals. Future presidents became dentists and rock stars turn into nurses. There is a limited population who can walk up every morning completely satisfied with their life path; McTeague is one of the lucky few. He is a man who took the remnants of his deceased mother’s wealth and pursued his dream. Some might fantasize of bigger homes or fancier cars, but McTeague dreamed of a little dental parlor. His dream of starting up a business can seem rather small, but McTeague is content with his one shop. The narrator however disapproves of McTeague’s ambitions and belittles the protagonist through choice of structure and condescending

Author Kris Vervaecke wrote an essay titled, "A Spectator's Notebook," for Writers in Sports. She talked about sports and how they affect different generations. Vervaecke supports her claim by showing how much she loves sports and by using her children as examples throughout the essay. Her son, Ben, represents strength, determination, and talent because of how successful he was in golf, and before he leaves for college he puts in Michael Jordan’s Air Time, that united Ben and Vervaecke. On the other hand, Vervaecke’s daughter, Emily, is a bench-warmer and was told she is only smart not athletic, so she was “benched” in the classroom. She then talks about her other son, Andrew, and describes him as the true athlete of the family because of how much people liked him. Vervaecke’s purpose is to show that sports are not just about something fun to do or watch, but can have a motivational impact that can affect someone's emotions, and she does this by developing an influential tone.  Although Vervaecke mainly talks about her experiences and her childrens throughout the essay, her experiences apply to many students across the country. Many student-athletes are very successful in their futures because of what sports have taught them. Students should be involved in sports because student-athletes learn responsibility, how to manage their time, and take care of their psychological

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,

By contrasting a player’s ardent exuberance for basketball with his xxx disappointment in the poem “American Hero,” Essex Hemphill reveals the athlete’s conflict between his enthusiasm for the game and his resentment toward his superficial fans. For instance, the author emphasizes the player’s fervent frame of mind, “[having] nothing to lose... / I let the tension go. / Shoot for the net. / I slam it through...” (Hemphill 1, 8-9, 11-12). Hemphill illustrates the competitor’s energetic passion for basketball by describing his game-winning skills and slick athleticism. In contrast, the poet depicts the player’s resentfulness toward the cheering mass as he muses “I scored / thirty-two points this game / and they love me for it” (13-15). Despite

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

Aspirations of success often drive individuals toward success. However if one only focuses on their dreams and not on working to achieve their goals, they will not be successful. Charles Dickens and John Steinbeck in their respective novels Great Expectations and Of Mice and Men, use their main characters failures in manifesting their aspirations to warn about the dangers of aspiring about the future and not focusing on success in the present.

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

A.E. Housman was a poet born in 1859 who became very successful during his lifetime. “To an Athlete Dying Young” represents the theme of glory is fleeting by illustrating the point that if a successful athlete dies young, they will not have to worry about their glory of victory fading. They can rest in peace knowing they will be remembered at their athletic peak when they were successful and victorious. They will not have to go through the pain of watching their fame disappear or whither out with time. In this poetic masterpiece, Housman pulls together figurative language, sound devices, and structure to illustrate that glory is fleeting through a

“Think of a time when you were presented with an opportunity and took full advantage of it, wasted an opportunity you were given, or were denied an opportunity you should have had. How did this experience make you feel?” Sometime midway in July, I was given an opportunity to attend a basketball camp in Florida. Attending this camp and performing at a high level would really give me a boost this upcoming season. Studies show your; comprehensive skills, defensive tactics, and basketball IQ may potentially have major change.

If there was one word to describe me in middle school it was “tomboy.” Although I was in dance class and cheered for my school, I loved playing sports. I enjoyed getting rough and rowdy in the backyard with my brother and being the only girl in the neighborhood that the boys let on their team during pick-up games. However, my girlfriends would often comment, “Emily, you’ll never be cool by playing sports,” and “Beating the boys will never make you popular or get you a boyfriend.” At the time their comments didn’t matter. It was what I enjoyed doing.

The Castle Knights 2017 boys soccer team had a group dream to win regionals. They became determined during practice to improve one another and pursue their dream with hard work. By working hard and going the extra mile the team surpassed its goal and made it to the State Final and was awarded State Runner-up. They overcame the odds by pure hard-work and possibly a little luck in the Semi-State game where they won with 7.8 seconds remaining. This applies to examples of the American Dream in the literature world. In many works of literature the American Dream is shown to still be possible through hard-work, determination, and the occasional luck.