“The Ex Basketball Player”
In this poem “The Ex Basketball Player” by John Updike, the use of metaphors, similes, diction, and clear tone all contribute to the theme of one must move on not trying to relive the glory days. Facts about the poem are a- Where he came from, b- His days as a high school player, and c- his days now and what he does. Growing up in Pennsylvania, his early inspiration to be a writer came from watching his mother, an aspiring writer, submit her work to magazines. In an interview Updike stated, “I began as a writer of light verse, and have tried to carry over into my serious or lyric verse something of the strictness and liveliness of the lesser form.” His poetry, starting as light verse, encompasses a variety of forms and topics. He has been praised for his wit and precision, and for his ability to focus on common subjects and on places near and distant—from Shillington, Pennsylvania.
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The ball is not able to feel, but Updike uses personification to relay to the reader the connection that Flick seemed to have with basketball. Updike also personifies the Necco wafers, Nibs, and Juju beads, explaining that these candies are the "bright applauding tiers" that Flick now imagines are his fans. Updike uses a single simile in the poem. When the narrator states "His hands were like wild birds", he is comparing the speed, the agility and the freeness of Flicks hands while playing basketball to the freeness of wild birds. The style that Updike chooses for his poem is free verse. This style is a rational choice because it correlates with the modern theme and narrative tone