Ex Basketball Player By John Updike Analysis

The poem I am analyzing is “Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike. Mr. Updike was born the 18th of March in 1932. He was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic. He is one out of three authors who has won the Pulitzer Prize. He was well known for his craftsmanship, unique prose style, and prolificacy. Updike described his style as an attempt “ to give the mundane its beautiful due. His writing was influenced by frequently personal turmoil he experienced. In the poem “Ex-Basketball player” by John Updike, the use of a variety of literary devices, diction, and tone all contribute to the theme of you must put in work to succeed at what you want to achieve. Literary devices is one thing that helps creates a poem. For example, these devices could be imagery, personification, metaphors, and other devices. In the poem “Ex- Basketball player”, the poet John Updike uses personification in line 16. It says, The ball loved Flick.The ball is given a human quality which is love. In line 16 it also tells have skillful he was with the ball. Updike
In the poem “Ex- Basketball Player”, Updike uses words to show the achievements of Flick. Words such as, “rack up, “a county recored still” , and “bucketed”. He also uses words to show how skillful he was with the ball. In stanza 3 , Updike uses the words “good”, “best”, “loved”,and ”three hundred ninety-six points”.Updike also shows that Flick is no longer a former basketball player and lacks importance . He also uses the words “he sells gas”, “he hangs”, “off work”. He uses the words to show past tense in the poem. These words includes, once, was, were, and loved. They emphasizes how Flick transitioned to being successful to falling apart not continuously following his dream.These diction words creates the theme as well and can bring