Who wrote ex-basketball player?
Sarah Cherry
Published Mar 19, 2026
Who wrote ex-basketball player?
John Updike
An acclaimed and award-winning writer of fiction, essays, and reviews, John Updike also wrote poetry for most of his life.
What is the poem ex-basketball player about?
John Updike’s “Ex-Basketball Player,” a poem of five stanzas each containing six lines and written in blank verse, describes the life of Flick Webb, once a high-school basketball star but now, his glorious past several years behind him, a gas-station attendant whose life appears to have reached a dead end.
Is there a rhyme scheme in ex-basketball player?
There is no rhyme scheme in this poem. Simile: “His hands were like wild birds.” This simile is comparing his hands to wild birds stating that Flick was always taking shots cause his hands were always in the air like a bird.
When did John Updike write ex-basketball player?
1954
Is Rabbit, Run a deeper exploration of themes you first dealt with in “Ex-Basketball Player?” Flick came first, in a poem written in 1954—my first “serious” poem published in The New Yorker.
What is the metaphor in ex-basketball player?
Poetic Style in “Ex-Basketball Player” The winding road leading through town is a metaphor for Flick’s own life. It turns past the high school, his glory days, and halts abruptly at the gas station where he will most likely work for the rest of his life.
Which of the following theme is in the poem ex-basketball player?
The theme of this poem is about a high school basketball star that has become less successful in the future. The theme focuses on the point that if one doesn’t work hard on their goals, they will never reach their dreams. Also, if you do not reach your goals you can end up living a disappointing life.
What is the tone of the poem ex-basketball player explain your response?
It’s a regrettable situation that makes the reader feel the speaker’s remorse. There is a forlorn reminiscence to the tone of John Updike’s poem “Ex-Basketball Player.” The poem details the adult life of a former high school basketball star named Flick Webb.
Which object in the poem ex-basketball player is not personified?
Objects like gas and oil are not personified in “Ex-Basketball Player.”
What poetic devices are used in ex-basketball player?
Throughout the poem, John Updike sneaks examples of literary devices, such as personification, diction, and imagery into his writing. He uses the literary devices to create an abstract view of Flick Webb’s life.
What are the literary devices in ex-basketball player?
The numerous literary devices in the poem include direct characterization, second-person point of view, personification, internal rhyme, alliteration, consonance, assonance, and allusion.
What is the tone of ex-basketball player?
Who is the speaker in the poem ex-basketball player?
All that the reader knows for sure is that the speaker of the poem was somebody that was able to watch Flick Webb play high school basketball.