The Ex Basketball Player by John Updike Essay - 597 Words

The Ex Basketball Player by John Updike A Loss of Motivation In English Seven we read a poem called the Ex Basketball Player by John Updike. The main characters name was Flick Webb. The poem explains how Flick lost motivation. In high school Flick was an excellent basketball player, if not, the best. After high school Flick didnt continue his basketball skills, and he never had tried as hard on his academics as he did on basketball. Flick now works at Berths Garage and has a dead end life. I think that Flick gave up because he didnt want to work at something that didnt come easily, such as academics. I enjoyed this poem because it makes you think, I will now tell of a time when I lost motivation. In fourth†¦show more content†¦I am not as flexible as I once was. I cant do the splits which was my ultimate goal. I can still do some of the tricks. Form my decision I learned not to give up so easily. LOSING MOTIVATION Two weeks ago our seventh grade English teacher gave out class a poem to read called Ex- Basketball Player by John Updike. The poem was about a young man named Flick Webb who played basketball in high school and was very good. After Flick finished high school, he lost motivation and quit playing. Instead of using his talents to get a good career he ended up working at Berths Garage. I think Flick quit playing because he did poorly in school sense he spend most of his time p laying basketball. At this point I would like to share my story of how I lost motivation and quit what I learned from my experience. I was in the third grade and my friends convinced me to join Girl Scouts. I thought it was fun for a while, but then it got boring and I lost motivation. In a couple of months I started to dread going to the meetings so I talked with my mom about it. I told her I didnt think it was fun anymore because I lost interest in the things we talked about and did. There were some good things about it, like spending time with my friends and learning things about myself. However, I figured I could do those things at school. My mom had told me I could quit if I wanted to, so I did. At first I thought it was good that I quit, and I was happy. Later though IShow MoreRelatedEx-Basketball Player by John Updike Essay1044 Words   |  5 Pagesof 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 â€Å"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 neverRead MoreJohn Updikes Poem Ex-Basketball Player1225 Words   |  5 Pages Ex-Basketball Player Most everyone has had an extraordinary dream; for some, it is to be a movie star or to be on a professional sports team. Nevertheless, while great goals they are, they are not likely. For example, about 1 and 70,000 people become a major movie star (study.com). Additionally, the likelihood of entering the NBA from high school is 3 and 100,000 (ehow.com). Therefore, the great majority are obligated to find something else to pursue. As a result of peoples dreamsRead MoreAn Acclaimed And Award-Winning Writer Of Fiction, Essays,1141 Words   |  5 Pagesessays, and reviews, John Updike also wrote poetry for most of his life. Born and raised in Shillington, Pennsylvania in 1932-died on January 27, 2009. Luckily, he was accepted to Harvard College and graduated in 1954. This is what turned his life around. After school was done, he worked for a few years on the staff of The New Yorker. When his writing abilities were finally noticed, he got the idea to start writing poetry and short stori es. One poem he wrote was â€Å"Ex basketball player† its about an excellentRead MoreAn Analysis Of John Updikes Ex Basketball Player1216 Words   |  5 Pagesabout 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, â€Å"Ex Basketball Player†. The poems persona, FlickRead MoreStar Basketball Player By John Updike1026 Words   |  5 PagesIn the poem Ex-Basketball Player, John Updike recounts the timeline of a once great basketball player named Flick Webb. The journey starts with a description of Flick’s hometown, then shares details about his current job, next it reflects on his high school basketball success, and finishes with his habits outside of work. In the first stanza, the poet is describing the town where Flick lives. Updike references trolley tracks which would imply an early 20th century setting. He also calls out the nameRead MoreDownfall Of A Star By John Updike965 Words   |  4 PagesDownfall Of A Star In John Updike’s poem, â€Å"Ex-Basketball Player,† Updike, an American novelist and poet born in 1932, best known for his â€Å"Rabbit† series, tells the story of an American tragedy when he describes the life of Flick Webb, a once high-school basketball star turned gas attendant. This poem is narrated by an unknown voice, but sounds like a local who knew of Webb’s significance in high school. Webb went from a successful high-school basketball star to a gas station attendant. Updike’sRead More Ex – Basketball Player Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesIn the poem, â€Å"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 p otentially a mirror for other people. This poem is formally organized, even though it locks some qualities, it still haves theRead MoreLiterary Review of Rabbit Run by John Updike Essays3013 Words   |  13 PagesLiterary Review of Rabbit Run by John Updike John Updikes novel, Rabbit, Run, is about a man named Harry â€Å"Rabbit† Angstrom. Rabbit is a brainless guy whose career as a high school basketball star peaked at age 18. In his wifes view, he was, before their early, hasty marriage, already drifting downhill. We meet him for the first time in this novel, when he is 22, and a salesman in the local department store. Married to the second best sweetheart of his high school years, he is the father