The poem is titled "Ex-basketball player" by John Updike. This poem is about the life of a man who was once a popular high school basketball player and who now works at a gas station During John's early years, the town identified him as amazing, but quickly became known as a "spinoff" although John's past life was filled with fame. and glory, he is no longer the same man he was in high school He is currently an appeared gas station attendant who seems to have reached a lost point in his life. The speaker of the poem is identified as a fan of Flick Webb. One thing to point out is that Flicks' name is a symbol of how he shoots the ball. This poem focuses on a former basketball player who was once the town's "hero" and the consequences of his failure. athletic abilities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The first stanza begins with brief geographic information regarding Flicks' hometown. Although Flick's hometown is never discovered in the poem, it is assumed that he lived in a small town. The speaker gives a brief description of where Flick worked and attended school. Personification is found in (In.1) where Pearl Avenue is identified as the streets that Flick would pass through on his way to school and work. The Avenue is identified as a symbol because early in his life he goes strong but later hits a cutoff at a gas station. It's almost as if John made a pit stop and never seemed to continue his journey. This symbolizes all the decisions he has made in his life. In the poem, you discover that John's fame and glory were cut short because he was not given the chance to improve himself or become the best he can be. Another thing to point out is that Flick spends a lot of his time (in 4) "helping his friend Berth" work in a garage. This insinuates that Flick may have lived a lonely life with very few friends. The second stanza of the poem begins (In. 7) where Updike explains the comparison of how Flick works in the same place as basketball. When Flick watches the team, he remembers his past life as a basketball player. Updike describes how the film "stands up straight" despite being surrounded by "silly pomp." In other words, Flick illustrates that basketball players are amateurs. Updike describes whether the gas pump has human characteristics by imagining what they would like if the "elbows" had no bones. In this section, the tone is expressed by reminding you of the fact that John is not the star of the town but simply a fleeting player. John works in a garage selling gasoline while the high school students live his dream. By watching basketball players, he remembers what he could have been in the future..