The poem is titled "Ex-Basketball Player” by John Updike. This poem is about the life of a man who was once a famous basketball player in high school and now works at a gas station. During John's early years the city identified him as extraordinary, but he soon became known as "fall out". 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 a gas worker who has appeared and 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 Flick's name is a symbol of the way he shoots the ball. This poem focuses on a former basketball player who was once the town's "hero" and the consequences of his soon-to-fail athletic abilities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first verse begins with brief geographical information about Flick's 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. The Personification is found in (In.1) where Pearl Avenue is identified as the streets Flick passed on his way to school and work. The avenue is identified as a symbol because at the beginning of its life it goes strong but then reaches a barrier at a petrol station. It's almost as if John made a pit stop and never continued his journey. This symbolizes all the decisions he has made in his life. In the poem you find that John's fame and glory has been diminished because he has not been given the chance to improve or become the best he can be. Another thing to point out is that you will find Flick spending much of his time (in4) "helping his friend Berth" by working in a garage. This insinuates that Flick may have lived a solitary 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 the basketball. When Flick watches the team he is reminded of his past life in basketball. Updike describes how Flick "stands" while surrounded by "idiot pumps". In other words, Flick proves that basketball players are amateurs. Updike describes the gas pump with human characteristics by imagining what they would like if the “elbows” had no bones. In this section the tone is expressed by recalling the fact that John is not the star of the city but simply a short-lived player. John works in a garage selling gas while the high school kids live his dream. As he watches the basketball players he is reminded of what could have been in the future.