In the poem “Ex – Basketball Player” by John Updike, (which is a narrative poem) he illustrates the nature of life and how life is potentially seen as a mirror to that of other people's lives, especially people who play sports. Life is the physical and mental experience of an individual. And in the poem, the main character Flick, provides the poem with a good example of how life is potentially a mirror to other people. This poem is formally organized, even though it contains some qualities, it still has the qualifications of a good poem. “Former Basketball Player” is an interesting poem because it has a good theme, tone, and lots of figurative language. The theme of this poem is about a high school basketball star who was less successful in the future. The theme focuses on the point that if one does not work hard on their goals, they will never achieve their dreams. Furthermore, if you don't achieve your goals you can end up living a disappointing life. In the poem, the theme evidently shows that Flick is not necessarily dejected, but out of place, which is conveyed throughout the poem. The poem stated that "the dance loved Flick (16)" and "he was the best (14)", and this allows everyone to see that it is not just Flick who looks back on his past with a kind of admiration and pride. They're all in town and he's the local hero. The boy who didn't exactly make it big, but made it big enough to be remembered. In the poem the main character Flick is a mirror or allusion to people who have been successful in sports, in the past, and become a loser in the future. future. For example, Flick was once a high school basketball star, but now his glorious past is behind him. The ideal image of his character presents a vivid image of most people in that sporting plate... in the center of the card... posing. The tone of this poem was very neutral in not saying whether the life Flick was living was good or bad. If the author does not express his opinion in the poem, it can be interpreted in many ways. The tone also brings the poem to life and helps to better understand Flick's personality. But even though the tone was neutral, not stating whether the life Flick was living was good or bad, Bissasor still allows us to understand the moral of the poem. Which means work hard and you will receive your goals and you will never give up. To conclude, the poem “Ex-Basketball play” is a poem that shows the reality of life. It reflects the nature of life in the real world and helps people who have a dream and want to pursue their goals to realize it. The poem has been formally organized and provides a series of figurative language that helps bring out the tone of the poem.