Dear Basketball Literary Devices | SuperSummary (2024)

Form and Meter

The poem is in free verse. As the name indicates, Kobe Bryant is free to give his poem the form he wants. The lines don’t have to contain a set amount of beats (pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables), and the lines don’t have to rhyme. The open form allows Bryant to be open not only with the reader but also his subject, basketball. In free verse, he can express himself freely. He can follow his emotions instead of a predetermined template. While the breakup is relatively straightforward, the emotions behind the split—the feelings that define Bryant’s deep love for basketball—can be messy. By mixing short lines with long lines and creating stanzas of various lengths, Bryant remains true to his feelings. He doesn’t have to circ*mscribe them.

Basketball makes Bryant run, and the form mimics the act of running. For longer lines (Line 40), Bryant runs bigger distances. With shorter lines (Lines 1, 17, 37), Bryant runs smaller distances. The absence of a predetermined meter furthers the running symbolism. Bryant runs without a specific destination—he just has to keep running on the court and after loose balls.

Dear Basketball Literary Devices | SuperSummary (2024)

FAQs

What literary devices are used in Dear Basketball? ›

Bryant announced his retirement from the team through poetry, using personification, apostrophe (the rhetorical device for talking to someone who isn't there), anthropomorphism, and repetition. The stanzas have no pattern, with some lasting one line, others three, and others as long as seven.

What is the main idea of the poem Dear Basketball? ›

“Dear Basketball” illustrated the poem Bryant wrote in 2015 as a farewell to the sport he loved; it served as his announcement that the 2015-16 season would be his last. In the poem, recognizing that his body can no longer bear the game's demands, he accepts the inevitably of retirement.

What is the tone of Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball? ›

Kobe's tone is intimate and sentimental. He gives the reader an up-close peek into his connection to basketball.

What is the author's purpose for writing the poem Dear Basketball? ›

The poem was an ode to the sport of basketball, to the game that afforded him so many invaluable opportunities both on and off the court; to the game that he loved. It was also an admission that after 20 years he was finally ready to let go of his first true passion.

What are the four literary devices in the poem? ›

Rhyme, meter, alliteration, caesura, simile, metaphor, irony, and allusion are some of the most common poetic devices.

What is the allusion in Dear Basketball? ›

Allusion- In Dear Basketball Kobe alludes to the Great Western Forum which was the arena Kobe first played in, in his rookie season as a Laker. He then states this only year in the Forum made him realize he was in love with basketball. Personification- Dear Basketball personifies the game of basketball.

What is the message in Dear Basketball? ›

In this short film that was produced based on the Poem Kobe wrote, he portrays the story of his life through his true love for basketball. In four minutes, Kobe attempts to prove to his audience childhood dreams should be pursued with perseverance and a full heart of spirit.

What did Kobe see himself running out of? ›

8- What did Kobe see himself running out of? ​A tunnel 9- Where did Kobe run? ​He ran up and down every court. 10- What did the ball 'ask' Kobe for?

What is the tone in a poem? ›

Tone is a literary device that conveys the author's attitude toward the subject, speaker, or audience of a poem. Tone is sometimes referred to as the “mood” of the poem, and can be established through figurative language and imagery.

What analogy does Bryant use to describe basketball? ›

What analogy does Bryant use to describe basketball? He describes basketball as his soulmate, the love of his life, the only thing that could make him happy. He personnifies basketball as the person he is destined to be with forever, and will not separate without them.

What is an example of personification in basketball? ›

Personification. The basket ball was dashing with all it's might down the court. The non-human object is the basketball. The human action or quality is dashing.

What is an example of alliteration in basketball? ›

Alliteration. "The net sang,as the ball went in the hoop."

What is a metaphor in Dear Basketball? ›

Bryant doesn't clearly spell out his obsession though, he builds to it by using classic metaphors like [his dad's] "tube socks," "the tunnel," and "sweat and hurt." Through use of these devices Kobe builds up the great love affair of his life and allows us, the reader, to experience this highs and lows of said romance.

Why did Kobe make Dear Basketball? ›

Dear Basketball is a 2017 American animated film written and narrated by Kobe Bryant and directed and animated by Glen Keane, with music by John Williams. It is based on a letter Bryant wrote for The Players' Tribune on November 29, 2015, announcing his retirement from basketball.

What is the main point of the poem? ›

Main idea is what the poem is mostly about. It's not a summary because it doesn't contain many specific details. The main idea is the idea that all those little details go to support. To find the main idea, rev up your RPMs.

What literary device has been used in the story? ›

Techniques such as imagery, similes, metaphors, and allegories are literary devices that we use to cultivate the perfect atmosphere and have the right tone for our story. They can be effectively used to either bring out humor or create suspense.

Which literary device is used in the ball poem? ›

The poetic devices used in "The Ball Poem are" : Anaphora: use of repeated words in two or more lines (What is the boy… what, what and merrily bouncing… merrily over). Assonance: repeated use of vowel 'o' (boy, now, who, lost).

What literary devices are used in Langston Hughes poems? ›

Through various poems, Hughes uses rhetorical devices to state his point of view. He tends to use metaphors, similes, imagery, and connotation abundantly to illustrate in what he strongly believes.

What literary devices are used in the poem famous? ›

Nye makes use of several literary devices in 'Famous'. These include but are not limited to anaphora, repetition, and imagery. The latter, imagery, is one of the reasons that this poem is as well known as it is.

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