Question

The poem Fast Break by Edward Hirsch was written to honor Dennis Turner, the authors friend. How does this information affect your understanding of the poems closing image?

Answer 1

The information that 'Fast Break' honors Edward Hirsch's friend, Dennis Turner, adds emotional weight to the closing image, transforming it into a moving tribute.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding that the poem Fast Break by Edward Hirsch was written to honor the author's friend, Dennis Turner, adds a layer of emotional depth and personal significance to the poem's closing image. This context transforms the poem into a tribute, infusing the vivid descriptions of a basketball play with memories of a lost friend and the beauty of their shared experiences within a sport they likely both loved. This knowledge can make the poem's intense description of action take on the qualities of an elegy, where the fast-paced movement of the game mirrors the fleeting nature of life and companionship. The athletic finesse and motion culminating in the shot echoes the cherished moments Hirsch shared with Turner, each action in the play symbolizing moments of their friendship and the final shot paralleling the abruptness of loss.

Answer 2

In light of the fact that "Fast Break" was written to honor Dennis Turner, the closing lines could be interpreted as a symbolic reference to life not lived in vain. The player is "inexplicably falling", a reference to Dennis' sudden death. But as he tumbles down he looks up to see the ball going through the net. He lived a consequential life.