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.

It is not merely a love letter to the sport that had given him so much, but a deeply sad farewell to it: almost an expression of grief, or therapy for grief.

Analysis: "Dear Basketball" When Kobe composed his poem, he was playing his 20th season in the NBA, and he lets basketball know that he won't hang around for a 21st season. Since Kobe frames his poem as a letter, the poem is a part of the epistolary genre - a literary work in the form of a letter or letters.

In 2015, Bryant had written a poem titled 'Dear Basketball' after he announced his retirement from the game.

The central idea is about the poem's subject matter, while the message is about the poem's more significant meaning or impact. The central idea is the main point or focus of the poem, while the message is the overall lesson or feeling that the poem leaves the reader with.

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.

Lesson Summary The general message of a work of fiction or poetry is called theme. Two possible themes for the poem in this lesson are diversity and internal integration. Tone refers to the emotion or impression created by the author in a poem or story.

The poet's attitude toward the poem's speaker, reader, and subject matter, as interpreted by the reader. Often described as a “mood” that pervades the experience of reading the poem, it is created by the poem's vocabulary, metrical regularity or irregularity, syntax, use of figurative language, and rhyme.

The defining feature of a narrative poem is its plot. Narrative poems feature an entire story, told by one narrator from beginning to end. Narrative poetry is one of the major categories of poetry, but is distinguished from lyric poetry by its focus on plot over emotions.

A poem is a piece of writing that relies on rhyme, rhythm and meter to evoke feeling, or to convey setting and story. There are dozens of different poetic forms, such as verse, haiku, sonnet, and ballad. Although poems aren't defined by their forms, they are distinguished by them.

It was released in 2015 when I was a sophomore in high school. He spoke about what the game of basketball meant to him and how much he poured into it. This is the true concept of doing something you love and appreciating everything it gave to you. Now that Kobe has passed, it means even more.

A theme refers to the main subject or idea in a piece of writing, speech, film, etc. Usage: The book's theme is a conflict between love and duty. A message refers to the main or most important idea about which someone is trying to tell people in a film, book, speech, etc.