Housman’s Poem, To an Athlete Dying Young Essay -- A Shropshire Lad

This poem is a part of Housmans nigh famous record book of work called A Shropshire Lad. In these works Housman wanted the reader to suppose about life and the meaning of it all. In wholeness of Housmans most celebrated poems To an supporter Dying Young, Critics dissect the estimations of staying on bring in eternally, dying when maven is a champion, and non letting the fame go. Critic Scott-Kilvert says that Housman voices the acquainted(predicate) passions of humanity with a death dealing sweetness (Scott-Kilvert 628)This poem may be considered an elegy, or a piece of Romance literature. It has seven quatrains of rhyming iambic tetrameter, and each line containing eight syllables. The even numbered syllables are stressed, and the first, randomness, third, and fourth part lines rhyme on the final syllable (Magil 3,889). The setting of the poem is in a town. The setting switches to a cemetery where the athlete is buried. The narrator of this poem is Housman who takes th e fibre of a resident of the town in which the athlete lived. The main fictional character in this poem is the athlete who is a running champion exactly god at his peak of athletic ability. The townspeople are neighbors and admirers of the athlete. They represent the athletes notoriety and fame (Cummings, scr. 1). In order to understand this poem one must human face at the themes that are relevant throughout. To an Athlete Dying Young exemplifies the theme of glory. For example in this poem the athlete is glorified for the winning of the race. even off when death comes upon the athlete he is still praised by the townspeople. In entree the athlete is also commended by the dead for his wiliness to die a champion (Ruby 233). The townspeople will now remember the athlete ceaselessly at his peek of his powers instead of watching t... ...ek culture. The second meaning of smorgasbord is a gathering of poetic versus, usually poems that praise life. Bruce believes that there is an caustic remark in these two different meanings. He says The message is that death is the last victor (Meyer 237). This seems to be the main theme of the poem but if the mixture represents the second meaning then Bruce would say What death takes away is not simply a hero but the joys and sorrows of life (Meyer 237). In this second definition the reward of life may be greater than the fame earned. To an Athlete Dying Young shows the reader different concepts on life. Fame will fade as life continues, so in order to preserve fame one must face death. The views on this poem range from right to leftfield but they all come back to the same major idea. That if one wants to be a champion eternally one must die a champion for eternity.