Dying young is thought to be one of the most tragic
of circumstances. The thoughts of lives wasted, dreams
unattained, memories never conceived. It is sad fate
uncontrollable by any earthly being. Most people desire
to live to a ripe old age as to take full advantage of
their time on earth, to experience as much as they can,
and would be aghast to have premature death be viewed in a
positive light. A. E. Housman, however has different
views on death. This thought is the driving force behind
"To an Athlete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman.
Alfred Edward Housman was born in 1859 in Fockbury,
Worcestershire. He attended the University of Oxford and
became a Latin Professor a few years after graduating. He
was an English poet and classical scholar. He is known
best for his poetry of simple diction, and gentle, ironic
pessimism. He died in 1936 after writing many poems which
continued to turn up even after his death (Encarta,2000).
Housman, the speaker of the poem, implies in an
ironic tone that it is better to die in one's prime, at
the height of glory, rather than to suffer the pain of
seeing their accomplishments fade and become meaningless
in the eyes of the masses. Housman makes it clear that it
is better to go out while you are still the town hero,
rather than die after you have been replaced by someone
new. Housman, upon writing this poem, didn't know that
after his death his poems would be read and appreciated
The setting of the poem is the funeral of a young
champion runner. Rather than mourn, Housman reflects on
how lucky the athlete was to have died in the height of
glory. Housman recalls the time the athlete won a race,
gaining him public appreciation, "Man and boy stood
cheering by; And home we brought you shoulder-high". The
speaker relates this joyous time to the present, where
"Shoulder-high we bring you home; And set you at your
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