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Carpe Diem Analysis: To An Athlete Dying Young

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Recommended: Critical analysis of the poem to an athlete dying young

Carpe Diem
It is often thought that one should act on instincts, but is it really practical to live of sudden impulses rather than planning for the future? That concept is expressed in a positive light in a whole variety of inspirational messages that manage to make it seem very appealing, However in actuality it leads to an unhealthy obsession with youth and instant gratification. Throughout poetry authors express the thought that a short dynamic life is preferred over a longer static one. Carpe diem glorifies the philosophy that youthful pride is desirable no matter the cost as illustrated in “To an Athlete Dying Young”, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”, and “My My, Hey Hey.”
In “To an Athlete Dying Young” the author fixates on the …show more content…

He implies that the impulsive lifestyle of many artists is synonymous with fame, “My my, hey hey/ Rock and roll is here to stay/ It’s better to burn out /Than to fade away/ My my, hey hey” (Young). Young warns about fading away and being forgotten and suggests to “burn out” or die early after living life of notoriety and recognition. This message emphasizes the glory and success of a moment followed by immediate downfall. Young suggests that one should live in the moment and perish before they become obsolete. Young also says, “The king is gone/ but he’s not forgotten/ This is the story of a Johnny Rotten/ It’s better to burn out/ than it is to rust/ The king is gone/ but he’s not forgotten”(Young). He acknowledges the legacy of “the king” who died early as a successful example of the carpe diem philosophy. He then alludes to “Johnny Rotten” a once influential punk rock star who is now unrecognized. This helps prove his point that dying young cements fame while continuing in a career leads to being forgotten. Fame and pride are worth dying for according to Young because they end up turning one into an influential

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“To an Athlete Dying Young,” the title is quick to attract the eyes of a person with an athletic interest. However, beneath the title lies a poem that possesses many components of a masterpiece that ultimately attracts more than the previously stated group of human beings. The man behind the “masterpiece,” A.E. Housman, was born in March of 1859. Growing up in England, Housman’s education was the least questionable attribute about him. It was his drive for greater knowledge that led him to seek more and ultimately compose the masterpiece of, “To an Athlete Dying Young,” which is a part of the novel A Shropshire Lad, also by Housman.

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