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To An Athlete Dying Young, By Alfred Edward Housman

1050 Words5 Pages

England born author Alfred Edward Housman, wrote poetry that was anthologized. The quiet, melancholy tone, the theme of the comfort of death, and the simplicity of style and form combination come together to make a poem that’s a classic celebration of the release from the difficulties that life brings. In To An Athlete Dying Young, Housman advances the idea that it's better to die, while one can be remembered for his or her youthful accomplishments, rather than to become forgotten, ignored, or replaced in the memories and hearts of the townspeople.

To understand Housman’s writing you have to know about his personal life. Alfred Edward Housman is also known as A.E. Housman was born on March 26, 1859 in Fockbury Worcestershire, England (Cosanera Follow). He is the son of Edward Housman and Sarah Jane. He was the oldest of seven children (A.E. Housman.” Biography.com). One year after his birth, the family moved to nearby …show more content…

Housman’s “An Athlete Dying Young” is a work of poetry, and was possibly one of his best works. It’s a poem about an athlete dying young. Shocking, right? What’s really shocking is Housman didn’t spend much time mourning the young man's death, but rather he talked about the positive aspects of dying young. A.E Housman wasn’t the typical type of guy so it wouldn’t be normal to follow the typical story line. To an athlete dying young is set in a town and cemetery in England in the 19th century during the funeral of the young athlete (User, BCD. “Cummings Study Guide). “The time you won your town the race/And home we brought you shoulder-high”. When the young man won the race, the townspeople were so happy, they carried him home on their shoulders. Many of Housman’s poems had the recurring pattern of death and the loss of the youth. In the poem, Housman stated: “Smart lad, to slip away/ From fields where glory does not stay……” In other words, he’s praising the young athlete for dying before his glory fades (User, BCD. “Cummings Study

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