To an Athlete Dying Young

To an Athlete Dying Young

By A. E. Housman,

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find un withered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

Initial Impression

The poem seems to be about an athlete that was victories in his effort to win a race. He enjoyed the glory, but, since glory doesn’t last for long, the pleasure was soon lost. The silence, however, is just as great as the cheers, which makes one think that silence in victory is no different than cheers from victory. In the beginning of the poem, there is a cheerful tone, but by the end, the poem becomes slightly gloomy. When the narrator says, “the garland briefer than a girl’s,” it becomes apparent that the victor only last as long as the flowers on the garland stay alive. Additionally, I find it interesting that the title reveals the dark nature of the text. Even though the poem commends the athlete for his valiant effort in running, it ends with a gloomy note, implying that the athlete has died young and vigorously.

Paraphrase

The day you were victories in the race

We, the people of your town, carried you in a chair to the bazaar;

Everyone stood admiring you,

And home we brought you alive, shoulder-high

To-day, the road still has runners,

Alive and shoulder-high, we bring you back home,

And lay you down at your front door,

The townsmen are stiller.

It’s smart that you used you miss your bedtime

To go to field where your glory doesn’t surround you

And early though the laurel bushes grow

It diminishes just as fast as a rose

In the dark

Cannot see the records being broken

And silence sounds just as bad as cheers

After the earth has deafened you:

Now you will not bloat the chaos

Of people that honored you,

Runners who last their fame

Before they died.

So set, before the glory fades,

The foot on the edge of the shade,

And hold the low lintel high

The trophy that shows you are the reigning champion

And round that bushy head

Will flock to see the weak dead,

And find unused curls

The garland briefer than a girl’s life

SWIFTT-

SW- Houseman uses an interesting choice of words to express a shift in tone. In the beginning of the poem, Houseman says cheering and continually says shoulder-high. Then, by the end of the poem, Houseman sounds gloomier, using words such as death and fade. Additionally, the poem is composed of rhyming couplets in each stanza. The structure, along with the content of the poem, closely resembles that of an elegy.
I-The first example of imagery appear in the beginning of the poem, when the narrator says,” Chaired you through the market place.“ The imagery this excerpt from the poem creates is of a happy, exciting scene that expresses youth and exuberance. As the story continues, the narrator evokes darker images. He says, for instance, “Will flock to gaze the strength-less dead.” The gazing of dead people creates a depressing scene of lost lives.

F- The poem doesn’t appear to extensively use figurative language. The entire poem, however, is metaphorical in a sense that is represents the sadness of death.

T-There is a shift in tone in the poem. The poem starts out cheerfully; but as it progresses, the poem takes a melancholy tone. By the last stanza, it becomes clear that the narrator tone is mournful.

T- The theme of the poem is about the death of the youth. The poet is trying to express his concern about the effects of war on the youth.

Conclusion

When I initially read the poem, I didn’t realize the true meaning of it. Although I understood that the poem was about the death of a young, vigorous athlete, I, initially, didn’t know that the deeper implications of Housman’s poem. After having analyzed the poem, I know understand that Housman’s poem, which was written during a time of war, was a response to young, healthy people dying unnecessarily. The poem begins cheerfully, expressing the excitement the young athlete brings; however, as the poem progresses, there is an obvious shift in tone and meaning. The poem takes on a gloomy, realistic tone, while the narrator is attempting to express the sadness of an athlete’s death. The last lines of the poem leave a striking impact on the readers: “the garland briefer than a girl’s.” These lines establish the fact that the memory of the athlete and his fame wither away just as quickly the athlete does.