“To the Athlete Dying Young” by A.E Housman
Introduction
Written in 1896, “To the Athlete Dying Young” is a poem that outlines a mourning scenario over the demise of a young athlete. The focus point of the poem is an athlete’s funeral that died young, as described in the poem’s heading. Therefore, the speaker appears to praise the youth regarding his early death leading to anxiety and confusion about the meaning of death. The cause of the young man’s demise is not revealed in the poem. A factor that broadly arises is the tension concerning the realities attributed to death and the speaker’s ability to memorize the athlete’s active life. The poem is described in seven stanzas, with each having four lines. Thus, it outlines the life of the athlete and the general view about death. In this paper, an analysis regarding the poem will be conducted, outlining the setting, themes, symbols, and use of poetic languages.
Classification of the poem
“To the Athlete, Dying Young” is an elegy. The classification occurs because the poem is written in honor of a dead person. As a result, it does not eulogize the fallen athlete but praises him, alongside the death lamentation. The first stanza focuses on the memory of the speaker concerning the dead athlete. In the next five verses, the argument focuses on the death and funeral of the athlete. Thus, the speaker tries to outline the benefits of succumbing while young (Housman 75). In the last stanza, there arises an imagination following the death of the athlete. Therefore, the speaker tries to visualize the athlete’s life in the underworld. One idea that attains representation is that the young man is lifeless and won’t live an active life evident when he was alive. The poem, therefore, outlines a transition from life to death, fears, and partial benefits.
Summary of the poem
The speaker begins by memorizing the young athlete. In this case, the athlete had won an inter-town competition. Therefore, he was carried shoulder-high by the town dwellers throughout the streets. The fifth line begins by defining the present-day moments. In this case, the speaker notes that the athlete is brought home on the shoulders of the townsfolk. A difference that occurs in the present and past moments is that presently, he is brought home for burial. Thus, the athlete is now a citizen of quieter settlement, the land of the dead. An irony occurs following the praises administered by the speaker to the immortal man (Nitchie 109). In this aspect, the speaker exalts the athlete for dying early and escaping the earth, having a fleeting glory. The athlete will never see the breaking of his record following the closure of his eyes (Line 13 and 14). In his belief, the speaker assumes that the athlete will still wear his crown even in the underworld.
The setting of the poem
The poem’s setting occurs in two dimensions. In the first case, it is set on the athlete’s funeral day, in his hometown. The aspect is clarified in the second line, “we chaired you through the market place” a sign that the man was celebrated in his native dwelling. Celebrations that occurred followed his win in a race that is described in the first line. The setting is also an illustration of a British region following the presence of markets. Ideally, in England, market places are familiar; thereby, the use of the term by the poet describes the setting of the poem. The second setting occurs in the underworld following the demise of the athlete (Gale 12). In this case, the author states that the land of the dead will usher the athlete after passing over the “threshold.” The bodies are also defined as lacking strength following their usually quite classical atmosphere. Therefore, the first line outlines the athlete’s life when alive, while in the eighth, the description follows his death “townsman of a stiller town.”
Identity of the speaker
In the poem, the speaker is unknown, as no description of a name or origin is given. One could assume that the speaker is a member or native of the town, following the use of the term “we” in the second line. Despite the speaker addressing the athlete directly, there is no clarification that they are fond of or know each other. The speaker also gives the advantages of dying young, alongside fears possessed. In the ninth line, the speaker uses the term “lad.” Ideally, in the British set-up, a lad refers to a young person. One can, therefore, conclude that the speaker is older than the dead athlete (Nitchie 120). The age difference also defines the anxiety the speaker attains towards death. In the poem, the speaker uses a second-pronoun, an approach that assimilates the poem to a conversation, despite him making the speech. The term “you” shows no reply from the athlete. Therefore, it outlines the emphasis of the situation that the young man is gone forever.
Themes
Youth and glory
The poem classifies youth as a time when individuals attain passion and energy. As a result, admiration and fame occur during this stage. In the poem, the athlete won a race when still a youth. Thereby, his fellows carried him shoulder-high regarding jubilation over the win. A factor that is vividly explained is the swiftness of the youthful stage. In this case, young life disappears as fast as it comes, either through death or aging. Fame and glory also vanish as they arose. In the funeral, admirers flog the event. One reason attributed to the vast assembly is that the athlete did not live long to witness the glory fading (Housman 75). The lost fame also gets outlined in the tenth line “from fields where glory does not stay.”
Despite not seeing the record broken, the athlete will still retain his glory even in death. Therefore, in the poem, youth is the duration when the achievement of fame and adoration becomes easy. A negative factor is that it flies faster and subsides within a short period. The athlete dies young, thus will not see the fading glory in adulthood. In this aspect, the approach brings forth some element of irony. One could attest that it is better if the athlete died young than see his glory fade over the years. Therefore, death is inevitable, but at times it is better dying earlier instead of witnessing a lost glory. The aspect is ironic but also appears real regarding the context of life (Gale 14).
Death
The speaker outlines death as inevitable and stopping the joyous aspects of life. A reason is that the speaker tends to confront death while having many anxieties. In one way, the speaker tries to cover up the frightening components of death with the athlete’s vibrant life. An underlying factor is that everyone has to die, as it is the last stage of life. The second stanza of the poem formulates a transition from life to death. For instance, previously, the athlete was brought home following a victory. In the present, he is carried shoulder-high, but for burial. In the fourth line of the stanza, the athlete is described as an inhabitant of a stiller town (Myers 48). The stillness of the underworld town outlines the fear of the dwellers alongside the speaker. In a way, it is characterized by a lack of movement, thus the permanence of death.
In as much as death is frightening, the poem tries to reduce the fears associated with death. The last stanza states that the dead will assemble to meet the dead athlete in the afterlife. In a way, one can ascertain that his fame, status, and glory will somehow get restored. A declining factor is an image associated with the gazing and weak zombies present in the underworld. In this case, the creatures appear frightening, an indication that the athlete cannot retain glory in the hell. Therefore, the speaker believes that by making death seem heroic, he could terminate its frightening aspect (Henry 104). The stillness of death is characterized by absent hearing as outlined in the fourth stanza “after the earth has stopped the ears.” Therefore, the speaker tries to mention sense out of death, despite the present lifeless body of the athlete. In a way, death is indeed inevitable, and its mysteries lack solutions from living individuals.
An analysis of the literary devices
Symbolism
Laurel is used in the poem to symbolize victory. Besides, in ancient Greek, the wreath was worn by famous individuals. Therefore, it showed physical prowess and was considered the best sign. In the poem, laurel is viewed as a plant that withers and dies when cut. In the poem, it shows the impermanence in the victories gained in life. In the last stanza, the tow dwellers gather around the athlete’s lifeless body to gaze at the laurel. In a way, it appears as an alienated object in this context; thus, individuals are drawn towards it for curiosity (Myers 47). The aspect, therefore, indicates that the athlete is dead, and the earthly successes lack relevance. The “stiller town” also symbolizes the graveyard. Thus, it is viewed as a place of total silence inhabited by weak beings that are immobile. In the second stanza, the word “home” symbolizes a grave as the athlete’s body is brought for burial.
Alliteration
The device aims at reinforcing the thematic points in the poem. Therefore, the literal meaning of the words became echoed. An example occurs in the first stanza, where the speaker used two words “chaired” and “cheering.” In both contexts, the speaker’s aim is outlining celebration back home following the athlete’s success. Therefore, the alliteration presents a similarity in both events. In the thirteenth line, the speaker uses two words “shut” and “shady.” In both contexts, the closing of the athlete’s eyes in death is defined. Both describe darkness representing the closed eyes (Henry 105). Therefore, in alteration, the words appear to convey a similar meaning to the poem’s events.
Personification
Personification entails giving human qualities to non-human objects. In the first line of the fourth stanza, the speaker states that “Eyes the shady night has shut.” In this case, the night gets personified. In the real-world, the night lacks the power to indulge in human activities, for instance, shutting down objects. According to the poem, the night has shut the eyes of the fallen athlete. Therefore, it receives a human characteristic, an aspect that indicates the power availed in darkness.
Metaphors
A metaphor is a figure of speech whereby a comparison occurs between different individuals or objects. The sentence “today, the road all runners come” is presented as a metaphor. In the context, the road is a metaphor that represents a cemetery. Similarly, in the second stanza, the word “townsman of a stiller town” is also a metaphor as it indicates the cemetery calmness (Myers 50). In both cases, the point that comes out is a representation of occurrences among dead individuals. Therefore, despite being outlined in different lines, both refer to death.
Assonance and consonance
In literature, assonance refers to a reappearance of vowels in a similar line. For instance, in the line “the still-defended challenge cup,” vowel “e” is repeated twice in two different words in a sentence. Consonance refers to the recurrence of consonant echoes in a similar line. For example, in the line “runners whom renowned outran,” letter “n” is evidence of a consonance (Housman 75). The literary devices, therefore, convey emotion, actions, or themes, as presented in the poem. They also ensure constant flow and transition into the next lines in the stanzas.
Conclusion
“To the Athlete, Dying Young” is primarily a poem about a young lad whose fame and success became diminished by death. The author, through the narrator, tries to remove the ill thoughts on demise by outlining the achievements of the young athlete. Besides, the theme of death is widely evident, outlining the benefits and additional drawbacks. In the poem, literary devices like symbols, metaphors, personification, assonance, and consonance are also used. Therefore, the essential thought drawn out is that death is inevitable. Youth life is also temporary, as it can either be terminated by advancement in age or death.
Works Cited
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for A. E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying
Young.” Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.
Henry, Nat. “48. Housman’s To an Athlete Dying Young.” vol. 36, no. 7, 2017, pp. 103-105.
Housman, A. E. “To an Athlete Dying Young.” The English Journal, vol. 104, no. 7, 2015, p.
75.
Myers, Walter L. “23. Housman’s To an Athlete Dying Young.” vol. 30, no. 4, 2014, pp. 47-
50.
Nitchie, Elizabeth. “57. Housman’s To an Athlete Dying Young.” The Explicator, vol. 84, no.
8, 2015, pp. 108-128.