A.E. Housman, the speaker of To an Athlete Dying Young, describes the advantages of being a thriving athlete and then what happens when that thriving athlete suddenly dies. The poet was trying to say that you could only stand in the spotlight for so long until someone takes your place, but this athlete surpassed this by his/her untimely death. He/She died an unfortunate death, but it was the right thing for this athlete. It is a hard thing to be forgotten and because of his/her death he/she is never truly forgotten, which the athlete wanted. Because the athlete died when he/she did, he/she will never have to go through the pain of seeing someone take his/her place and slowly be forgotten.

In the first stanza, Housman discusses the prestige of be

The poet uses a very profound rhyme scheme called a couplet. This means that two succeeding lines rhyme. Every stanza is made up of four lines, each with the first line rhyming with the second and the third rhyming with the fourth (AABB). The poet uses rhyming words like, race with place, by with high, come with home, down with town, away with stay, ect. The couplet enhances the sadness of the poem. The rhyming words almost an eerie repeat. The couplet theme makes you remember the rhyme, just like the way you are always reminded of this type of death. This also adds to the eerie tone of the poem.

ing a good athlete. Not many people accomplish great, memorable things in their prime and this athlete did just that. Housman goes on to state that when the athlete won they carried him in pride, "We chaired you through the market place ... And home we brought you shoulder high." Then in the second stanza he describes how they carried him again in pride, but this time it was his/her casket, "Shoulder high we bring you home." In the next four stanzas, the poet is implying that it is almost better that he/she died in their prime because then he wouldn't have to go through the hardship of seeing others take his/her place. "And the name died out before the man," says that a lot of athletes accomplish things but are forgotten about once they grow old. The athlete in this poem however will always be remembers for dying in his/her prime because they had the chance of being something better. The athlete had so much more to offer and his/her death deprived him/her of opportunities in the future. The last stanza of To an Athlete Dying Young is trying to say that because he/she died at the height of his/her career he/she will always be in your mind. His/her image will never fade because he/she has surpassed growing out of your mind. The athlete never came down from his/her high point. His/her life was also brief and unwithered because of his/her death, but it was straight to the po

Some common words found in the essay are:
Athlete Dying, athlete dying, AE Housman, laurel grows withers, withers quicker rose, laurel grows, grows withers quicker, his/her death, quicker rose, withers quicker, athlete's life, grows withers, seeing his/her, he/she died, ae housman,
Approximate Word count = 1346
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)