of circumstances. The thoughts of lives wasted, dreams

unattained, memories never conceived. It is sad fate

uncontrollable by any earthly being. Most people desire

to live to a ripe old age as to take full advantage of

their time on earth, to experience as much as they can,

and would be aghast to have premature death be viewed in a

positive light. A. E. Housman, however has different

views on death. This thought is the driving force behind

"To an Athlete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman.

Alfred Edward Housman was born in 1859 in Fockbury,

Worcestershire. He attended the University of Oxford and

became a Latin Professor a few years after graduating. He

was an English poet and classical scholar. He is known

best for his poetry of simple diction, and gentle, ironic

pessimism. He died in 1936 after writing many poems which

continued to turn up even after his death (Encarta,2000).

Housman, the speaker of the poem, implies in an

ironic tone that it is better to die in one's prime, at

the height of glory, rather than to suffer the pain of

seeing their accomplishments fade and become meaningless

circumstances one perceives invulnerability; they are

when he was the town hero. Housman may be reflecting on

passing him up and beating his records, taking the heart

champion runner. Rather than mourn, Housman reflects on

diminish in his perception. He will never see his records

glories, remains unwithered. Death is not the fall of the

That part should never be forgotten. Housman repeats that

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1082
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)