Most believe dying young is one of the greatest tragedies life holds. However, in the poem “To An Athlete Dying Young”, author A.E. Housman contradicts those beliefs. Housman uses the character of an athlete dying in the earlier stages of life to demonstrate the pros of dying at the peak of one’s glory. He does so by presenting this through the eyes of a speaker with a pessimistic view of life.
Although a sad reality, according to the speaker of the poem, dying young is not as bad as it is naturally perceived. The speaker tries to make the most of the situation by explaining that the athlete is a, “smart lad to slip betimes away” (3). In saying so, the speaker implies that rather than death in youth being a sad and mournful time, it is more so an escape from seeing life's work being forgotten and faded. The speaker believes that such an event was a positive experience for the athlete because he died at their peak- long enough to see his glory, yet ceased right before he could see their fame decline and, “see the record cut” (4). Death helped the athlete out by not ...
The speakers in A. E. Housman poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” and Edward Arlington Robinson poem “Richard Cory” serve different purposes but uses irony and rhyme to help convey their message. In “To an Athlete Dying Young” the speaker’s purpose is to show the audience dying young with glory is more memorable than dying old with glory. In “Richard Cory” the speaker’s purpose is to show the audience “you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Even with his prayer, and his wine-induced courage, the speaker still despairs. He compares himself to “the poor jerk who wanders out on air and then looks down” and “below his feet, he sees eternity,” when he realizes that “suddenly his shoes no longer work on nothingness” (5.12-15). It is as though he is submitting to the reality that, if he steps beyond the safe borders of the proven approaches to writing, there is no magic potion that will guarantee his success. Nevertheless, he appears to be willing to take his chances, and, ironically, he does so with this prayer, which is stylistically unconventional. In a desperate attempt to remind his readers that he was once considered a good writer in the event that this poem does not meet their traditional standards, he makes one final request: “As I fall past, remember me” (5.16).
The speaker started the poem by desiring the privilege of death through the use of similes, metaphors, and several other forms of language. As the events progress, the speaker gradually changes their mind because of the many complications that death evokes. The speaker is discontent because of human nature; the searching for something better, although there is none. The use of language throughout this poem emphasized these emotions, and allowed the reader the opportunity to understand what the speaker felt.
In the poem the main character Flick is a mirror or allusion for people who was successful in sports, in the past and become a loser in the future. For example Flick was once a high-school basketball star, but now his glorious past is behind him. The ideal image of his character presents a vivid image of most people in that plat sports ...
The irony of this poem is what happens to him when he dies "Not one false note was struck-until he died…The obit writers, ringing crude clumsy changes on a clumsy phrase: "One of the most distinguished members of his race.
A. E. Housman's "To an Athlete Dying Young," also known as Lyric XIX in A
One must look at this poem and imagine what is like to live thru this experience of becoming so tired of expecting to die everyday on the battlefield, that one starts to welcome it in order to escape the anticipation. The effects of living day in and day out in such a manner creates a person who either has lost the fear of death or has become so frighten of how they once lived the compensate for it later by living a guarded life. The one who loses the fear for death ends up with this way of living in which they only feel alive when faced with death. The person in this poem is one who has lost their fear of death, and now thrives off coming close to it he expresses it when he states “Here is the adrenaline rush you crave, that inexorable flight, that insane puncture” (LL.6-7). What happens to this persona when he leaves the battlefield? He pushes the limit trying to come close to death to feel alive; until they push
Every creation cannot continue, projects stop, and somebody else takes the place, The poet feels as if several works, accomplishments, and traditions can instantaneously vanish. The end is not a prime time to look forward and wait for. The pinnacle already happened in life during the time of accomplishing desires, plans, and goals. The poet fears the worst is yet to come. “It is the finality of it all that seems to bother Updike the most.” (Batchelor 217). Readers perceive a feeling from mr. Updike’s expectations of old age are to get stronger and better, while being able to pass on accomplishments and establish eternal achievement. Expectations are far away and dealing with the end is
Throughout his villanelle, “Saturday at the Border,” Hayden Carruth continuously mentions the “death-knell” (Carruth 3) to reveal his aged narrator’s anticipation of his upcoming death. The poem written in conversation with Carruth’s villanelle, “Monday at the River,” assures the narrator that despite his age, he still possesses the expertise to write a well structured poem. Additionally, the poem offers Carruth’s narrator a different attitude with which to approach his writing, as well as his death, to alleviate his feelings of distress and encourage him to write with confidence.
Death is a reality that can be interpreted in many ways. Some people fear the possibility of no longer living and others welcome the opportunity for a new life in the afterlife. Many poets have been inspired by death, be it by the approaching death of loved ones or a battle for immortality. Just as each poet is inspired differently, each poem casts a different hue of light on the topic of death giving readers a unique way to look at death.
“The Swimmer,” a short fiction by John Cheever, presents a theme to the reader about the unavoidable changes of life. The story focuses on the round character by the name of Neddy Merrill who is in extreme denial about the reality of his life. He has lost his youth, wealth, and family yet only at the end of the story does he develop the most by experiencing a glimpse of realization on all that he has indeed lost. In the short story “The Swimmer,” John Cheever uses point of view, setting and symbolism to show the value of true relationships and the moments of life that are taken for granted.
In our lives, we go through stages of mindset and maturity that naturally coincide with aging. One thing that remains the same, though, through all of these stages, is that eventually, we die; we are completely aware of that as humans. Whether because it’s due to the painful reality that is mortality, our ever-diminishing ability to be wistful and imaginative, or merely the impending coming of the Grim Reaper, our entire lives are, ironic as it is, surrounded by and flooded with death. However, as we grow older, our perception of death changes. It goes from taboo in our young ages to something that begins to surround and eventually consume us as we grow older. Between the poems “For the Anniversary of my Death” by
Ross, Elisabeth. "Why is it so Hard to Die?." Death: the Final Stage of Growth. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1975. 5-26. Print.
At a glance, the poem seems simplistic – a detailed observance of nature followed by an invitation to wash a “dear friend’s” hair. Yet this short poem highlights Bishop’s best poetic qualities, including her deliberate choice in diction, and her emotional restraint. Bishop progresses along with the reader to unfold the feelings of both sadness and joy involved in loving a person that will eventually age and pass away. The poem focuses on the intersection of love and death, an intersection that goes beyond gender and sexuality to make a far-reaching statement about the nature of being
The slow feeling of the ending life is shown when the poem states, “we paused before…” with other terms like “and immortality” having its own line to emphasize the destination. The writer narrates the cause of death in the six-stanza poem in a journey form that depicts some interesting life experiences that people should have fun of during their lives. It is common that many individuals cannot stop for or wait for death that is if they can “see