Controversies Debates Over Death

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Recommended: Essays on death in poems

Each year, we all pass and celebrate the special day in which we were born and were given life. However, we also pass the day each year that we are going to die and with the essential difference being that we do not know the exact date to commemorate. Poets write about death because since there is no answer to what truly happens after death, they can write about practically anything and not be wrong. From reading and exposing ourselves to the topic of death in writing, we are able to gain knowledge of how other people perceive death, and compare it to our own opinions. While reading about death, you should come into it with an open mind because the possibilities about what you’re going to read is endless, and always will be.
A. E. Houseman and John Keats are two poets who have wrote many poems about death. In particular, I will be speaking about Houseman’s “To An Athlete Dying Young,” and John Keats “When I have fears that I may cease to be.” Houseman speaks about a young athlete who died shortly after winning a race. Many people would think that this was a life that was short lived; however, Houseman believes this is the best way to go. If you die at your prime, that is how people will remember you, and no one will break your record. Keats speaks about some things that he wants in life: success, face, love, etc. He believes these things are crucial to the value of one’s life, and he realizes his death is coming soon, and he will not be able to fulfill these things.
Houseman’s poem takes a view on death that is not really commonly viewed by the world today. Instead of living a long life, he believes it is better to die in the prime of your life. This is so your record will never be beat, and you will be an everlasting champion...

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...accomplish all of my goals before I perish. I have a lot of things planned out that I want to do in my life. For example, I want to develop a nice family, and pursue my career ambitions. However, Houseman’s view offers incentives that are very worthy of contemplating. Before I read this, I never thought about his view of dying young and being remembered at your peak. I believe that Houseman’s poem is the most moving only because his opinion is the least common of the two. I believe it makes you think about what if that really happened and if any people actually try to do this in real life today.

Works Cited

Houseman, A.E. “To an Athlete Dying Young”. Literature; Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama by Robert Diyanni. 812.
Keats, John. “When I have Fears that I may cease to be”. Literature; Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama by Robert Diyanni. 814.

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