“To An Athlete Dying Young” A.E. Housman
...n the young athletes’ victorious win in the town race. He was greatly celebrated and carried home shoulder high. The symbolism of bringing him home shoulder high is a way to show he was at his height of glory and every one adored and admired him like he was a celebrity; the speaker seem to have pride for the runner. The tone of the poem begins to shift from ironic,yet celebratory to solemn and depressing which is shown in the second stanza. Housman writes, “To-day the road all runners come, Shoulder- high we bring you home, and set you at your threshold down, Townsman in a stiller town. A.E. Housman uses the phrase shoulder- high to tie the first and second stanza together. Even thought there is the same wording in both stanzas the meaning is different. In the first stanza shoulder- high home relates to him being celebrated for his glorious win and brought home to celebrate; and in the second stanza shoulder- high home symbolizes him being carried into his funeral to be sent into heaven (home). When the speaker states “and set at your threshold down”. This is saying how they will place him in his funeral to be mourned over. The speaker then begins to tell the athlete it’s actually an advantage to have died at this time; he will be remembered for his running and even though he has died he name will not. He then goes on by saying glory does not last forever; It’s like the laurel wreath they place on your head when you win. Although it grows before the rose it also withers first. The wreath symbolizes death of fame. It will die with time if you don’t first. The rose represents longevity and beauty. The young athlete will always be remembered like the rose they place on his casket. Even though he is dead he should consider himself lucky to have died in his prime. The speaker then begins to tell the athlete he will never outwear his glory it will always be there. The athlete will not be like the other who as the speaker says has outworn their honor. He then says (Of lads that wore their honor out, Runners whom renown outran,) means, there have been past athletes who were at once famous, but all that had changed with time. Everyone stopped adoring and admiring them. The crowd got tired of seeing them and may have been a better athlete that came after them. (And the name died before the man), this line says the athlete who was before the dying athlete fame expired before the athlete. If the athlete had died in his prime just as heshe did he would still be famous also. The last stanza gives tells us how the people in the funeral will gaze at the athlete still admiring and adoring him. (And find unwithered on its curls a garland briefer than a...