To an Athlete Dying Young

poem by Housman

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Article History

To an Athlete Dying Young, poem by A.E. Housman, published in the collection A Shropshire Lad. In seven melancholy stanzas, the poet reflects upon a young athlete brought home to be buried, musing that he was lucky to die at the peak of his glory since he will now never experience the fading of that glory. The poem reiterates the general themes of the collection: death is a release from the torment of existence, youth and life are brief, and human beings can count on neither earthly happiness nor immortality.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.