A.E. Housman
The setting of the poem is the funeral of a young champion runner. In the poem, the glory and fame the athlete had received and how he had died like a true athlete at the pinnacle of his grandeur and eminence were depicted by uses of irony, satirical phrases and symbolical expressions.
In the first two stanzas, it is reflected that the athlete was lucky to have died in the height of his recognition. The time when the athlete won a race and gained public appreciation was recalled, as meant by "Man and boy stood … shoulder-high". The speaker relates this joyous time to the present, as implied by "Shoulder-high … your threshold down". The phrase "shoulder-high" also connects the race to the funeral procession as the honor of this treatment that was endowed for victory, and the final time for reverence. The word "threshold" symbolizes the grave of the athlete, which is another symbolical use of words that can be linked to the context of the poem.
The ironic tone of the poem becomes crestfallen, almost envious as the speaker contemplates his own past. The quote "Smart lad, to slip betimes away; From fields where glory does not stay" presents a usage of satire. By this, the speaker expresses that the athlete was lucky to miss watching himself slip from fame, becoming again just another face in the crowd by denoting that he himself had experienced the same fate.
The citation, "the laurel grows; it withers quicker than the rose" reflects on the fleeting existence of glory. The laurel exemplifies accomplishments and the rose symbolizes life. It signifies that although the athlete's glory came early in life, it will not remain memorable in the eyes of society for a long time as the records will be broken and new individuals will steal the spotlight. However, the speaker proposes that the athlete has escaped this as denoted by "Eyes the shady night has shut; Cannot see the record cut". The glory may fade, but this line suggests that it will never die inside of the runner; his glories outlived him. "And silence sounds no worse than cheers … ears." Here, the poet implies that death is not worse than being in the height of glory and in both circumstances one perceives imperviousness.
The poet reiterates his earlier implications of lament in the fifth stanza of the poem. He suggests about "Lads who wore their honors out", which means that in time, the athlete’s own accomplishments becomes meaningless to the public. The quote "Runners whom renown outran; And the name show died before the man.", expresses the poet’s ironic tone which illustrates that, if one is a famous person, it is better to die at the height of his glory, so as to not suffer from seeing his achievements fade and becoming worthless in the eyes of the community.
Through his death, the athlete's status as a champion was set as connoted by "So set, before its echoes fade … sill of shade." The stanza containing this quote indicates that his status will never diminish in his perception. "find unwithered … garland briefer …" also indicates that although his body is deteriorated, the garland, which symbolized his glories, remains unwithered. Hence, this is also another way by which the poet had tried to convey significant meanings to readers.
In conclusion, I think that the poem had been crafted competently, and the meanings, symbols & messages which the poet wishes to impress upon the readers are lucid and comprehensible, which can be useful to them in many things, including typical daily life.
[600 Words]
