Out in a Blaze of Glory

400 Words2 Pages
James Plowman Mr. Lore 3/11/13 En102-05 Out in a Blaze of Glory Merriam-Webster defines an elegy as a mournful song or poem expressing sorrow, especially for one who has died. Although A. E. Housman's poem, "To an Athlete Dying Young," is categorized as an elegy, it is not done so aptly. Housman's poem, describes the glory found in the early death of a young athlete. Dying young and at the height of one's career is looked upon in this poem as celebratory, not sorrowful. The poem takes place at the funeral of a young champion runner who is loved and admired by those in his town. Most people would consider dying young to be a tragic fate. However, the poem expresses how it is much better to die in the glory of youth than to rest too long on one's laurels, only to see your laurels fade away. "From fields where glory does not stay / And early though the laurel grows / It withers quicker than the rose." (Housman 10-12). The speaker reflects on how lucky the athlete is to have died in his prime, while his accomplishments can be long remembered, rather than become replaced or forgotten in the hearts and memories of those that admired him. He praises the dead athlete as a "Smart lad, to slip betimes away" (Housman 9). and not have the fate of watching fame and glory slip away. As the poem continues, we start to see how the runner's life is being compared to the speaker's. It suggests that he has lived a long life and perhaps is reflecting on some of his own accomplishments that have since diminished and been forgotten. "Runners whom renown outran / And the name died before the man." (Housman 19-20) suggests that if we live long enough, the prestige and respect will lessen, leaving only fleeting memories behind. This applies to a person of any station... writer, runner, or otherwise. Housman concludes that death, especially for one so young, is a
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