To An Athlete Dying Young BY A.E. Housman Sammuelle Villa Muhammad Sako Dineo Harris Jaquan Martin

Poem The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay, And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears. Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honours out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man. So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade, And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge-cup. And round that early-laurelled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl’s.

BioGRAPHY Alfred Edward Housman Born : March 26, 1859 & Died : April 30, 1936 (77) Nationality : British Attended St. John's College, in Oxford then University of Oxford Graduated from University of Oxford Pen name: A.E. Housman Occupations : Classicist & Poet He's one of the greatest scholars who ever lived. Best known for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad containing 63 poems, one of the better known poems in it is "To an Athlete Dying Young" He was the eldest of 7 children. Pen name: an assumed name used by a writer instead of their real name. .

Stanza 1 The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high. Housman starts the poem remembering when the boy won a big race. He was being carried home on people's shoulders, while a crowd stood by cheering. Chaired: carried.

Stanza 2 Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. The runner is going to the cemetery where he will be laid to rest, instead of the people carrying him on their shoulders for cheers it's now for tears as the athlete has died. Threshold: A point of entry or beginning. Stiller: Calm

Stanza 3 Smart lad, to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay, And early though the laurel grows It withers quicker than the rose. The author is commenting on his death as a good thing perhaps in order to cope with his death. He claims it to be good dying before your fame fades. Then goes on to compare the laurel and the rose as if saying he is the laurel while his accomplishments and legacy are the rose Laurel: Honor or fame given for some achievement Withers: To shrivel; fade; decay

Stanza 4 Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut, And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears. The author is saying due his early death his record may not be seen to be broken Then goes on to say that the silence sounds no worse than cheers because even though they no longer cheer his name it still lives on with his legacy

Stanza 5 Now you will not swell the rout Of lads that wore their honours out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man. The author is pointing out that since he died before losing his records they will not be worn out or beaten The author also references other athletes who's fame has died before they have. Honours: Regard with great respect. Renown: The condition of being known or talked about by many people; fame.

Stanza 6 So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade, And hold to the low lintel up The still-defended challenge-cup. The author is referring to the athletes fame which did not die with him but outlasted him in death. Since he died before his records or accomplishments were beaten or surpassed his fame lives on while he does not. Lintel: a horizontal support of timber, stone, concrete, or steel across the top of a door or window.

Stanza 7 And round that early-laurelled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl’s. The author references the laurels again which is the crown of flowers placed upon ones head signifying victory or royalty in this case athletic accomplishment. The author then references a "Garland Briefer" Garland being another word for crown of flowers basically saying that the crown has stayed in tact through his burial. Unwithered: Not withered; fresh and whole .Garland: a wreath of flowers and leaves, worn on the head or hung as a decoration

Rhyme Scheme The time you won your town the race [A] We chaired you through the market-place; [A] Man and boy stood cheering by, [B] And home we brought you shoulder-high. [B] Today, the road all runners come, [C] Shoulder-high we bring you home, [C] And set you at your threshold down, [D] Townsman of a stiller town. [D] Smart lad, to slip betimes away [E] From fields where glory does not stay, [E] And early though the laurel grows [F] It withers quicker than the rose. [F] Eyes the shady night has shut [G] Cannot see the record cut, [G] And silence sounds no worse than cheers [H] After earth has stopped the ears. [H] Now you will not swell the rout [I] Of lads that wore their honours out, [I] Runners whom renown outran [J] And the name died before the man. [J] So set, before its echoes fade, [K] The fleet foot on the sill of shade, [K] And hold to the low lintel up [L] The still-defended challenge-cup. [L] And round that early-laurelled head [M] Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, [M] And find unwithered on its curls [N] The garland briefer than a girl’s. [N] Blue : Positive Red : Negative

About poem "After earth has stopped the ears." (personification) "And the name died before the man." (personification) "The garland briefer than a girl’s." (metaphor) "From fields where glory does not stay," (metaphor) Type of poem: Elegy Meter : Iambic tetrameter & Anapestic

Quiz When did the author die? How many siblings did he have? In what meter is this poem? What is the rhyme scheme of this poem? What is the overall tone of this poem? (give three words from the text supporting your claim) What are laurels? What does the author mean by “Smart lad, to slip betimes away from fields where glory does not stay” What is the significance of the breaks in meter found in the poem? What is the definition of stiller? Who are the “strengthless dead”?