Athlete Dying Young by Alfred

¶ … Athlete Dying Young by Alfred Edward Housman is a poem about the early death of an athlete who was able to savor the peak of his victory before he even died. This is an ode to an athlete who died young. The first two stanzas of the poem clearly state what the entire poem is all about. The first stanza of the poem depicts how the athlete was welcomed by his townspeople after having brought home the bacon. His townsmen felt very proud of him. They cheered and hooted for him and gave him something like a victor's parade to celebrate his victory. The athlete was considered smart by the persona in dying young because he wouldn't live to see his glory fade or competitors transcending his records before his very eyes. He also did not want to be among the forgotten celebrities whose names were long forgotten even before they died.

The poet's attitude towards fame connotes that people get to preserve their glory when they die young. They get to be remembered as heroes or heroines after their death. When athletes die young, they won't be able to see fellow athletes or other competitors break their records. it's as if the memory of their victory will stay in the hearts of the people who admired them forever. Dying a premature death may earn him the admiration of his neighbors, but a fully lived life depends on how many lives one has touched instead of the number of medals one has accumulated or the number of victories one has won in his lifetime.