Posted by Kim Mraz (206.111.170.196) on July 5, 2005 at 2:50:48 p.m.:
Kim Mraz
English 301
Jeanne Guerin
Essay 3 Poetry
07/05/05
In “The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature Reading-Thinking-Writing,” Michael Meyer describes symbols or symbolism as “a person, object, image, word, or event that evokes a range of additional meaning beyond and usually more abstract than its literal significance” (1611). With this definition it is shown with this quote from “To An Athlete Dying Young,” which was written by A.E. Housman, “Man and boy stood cheering by, / And home we brought you shoulder-high” (1.3-4). This quote shows that glory is not always very important, but what you do with that honor is. Symbolism does not always have a right or wrong answer because one object, word, or event could mean several different things to one mind. The main subject of the poem is of a young athlete that gained “glory” at a young age, but right before his death. The author of “To An Athlete Dying Young,” uses an artistic and creative approach to showing symbolism to his audience.
The first stanza it the author paints a pretty picture in showing that the athlete was raised high to his town for his actions.
“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” (1.1-4).
In this stanza the word “chaired” could mean that the crowd was holding the athlete high because he won the race for himself as well as the whole town. In this case that is true, but it also signifies being held up on the towns shoulders to praise the humble man of his triumphs. Not only did he win this for the town, but it also shows the town that there is something to look forward to. The people of the town now can realize that unattainable dreams can be accomplished with determination no matter how difficult the challenge.
In the second stanza A.E. Housman uses a unique way of addressing the thought of the athlete as a “reward” to the town after the big race even with all the pain the athlete had to endure.
“To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town” (2.6-9).
In this stanza there are two words that jump out to the audience, which are: threshold and stiller. The word ”threshold” in this poem means that the athlete underwent quite a lot of “pain” and “suffering” to get to where he got in this race. The athlete had to tolerate the hard days of exercise and healthy eating to be able to persist into completing a race for him self. The town saw that he was going through a great deal of distress of a “dead” town. It seems as though the athlete wanted to build the town up from being bare and unknown. After going through this competition it makes the town known for an event that took place just a little while ago. The “stiller” or dead and bare town will now be identified and this man is notorious for what he had accomplished to raise the moral of the dull city. The town can now be positive about their city instead of thinking that they live on a waste of good soil. This town is now here for a reason and can be put back together with a more optimistic perspective.
The third stanza the author illustrates to his audience that the athlete taking on more than the “norm” to better his situation in a “stiller town” (2.9)
“Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay
And early through the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose” (3.11-14).
This stanza gives you an idea of how important it was to this athlete who wanted to be known as one of a kind and not be thrown in with the rest of the population. The first line of the third stanza shows that because it says that he is lets “betimes” or free time fade away while he is preparing for a more difficult future. He becomes aware that he lives in a town that would take him no where if he did not do something to make himself stand out in society. He is a young boy who accelerates to adulthood through making himself not a typical male. The author uses “laurel” and “rose” as a way to describe how quickly success and glory can fade if you are not careful and to keep thinking that there is always someone better than you are out there doing the same thing you are. “Laurels” are used as acknowledgements of someone or something someone had done, but in this case it is used as the measurement of success that a person can have or attain. While the word “rose” in the fourteenth line means no matter how pure or innocent the athlete is he still needs to achieve “laurels,” be accepted in his eyes and well-known to others. He established himself after winning the race, but stardom is not permanent so the athlete must pull off something people would remember and be astonished by to achieve his full goal.
The fourth stanza demonstrates the idea of losing your sense of not being able to complete a task that was set in front of you. The author uses the word “night” in the fourth stanza first line to represent death that should not have occurred.
“Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:” (4.16-19).
The first and second lines of the fourth stanza signify that the athlete could not prevent the death that quickly knocked at his door. Now that the athlete has died he can not complete his goal of seeing the “record cut.” He had tried so hard to make himself into a strong person who was in control of all his own actions. In spite of everything he did to have that control over his life, he can not control when his life will be taken from him. In the third and fourth lines of this stanza A.E. Housman uses the phrase “silence sounds” instead of using “silent sounds” because he want to show that the people of the town were in shock that this could happen to such a healthy, strong, controlled, and athletic being. The energy was taken from the athlete and there was nothing that anybody from the town could have done to prevent this from happening to him. Such as he was a trained competitor and yet he dies from the lack of being prepared for what could happen. This shows that not even an athlete could know when their day is going to be up and there would be no more races in their futures.
The fifth verse exemplifies the importance of honor and glory as one.
“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” (5.21-24).
“Rout” is used to describe the townspeople after they hear of the news of their idol. Once hearing of this, the townspeople lose their faith in themselves and lose the reputation that they once had from this one man. The athlete did not get a chance to accomplish his ambition and therefore he was out run. As a result his whole purpose of the pain and suffering he endured during his training stopped the town positive moral to rebuild the once dreary land.
In the sixth verse A.E. Housman has an artistice view on what is “unattainable” challenges that can be attained through hard work and determination of a group or individual.
“So set, before the echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup” (6.26-29)
It is also confirmed that when it is known that something is do important to yourself and for others, you strive as hard as you can to make it happen. Before dying, he knows what is happening because in this stanza it reads “So set, before the echoes fade.” The word “echoes” is used as another word of death. The athlete strived so hard to accomplish high hopes and positive moral in his community that he had to bring his threshold higher to finish what he had started. The remark “The fleet foot on the sill of shade” is symbolizing that death is drawing near. This athlete needs to quickly bring to an end of the race and get on with the rest of his goal. In the last two verses on the sixth stanza it shows that he fulfilled his objective of retrieving the prize. The author uses the phrase “still-defended” as a way of showing strength of a man that is on their way out the door of life. He had a target and hit it clear in the center. Now that when he passes the town can still hold their heads high and finish what they had started just as the athlete did before his final hours. He held the cup high just as the people should hold their town high.
In the final stanza of the poem A.E. Housman shows that glory and success are achieved even through the slightest efforts.
“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” (7.31-34).
People use material objects a way to show their worth, but in this poem it is the “laurels” that are important to the town. A boy that was once weak changed into a man, now the hero of a once lost city. In this stanza it tells of even the people with no assets can accomplish to change a large group to have a more positive outlook on their situations, people and themselves.
Many different words, phrases, objects and events play a role in symbolism. In this poem, A.E. Housman, shows how uncommon word usage can make a person think twice the words can represent. The author of “To An Athlete Dying Young,” uses an artistic and creative approach to showing symbolism to his audience.
Word Count: 1715