Peotry Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Peotry Review - Essay Example The poet recalls the time the runner won a race, gaining him the public’s admiration, "Man and boy stood cheering by; And home we brought you shoulder-high". The poet relates this happy time to the present, where "Shoulder-high we bring you home; And set you at your threshold down". With this couplet â€Å"he compares the race to the funeral procession. The honor of being held high was endowed the first time for victory, and the last time for homage. The "threshold" represents the grave of the athlete, his doorway into the life after death. The reader is forced to consider the inevitability of death. He asks himself that whether the athlete is to be envied for dying so soon after his achievements, rather than being pitied for his premature death. Housman portrays the premature death of the runner as something desirable. â€Å"Smart lad, to slip betimes away† The poets tone is satirical as he congratulates the runner on his death. Later on the mood becomes forlorn with â€Å"Eyes the shady night has shut†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  In essence the poem can be seen as either providing solace to those left behind by the runner’s death, by dwelling on the fact that in death the runner has achieved a different kind of immortality. An immortality in which his glory is preserved and not overtaken by better achievements of athletes later on. Or it can be seen as a lament by the friends and co-achievers of the runner who were left behind to age and see their glories fade and their â€Å"laurels† wither. Housman has used simple two syllable words which convey complex meanings. His lyrics express a Romantic pessimism in a spare, simple style. The form of the poem is a couplet, for two lines work as a unit. An example would be: "The time you won the town the race/ We chaired you through the marketplace/ Man and boy stood cheering by/And home we brought you shoulder-high." Metaphors are in abundance such as "roses,""garland,"and "laurel†, representing the short