Week 1

The poem I would like to talk about is "To an Athlete Dying Young" by A.E. Housman. This was my favorite poem out of the poems that were assigned this week because it reminded me a lot of my home town. The first stanza talks about a person winning a race for his town and how the citizens were so proud and brought him shoulder- high. Back home sports were very important to the town. When a person won at state or took home a title it rang through the whole town. But there is a line that states as follows; "smart lad, to slip betimes away from fields where glory does not stay". The town I come from is very small town where drama, controversy and rumors thrive. Sure you can have the glory when you do such a thing as take a title but truth is the glory fades and the town will soon find something new to talk about. "Smart lad, to slip betimes away..." I feel close to this quote for the simple fact that I got out of the town where I made my mark. I chose to go some place bigger where I can better myself. "The name died before the man" The glory will fade before the man. This is true not only in my town but anywhere.