Question

Which theme is prominent in this excerpt from "To an Athlete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman? 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. A. the inevitability of death B. the fame and glory an athlete receives C. the short-lived nature of glory D. the short-lived strength of human love

Answer 1

The correct answer is option C ("The short-lived nature of glory").

In this excerpt, the main theme is definitely pointing at the brevity of the praise brought by athletic achievement. We can see this idea illustrated more clearly in these lines "Runners whom renown outran; And the name died before the man", "And find unwithered on its curls; The garland briefer than a girl's".

Option A is incorrect because although death is present in the excerpt, the focus is not in its inevitability, but rather on the preoccupation with what we leave behind.

Option B is only partially true, as the author is more concerned with the fading of that fame and glory.

Finally, option D seems quite wrong given that the excerpt doesn't really deal with human love at all.

Hope this helps!