Question

How does housman use the structure of the poem to create surprise?

Answer 1

The poet offers an elegy for a young, athletic man who recently passed away in "To an Athlete Dying Young." Naturally, this is a tragic subject, and the poet begins his poem with a sorrowful and solemn tone of pity. The author, on the other hand, uses the poem's structure to surprise his audience. Despite the melancholy tone of the opening line, the tone of the poem shifts to one of satisfaction and praise as the poem goes on, surprising the reader. The author can express various opposing views in each stanza. While he feels that dying young is a pity, he considers how rapidly youth fades and how many men lose their reputation by the time they reach retirement age. He says that if an athlete dies young, he will never have to deal with old age, decline, or loss of glory. Despite the melancholy, the author can draw some constructive conclusions from the incident