Jade Eleazer
Mrs. Weathersbee
AP Literature and Composition
30 October 2013
Effects of Literary Devices in “To an Athlete Dying Young”
"To an Athlete Dying Young", by A. E. Housman, exemplifies the use of apostrophe.
Apostrophe is addressing someone absent or dead as if the person is present and alive, and could
respond to what is being said. Apostrophe is similar to personification, and gives life to one's
language. Housman uses other devices besides apostrophe, like point of view, imagery and
personification to enhance “To an Athlete Dying Young”.
Housman uses apostrophe through constructing constructs the entire poem as if the dead
runner can hear and understand her. Through this structure, By writing the poem in this way, the
emotional connection reader is able to connect to the emotions that the town felt when they
"chaired you through the market-place" which provides a greater connection to the poem's
speaker (Housman 2).
Housman writes the poem in also uses second person point of view, which specifically
addresses the runner. For example, "The time you won your town the race" (Housman 1). From
the first line it is apparent start the reader knows that the poem is speaking to a specific person
someone in particular, and because Housman uses past tense, it can be concluded the reader can
conclude that the poem is directed towards at someone who has passed away.
Imagery is used to provide give a greater sense of realism to the reader. Specifically, "it
withers quicker than the rose" gives the reader not only a vague sense of time, but also offers a
allows the reader to visualize visualization of what a withering rose might look like, and then
compare it to how glory would fade away (Housman 12). Imagery is also apparent in the
following lines:
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. (Housman 1-4)
The previous lines provide a clear picture of for the reader to see the respect with which the
athlete is viewed.
Housman's use of personification consists of, "Eyes the shady night has shut" (Housman
13). This is personification because a night cannot physically shut eyes. However, by using this
personification, the poem gains more depth because apostrophe and personification are being
used side by side, therefore providing a contrast.
A. E. Housman is able to make "To an Athlete Dying Young" a compelling poem
through the use of apostrophe and other literary devices such as point of view, imagery and
personification. These techniques provide the reader with a greater interest into the poem as a
result of the variety of language and structure.
In A. E. Housman’s "To an Athlete Dying Young", other literary devices such as point of
view, imagery and personification are used to make the use of apostrophe effective in his poem.
Through this technique he is able to achieve a greater interest, more emotional connection and a
greater sense of realism between the runner and the reader.
Comment [J1]: This is an improved version of
my conclusion paragraph.